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At least 235 records · Page 13

Sunspot umbral oscillations in Mg II k

Time series observations of the profile of the Mg II k line 2795.52 A have been obtained in five sunspots with the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter on the Solar Maximum Mission. The three sunspots with umbrae larger than the 3 x 3 arcsec pixel size show significant oscillations in integrated line intensity and line centroid, with frequencies in the range 5.29-7.55 mHz (periods of 132-190 s). The frequencies of significant peaks in average umbral power spectra agree well with the frequencies of the three lowest-frequency transmission peaks predicted by a model of resonant transmission of acoustic waves. If radiative delays are unimportant, and the line centroid can be interpreted straightforwardly as a Doppler shift, the measured velocity-intensity phase differences indicate the superposition of upward-propagating and downward-propagating waves in the umbral chromosphere; this is further evidence for the resonant transmission model. A single, quiet sun time series of k core profiles yields power spectra and a phase difference consistent with the existence of a chromospheric p-mode.

Gurman, Joseph B.↗

A type IV burst associated with a coronal streamer disruption event

A type IV burst was observed on February 17, 1985 with the Clark Lake Radio Observatory multifrequency radioheliograph operating in the frequency range 20-125 MHz. This burst was associated with a coronal streamer disruption event. From two-dimensional images produced at 50 MHz, evidence of a type II burst and a slow moving type IV burst are shown. The observations of the moving type IV burst suggests that a plasmoid containing energetic electrons can result from the disruption of a coronal streamer.

Kundu, M. R.↗

The Low Frequency Space Array

The Low Frequency Space Array (LFSA) is a conceptual mission to survey the entire sky and to image individual sources at frequencies between 1.5 and 26 MHz, a frequency range over which the earth's ionosphere transmits poorly or not at all. With high resolution, high sensitivity observations, a new window will be opened in the electromagnetic spectrum for astronomical investigation. Also, extending observations down to such low frequencies will bring astronomy to the fundamental limit below which the galaxy becomes optically thick due to free-free absorption. A number of major scientific goals can be pursued with such a mission, including mapping galactic emission and absorption, studies of individual source spectra in a frequency range where a number of important processes may play a role, high resolution imaging of extended sources, localization of the impulsive emission from Jupiter, and a search for coherent emission processes.

Dennison, Brian↗

Prototype laser-diode-pumped solid state laser transmitters

Monolithic, diode-pumped Nd:YAG ring lasers can provide diffraction-limited, single-frequency, narrow-linewidth, tunable output which is adequate for use as a local oscillator in a coherent communication system. A laser was built which had a linewidth of about 2 kHz, a power of 5 milliwatts, and which was tunable over a range of 30 MHz in a few microseconds. This laser was phase-locked to a second, similar laser. This demonstrates that the powerful technique of heterodyne detection is possible with a diode-pumped laser used as the local oscillator. Laser diode pumping of monolithic Nd:YAG rings can lead to output powers of hundreds of milliwatts from a single laser. A laser was built with a single-mode output of 310 mW. Several lasers can be chained together to sum their power, while maintaining diffraction-limited, single frequency operation. This technique was demonstrated with two lasers, with a total output of 340 mW, and is expected to be practical for up to about ten lasers. Thus with lasers of 310 mW, output of up to 3 W is possible. The chaining technique, if properly engineered, results in redundancy. The technique of resonant external modulation and doubling is designed to efficiently convert the continuous wave, infrared output of our lasers into low duty-cycle pulsed green output. This technique was verified through both computer modeling and experimentation. Further work would be necessary to develop a deliverable system using this technique.

Kane, Thomas J.↗

Radial Alfven velocity profiles in the magnetosphere and their relation to ULF wave field-line resonances

The radial Alfven velocity, V(A), in the magnetosphere was investigated using magnetic field and plasma data from the ISEE-1 spacecraft. The harmonic frequency structure calculated from these data was compared with the observed resonant wave structure in the frequency range 5-100 mHz and over the region L = 3-9. It was found that the frequency of these resonances depend on the A(V), which is a function of the magnetic field strength and plasma density. The toroidal mode resonance frequency structure was modeled for the first four harmonics, with excellent agreement between the modeled and observed harmonics for a passs which does not show a plasmapause gradient. In the presence of a steep plasmapause gradient, the model was found to predict a correspondingly steep increase in the resonance frequencies at the plasmapause, by about 5 mHz for the first harmonic and by 20 mHz for the fourth harmonic. Special consideration is given to the effect of heavy ion mass loading on the modeling.

