Engineering Papers⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Stelzried, C. T.

Publications and source records attributed to Stelzried, C. T..

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

A new broadband square law detector

A broadband constant law detector was developed for precision power measurements, radio metric measurements, and other applications. It has a wide dynamic range and an accurate square law response. Other desirable characteristics, which are all included in a single compact unit, are: (1) high-level dc output with immunity to ground loop problems; (2) fast response times; (3) ability to insert known time constants; and (4) good thermal stability. The detector and its performance are described in detail. The detector can be operated in a programmable system with a ten-fold increase in accuracy. The use and performance of the detector in a noise-adding radiometer system is also discussed.

Reid, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1975

New broadband square-law detector

Compact device has wide dynamic range, accurate square-law response, good thermal stability, high-level dc output with immunity to ground-loop problems, ability to insert known time constants for radiometric applications, and fast response times compatible with computer systems.

Reid, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A tracking polarimeter for measuring solar and ionospheric Faraday rotation of signals from deep space probes

A tracking polarimeter implemented on the 64-m NASA/JPL paraboloid antenna at Goldstone, Calif., is described. Its performance is analyzed and compared with measurements. The system was developed to measure Faraday rotation in the solar corona of the telemetry carrier from the Pioneer VI spacecraft as it was occulted by the sun. It also measures rotation in the earth's ionosphere and is an accurate method of determining spacecraft orientation. The new feature of this system is its use of a pair of quarter-wave plates to allow the synthesis of a rotating feed system, while requiring the rotation of only a single section of waveguide. Since the polarization sensing is done at RF and the receiver operates essentially as a null detector, the system's accuracy is superior to other polarization tracking schemes. In addition, the antenna size and maser preamplifier provide unsurpassed sensitivity. The associated instrumentation used in the Pioneer VI experiment is also described.

Ohlson, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Low-noise microwave receiving systems in a worldwide network of large antennas.

The Deep-Space Network (DSN) consists of a worldwide network of 26- and 64-m antennas spaced approximately 120 deg around the world. The DSN is a precision communications system designed to communicate with and control unmanned spacecraft traveling at interplanetary ranges. Recent developments in the performance and evaluation of the antennas and maser receivers are discussed, and developments which have contributed to radio-science projects, such as planetary radar astronomy, very-long-baseline interferometry, pulsar, and other astronomical observations are described. It is also shown how these radio-science measurements have been used to evaluate the performance of the antenna-receiver systems.

Reid, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Improved noise-adding radiometer for microwave receivers

Use of input switch and noise reference standard is avoided by using noise-adding technique. Excess noise from solid state noise-diode is coupled into receiver through directional coupler and square-wave modulated at low rate. High sensitivity receivers for radioastronomy applications are utilized with greater confidence in stability of radiometer.

Batelaan, P. D.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Net-field polarization in a magnetically biased plasma.

Systematic treatment of the net-field polarization of a plane wave propagating in a magnetically biased cold plasma. Polarization transformations under quasi-longitudinal conditions are examined. The wide variety of polarization transformations available suggests the usefulness of slabs of magnetically biased plasma to synthesize microwave polarizers and depolarizers.

Rusch, W. V. T.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Microwave cryogenic thermal-noise standards

Field operational waveguide noise standard with nominal noise temperature of 78.09 plus/minus 0.12 deg K is calibrated more precisely than before. Calibration technique applies to various disciplines such as microwave radiometry, antenna temperature and loss measurement, and low-noise amplifier performance evaluation.

Stelzried, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1970

A radiometric method for measuring the insertion loss of radome materials

Radiometer system measures effective noise temperature directed towards sky, with and without radome over antenna horn. Data is then translated into computer format. With additional transmission line insertion loss data from other measurements, computer calculates insertion loss of radome material.

Seidel, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS1970

Radiometric evaluation of antenna-feed component losses

Radiometric method accurately calibrates the principal line sections of an antenna, including the section which contains the antenna-feed component /mode generator and polarizer/. Precise knowledge of the absolute antenna temperature is not required.

Otoshi, T. Y.↗