Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “linear optics”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Diaphragm size and sensitivity for fiber optic pressure sensors

A mechanism which leads to a significant increase in sensitivity and linear operating range in reflective type fiber optic pressure transducers with minute active dimensions is studied. A general theoretical formalism is presented which is in good agreement with the experimental data. These results are found useful in the development of small pressure sensors used in turbulent boundary layer studies and other applications.

He, Gang↗
NASA NTRS1993

The free-electron laser in a symmetrical confocal resonator

A tapered wiggler is used in a FEL oscillator to improve the saturation efficiency. During signal buildup the tapered wiggler does not provide optimum phase synchronism between the electron beam and the electromagnetic wave, resulting in an appreciable loss in small-signal gain. This problem can be ameliorated by using a multicomponent wiggler, which is a combination of a uniform wiggler and a tapered section. During buildup, gain is primarily contributed by the linear element, and at high power levels the gain and efficiency are enhanced by the taper. Ideally, one would like to have the optical waist location near the linear section at small-signal levels and at near the tapered section at high power levels. Placing the FEL in a symmetrical confocal resonator approaches this desired effect automatically since it has the unique characteristic that a stable mode exists for all locations of the waist of a Gaussian beam along the axis of the interferometer.

Ozcan, Meric↗
NASA NTRS1978

Autonomous satellite orbital navigation and attitude determination

A known linear landmark navigation system is described. It involves the use of an electro-optical sensor to provide sightings to linear earth features such as highways and coast lines. The sensor concept and the navigation system mechanization are described. Performance analysis results show that landmark sightings provide accurate navigation update and that this accuracy can be preserved using radar altimeter measurements. Description of a stellar inertial attitude determination system is also presented. Attitude reference performance consistent with the requirement of the navigation system is shown to be achievable by this method.

Kau, S. P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

New results from optical polarimetry of Saturn's rings

Linear polarimetry of Saturn's rings, obtained through the period of the 1979 opposition, is presented. The polarisation clearly correlates in direction with the plane containing the Sun, planet and Earth, but not the ring plane. The results are consistent with local scattering on the surface of individual ring bodies, covered with frost

Johnson, P. E.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Electro-Optical Effects in Thin Organic Films

Meta-nitroaniline (mNA) and 2-cyclo-octylamino-5-nitropyridine (COANP) single crystals were grown between two transparent fused quartz plates on which indium-tin-oxide layers were deposited. Both linear and quadratic electro-optic effects of the crystals were examined by an ac modulation method. The figures of merit for mNA and COANP are estimated to be 3.2(10-12 m/V and 4.2(10-12 m/V, respectively. It was found that the crystals were under good protection of the cells and the figure of merits of the crystals did not decrease with time. It is believed that the method adopted in the paper is applicable to electro-optic cell fabrication with other compounds if those crystals growth from melt is feasible. It is suggested that the electro-optic cells have potential fortune because of their durability and relative easy manipulation processes of crystal growth.

Leyderman, Alexander↗
NASA NTRS2006

Cloud Radiative Forcing at the ARM Climate Research Facility: Technique, Validation, and Comparison to Satellite-derived Diagnostic Quantities - Part 1

It has been hypothesized that continuous ground-based remote sensing measurements from active and passive remote sensors combined with regular soundings of the atmospheric thermodynamic structure can be combined to describe the effects of clouds on the clear sky radiation fluxes. We critically test that hypothesis in this paper and a companion paper (Part II). Using data collected at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, we explore an analysis methodology that results in the characterization of the physical state of the atmospheric profile at time resolutions of five minutes and vertical resolutions of 90 m. The description includes thermodynamics and water vapor profile information derived by merging radiosonde soundings with ground-based data, and continues through specification of the cloud layer occurrence and microphysical and radiative properties derived from retrieval algorithms and parameterizations. The description of the atmospheric physical state includes a calculation of the infrared and clear and cloudy sky solar flux profiles. Validation of the methodology is provided by comparing the calculated fluxes with top of atmosphere (TOA) and surface flux measurements and by comparing the total column optical depths to independently derived estimates. We find over a 1-year period of comparison in overcast uniform skies, that the calculations are strongly correlated to measurements with biases in the flux quantities at the surface and TOA of less than 10% and median fractional errors ranging from 20% to as low as 2%. In the optical depth comparison for uniform overcast skies during the year 2000 where the optical depth varies over 3 orders of magnitude we find a mean positive bias of 46% with a median bias of less than 10% and a 0.89 correlation coefficient. The slope of the linear regression line for the optical depth comparison is 0.86 with a normal deviation of 20% about this line. In addition to a case study where we examine the cloud radiative effects at the TOA, surface and atmosphere by a middle latitude synoptic-scale cyclone, we examine the cloud top pressure and optical depth retrievals of ISCCP and LBTM over a period of 1 year. Using overcast period from the year 2000, we find that the satellite algorithms tend to bias cloud tops into the middle troposphere and underestimate optical depth in high optical depth events (greater than 100) by as much as a factor of 2.