Fraser, B. J.↗

The ionosphere as a focusing lens - A case study involving simultaneous type III solar radio storm measurements from the ISIS 1 and 2 and ISEE 3 satellites

The possibility of using terrestrial ionospheric focusing to improve the directivity of electric dipoles on space missions has been investigated by comparing simultaneous observations of a solar radio storm by the ISIS 1 and ISIS 2 spacecraft, in near earth orbit, and the ISEE 3 spacecraft located beyond the magnetosphere. To this end, a three-dimensional ray tracing in a spherically stratified ionosphere has been carried out for conditions appropriate to the observations by the ISIS spacecraft of a solar radio storm in September 1983. The procedure allows Poynting flux spectral densities measured on ISIS to be converted to spectral densities well outside the ionosphere where they can be compared directly with simultaneous observations on ISEE 3. The results demonstrate good agreement over their common observing frequency range (1-2 MHz).

James, H. G.↗

A statistical study of Pc 3-5 pulsations observed by the AMPTE/CCE magnetic fields experiment. I - Occurrence distributions

A classification system based on dynamic power spectra of AMPTE/CCE magnetic field data has been developed which allows semiquantitative specification of pulsation activity at all times. Fifteen months of 6.24-s AMPTE/CCE magnetic field data have been analyzed using this scheme to generate a comprehensive data base of all pulsation activity observed from L = 5 to L = 9 at all local times in the frequency range 0-80 mHz. The pulsation divide naturally into five basic categories: toroidal fundamental mode resonances, toroidal harmonic resonances, compressional low-frequency waves, radially polarized waves, and disturbed intervals. Additional distinctions among members of these classes are made to arrive at 14 categories which describe 95 percent of the pulsations observed. Normal spatial distributions in local time and L shell are determined for each category. Magnetic latitude distributions are determined for four coherent categories of activity.

Anderson, B. J.↗

Optical synchronization of millimeter-wave oscillators for distributed architecture

A review of various methods of phase and frequency synchronization of active MMIC based transmit/receive modules is presented, and particular emphasis is placed on the synchronization of oscillators through the use of an indirect subharmonic optical injection locking technique. In this approach, the nonlinear behavior of large-signal modulated laser diodes and solid-state oscillators is exploited to extend the bandwidth of the synchronizing link to the millimeter-wave frequency range. Experimental results of the phase and frequency coherency of two 21.5 GHz FET oscillators are reported. Optimum performance is achieved at a subharmonic factor of 1/4, with a locking range of 84 MHz and a phase noise degradation of only 14 dB. The phase coherency measurement of two injection-locked oscillators points to a phase shift, which is introduced as a result of the frequency detuning between the slave and master oscillator signals. A scheme to correct for this phase error is presented.

Daryoush, Afshin S.↗

Plasma convection and ion beam generation in the plasma sheet boundary layer

Because of the dawn-dusk electric field E(dd), plasma in the magnetotail convects from the lobe toward the central plasma sheet (CPS). In the absence of space or velocity diffusion due to plasma turbulence, convection would yield a steady state distribution function f = V exp (-2/3) g(v exp 2 V exp 2/3), where V is the flux tube volume. Starting with such a distribution function and a plasma beta which varies from beta greater than 1 in the CPS to beta much smaller than 1 in the lobe, the evolution of the ion distribution function was studied considering the combined effects of ion diffusion by kinetic Alfven waves (KAW) in the ULF frequency range (1-10 mHz) and convection due to E(dd) x B drift in the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) and outer central plasma sheet (OCPS). The results show that, during the early stages after launching the KAWs, a beamlike ion distribution forms in the PSBL and at the same time the plasma density and temperature decrease in the OCPS. Following this stage, ions in the beams convect toward the CPS resulting in an increase of the plasma temperature in the OCPS.

Moghaddam-Taaheri, E.↗

In ecliptic observations of Jovian radio emissions by Ulysses - Comparison with Voyager results

During the Ulysses inbound cruise to Jupiter the Unified Radio and Plasma Wave (URAP) experiment observed a variety of the planet's radio components in the frequency range below 1 MHz. Most of these emissions were already detected by the Voyager Radio Astronomy and Plasma Wave experiments, however, with much less sensitivity and different spectral coverage. These different radio components within the URAP dynamic spectra are identified, and their appearance with the previous Voyager observations are compared.

Lecacheux, A.↗

Development and applications of tunable, narrow band lasers and stimulated Raman scattering devices for atmospheric lidar

The main thrust of the program was the study of stimulated Raman processes for application to atmospheric lidar measurements. This has involved the development of tunable lasers, the detailed study of stimulated Raman scattering, and the use of the Raman-shifted light for new measurements of molecular line strengths and line widths. The principal spectral region explored in this work was the visible and near-IR wavelengths between 500 nm and 1.5 microns. Recent alexandrite ring laser experiments are reported. The experiments involved diode injection-locking, Raman shifting, and frequency-doubling. The experiments succeeded in producing tunable light at 577 and 937 nm with line widths in the range 80-160 MHz.

Wilkerson, Thomas D.↗

Concept for a lunar array for very low frequency radio astronomy

We discuss the design considerations relevant to a very low frequency array, to be deployed on the lunar near side during an early expedition. Such an array would operate in the frequency range 1-10 MHz, and would consist nominally of 20 antennas distributed over a region approximately 40 km in extent. Each antenna station would consist of a crossed-dipole antenna, together with a receiver, digitizer, solar cells, and batteries. In addition, the station will contain a UHF transmitter for relaying the digitized signal to a central station where it will be transmitted to Earth for subsequent processing, including cross-correlation with signals from other antennas. Each antenna station (including the central station) would be deployed as a self-contained unit, mounted on a miniature robotic vehicle. No fixed structures are required for the array.

Marsh, Kenneth A.↗

Spacecraft signal sources portable test system

There is a frequent need to measure the frequency stability and phase noise levels of very high performance signal sources that are required for certain spacecraft missions. These measurements need to be done at different locations as the spacecraft subsystems progress through the various stages of development, assembly, test, and integration. Allan Deviation and Phase Noise of high performance sources are generally measured by comparing the unit under test to a reference standard. Five basic requirements are associated with making these kind of measurements: (1) the reference standard performance needs to be equal or better than the unit under test; (2) the measurement system needs to accommodate odd, nonstandard measurement frequencies that can range from 4 MHz to 35 GHz; (3) warm-up frequency drift and aging can corrupt a measurement and must be dealt with; (4) test equipment generated noise must be understood and prevented from limiting the measurements; (5) test equipment noise performance must be verifiable in the field as needed. A portable measurement system that was built by JPL and used in the field is described. The methods of addressing the above requirements are outlined and some measurement noise floor values are given. This test set was recently used to measure state of the art crystal oscillator frequency standards on the TOPEX and MARS OBSERVER spacecraft during several stages of acceptance tests.

Kirk, Albert↗

Detecting the Use of Intentionally Transmitting Personal Electronic Devices Onboard Commercial Aircraft

The need to detect unauthorized usage of intentionally transmitting portable electronic devices (PEDs) onboard commercial aircraft is growing, while still allowing passengers to use selected unintentionally transmitting devices, such as laptop computers and CD players during non-critical stages of flight. The following paper presents an installed system for detecting PEDs over multiple frequency bands. Additionally, the advantages of a fixed verses mobile system are discussed. While data is presented to cover the frequency range of 20 MHz to 6.5 GHz, special attention was given to the Cellular/PCS bands as well as Bluetooth and the FRS radio bands. Measurement data from both the semi-anechoic and reverberation chambers are then analyzed and correlated with data collected onboard a commercial aircraft to determine the dominant mode of coupling inside the passenger cabin of the aircraft versus distance from the source. As a final check of system feasibility, several PEDs transmission signatures were recorded and compared with the expected levels.

Woods, Randy↗

Airborne RF Measurement System and Analysis of Representative Flight RF Environment

Environmental radio frequency (RF) data over a broad band of frequencies were needed to evaluate the airspace around several airports. An RF signal measurement system was designed using a spectrum analyzer connected to an aircraft VHF/UHF navigation antenna installed on a small aircraft. This paper presents an overview of the RF measurement system and provides analysis of a sample of RF signal measurement data over a frequency range of 30 MHz to 1000 MHz.

Koppen, Sandra V.↗

High Temperature Characteristics of Coplanar Waveguide on R-Plane Sapphire and Alumina

This paper presents the characteristics of coplanar waveguide transmission lines on R-plane sapphire and alumina over the temperature range of 25 to 400 C and the frequency range of 45 MHz to 50 GHz. A Thru-Reflect-Line calibration technique and open circuited terminated stubs are used to extract the attenuation and effective permittivity. It is shown that the effective permittivity of the transmission lines and, therefore, the relative dielectric constant of the two substrates increase linearly with temperature. The attenuation of the coplanar waveguide varies linearly with temperature through 200 C, and increases at a greater rate above 200 C.

Ponchak, George E.↗

Preliminary Regional Analysis of the Kaguya Lunar Radar Sounder (LRS) Data through Eastern Mare Imbrium

The Lunar Radar Sounder (LRS) experiment on board the Kaguya spacecraft is observing the subsurface structure of the Moon, using ground-penetrating radar operating in the frequency range of 5 MHz [1]. Because LRS data provides in-formation about lunar features below the surface, it allows us to improve our understanding of the processes that formed the Moon, and the post-formation changes that have occurred (such as basin formation and volcanism). We look at a swath of preliminary LRS data, that spans from 7 to 72 N, and from 2 to 10 W, passing through the eastern portion of Mare Imbrium (Figure 1). Using software, designed for the mineral exploration industry, we produce a preliminary, coarse 3D model, showing the regional structure beneath the study area. Future research will involve smaller subsets of the data in regions of interest, where finer structures, such as those identified in [2], can be studied.

Cooper, B.L.↗