Mace, Gerald G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Effect of Injection Dynamics on Wave Propagation in a Linear Detonation Combustor

Injector response to self-excited and sustained detonation wave propagation in an optically-accessible nonpremixed natural gas-oxygen linear detonation combustor is investigated. 100 kHz measurements of planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) of trace quantities of acetone injected into the fuel supply and simultaneous OH∗ chemiluminescence measurements were used to correlate the effect on injection dynamics on detonation wave structure and propagation. Measurements over a range of equivalence ratios (0.61-1.48) revealed wave propagation through regions of high fuel stratification in the axial and transverse direction of reactant injection. Consequently, the propagation of the detonation wave along the channel is through a flow-field with significant variation in fuel mass fraction, reactivity, and sound speeds. At lean conditions, wave propagation frequency is generally lower (∼6 kHz) resulting in longer time between wave passages for mixing and pre-heat resulting in steeper detonation wave-fronts anchored near the injector exit plane. Conversely, at rich equivalence ratios the wave frequency is higher (∼10 kHz) resulting in shorter intra-cycle period for reactant fill and mixing resulting waves lifted from the injection plane that are more compact. Higher chemiluminescence intensity in the post-wave region with deflagrative combustion is observed in these cases. Phase averaged representation of the acetone-PLIF measurements indicate that the fraction of time between wave passages available for reactant fill, mixing and pre-heat is consistent across all equivalence ratios.

Propulsion↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Effect of Injection Dynamics on Detonation Wave Propagation in a Linear Detonation Combustor

Injector response to self-excited and sustained detonation wave propagation in an optically-accessible nonpremixed natural gas-oxygen linear detonation combustor is investigated. 100 kHz measurements of planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) of trace quantities of acetone injected into the fuel supply and simultaneous OH∗ chemiluminescence measurements were used to correlate the effect on injection dynamics on detonation wave structure and propagation. Measurements over a range of equivalence ratios (0.61-1.48) revealed wave propagation through regions of high fuel stratification in the axial and transverse direction of reactant injection. Consequently, the propagation of the detonation wave along the channel is through a flow-field with significant variation in fuel mass fraction, reactivity, and sound speeds. At lean conditions, wave propagation frequency is generally lower (∼6 kHz) resulting in longer time between wave passages for mixing and pre-heat resulting in steeper detonation wave-fronts anchored near the injector exit plane. Conversely, at rich equivalence ratios the wave frequency is higher (∼10 kHz) resulting in shorter intra-cycle period for reactant fill and mixing resulting waves lifted from the injection plane that are more compact. Higher chemiluminescence intensity in the post-wave region with deflagrative combustion is observed in these cases. Phase averaged representation of the acetone-PLIF measurements indicate that the fraction of time between wave passages available for reactant fill, mixing and pre-heat is consistent across all equivalence ratios.

Propulsion↗
NASA NTRS1993

Convex set and linear mixing model

A major goal of optical remote sensing is to determine surface compositions of the earth and other planetary objects. For assessment of composition, single pixels in multi-spectral images usually record a mixture of the signals from various materials within the corresponding surface area. In this report, we introduce a closed and bounded convex set as a mathematical model for linear mixing. This model has a clear geometric implication because the closed and bounded convex set is a natural generalization of a triangle in n-space. The endmembers are extreme points of the convex set. Every point in the convex closure of the endmembers is a linear mixture of those endmembers, which is exactly how linear mixing is defined. With this model, some general criteria for selecting endmembers could be described. This model can lead to a better understanding of linear mixing models.

Xu, P.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Single-Scattering Properties of Ellipsoidal Dust Aerosols Constrained By Measured Dust Shape Distributions

Most global aerosol models approximate dust as spherical particles, whereas most remote sensing retrieval algorithms approximate dust as spheroidal particles with a shape distribution that conflicts with measurements. These inconsistent and inaccurate shape assumptions generate biases in dust single-scattering properties. Here, we obtain dust single-scattering properties by approximating dust as triaxial ellipsoidal particles with observationally constrained shape distributions. We find that, relative to the ellipsoidal dust optics obtained here, the spherical dust optics used in most aerosol models underestimate dust single-scattering albedo, mass extinction efficiency, and asymmetry parameter for almost all dust sizes in both the shortwave and longwave spectra. We further find that the ellipsoidal dust optics are in substantially better agreement with observations of the scattering matrix and linear depolarization ratio than the spheroidal dust optics used in most retrieval algorithms. However, relative to observations, the ellipsoidal dust optics overestimate the lidar ratio by underestimating the backscattering intensity by a factor of ∼2. This occurs largely because the computational method used to simulate ellipsoidal dust optics (i.e., the improved geometric optics method) underestimates the backscattering intensity by a factor of ∼2 relative to other computational methods (e.g., the physical geometric optics method). We conclude that the ellipsoidal dust optics with observationally constrained shape distributions can help improve global aerosol models and possibly remote sensing retrieval algorithms that do not use the backscattering signal.

Dust↗
NASA NTRS1975

Linear polarization variations modulo 5.6 days in HDE 226868

Results are reported for observations of variations in the linear polarization in HDE 226868 (the optical counterpart of Cyg X-1) made with a photoelastic polarimeter and a U-filter. The UV linear-polarization variations, as folded on the 5.6-day orbital period, are found to have amplitudes of 0.25% and position-angle changes of 2.7 deg. These results are shown to be consistent with the geometry and phasing required by the model of the binary system.

Nolt, I. G.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Predicting engine parameters using the optic spectrum of the space shuttle main engine exhaust plume

The Optical Plume Anomaly Detection (OPAD) system is under development to predict engine anomalies and engine parameters of the Space Shuttle's Main Engine (SSME). The anomaly detection is based on abnormal metal concentrations in the optical spectrum of the rocket plume. Such abnormalities could be indicative of engine corrosion or other malfunctions. Here, we focus on the second task of the OPAD system, namely the prediction of engine parameters such as rated power level (RPL) and mixture ratio (MR). Because of the high dimensionality of the spectrum, we developed a linear algorithm to resolve the optical spectrum of the exhaust plume into a number of separate components, each with a different physical interpretation. These components are used to predict the metal concentrations and engine parameters for online support of ground-level testing of the SSME. Currently, these predictions are labor intensive and cannot be done online. We predict RPL using neural networks and give preliminary results.

Srivastava, Ashok N.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Phase-space analysis of charged and optical beam transport: Wigner rotation angle

The possibility of using the phase space formalism to establish a correspondence between the dynamical behavior of squeezed states and optical or charged beams, propagating through linear systems, has received a great deal of attention during the last years. In this connection, it has been indicated how optical experiments may be conceived to measure the Wigner rotation angle. In this paper we address the topic within the context of the paraxial propagation of optical or charged beams and suggest a possible experiment for measuring the Wigner angle using an electron beam passing through quadrupoles and drift sections. The analogous optical system is also discussed.

Dattoli, G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

X-ray observations of spiral galaxies. I - Integrated properties

The results of X-ray observations carried out with the Einstein satellite of 14 nearby field spiral and irregular galaxies are reported. The integrated properties of the galaxies are examined in the luminosity range from 10 to the 38th and 10 to the 40th ergs per sec at 0.5-3.0 keV. It is found that the X-ray luminosities of the galaxies are correlated with both the optical (blue) and the radio luminosities (1.4 GHz). The linear relationship found between the X-ray and the optical blue luminosities suggests a relationship to be between the X-ray luminosity and the stellar content of spiral galaxies exhibiting blue luminosities. On the basis of the correlations, it is proposed that most of the spiral galaxies are relatively young systems of not less than about 10 to the 9th years. Data obtained from the Einstein satellite and those of a previous investigation of the blue galaxies are compared in a table.

Fabbiano, G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The National Symposium and Workshop on Optical Platforms, Huntsville, AL, June 12-14, 1984, Proceedings

The present conference is concerned with space-based observatories (including future systems), interplanetary observation platforms, Space Station optical utilization, orbital earth viewing systems, and Spacelab's use as an observations platform. Attention is given to the pointing system for the Space Telescope, the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, the conceptual definition of the Space IR Telescope Facility's spacecraft, satellite servicing in light of the Solar Maximum Repair Mission, a large deployable reflector telescope concept, moon-based astronomical observatories, Space Station-based remote sensing of the earth, optical systems is geosynchronous orbit, multispectral linear array detector technology, Spacelab-based space plasma and materials processing investigations, and space construction technology for large space observatories. Also discussed are military optical platforms for sea, land and air stationing.

Wyman, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS2011

General Tool for Evaluating High-Contrast Coronagraphic Telescope Performance Error Budgets

The Coronagraph Performance Error Budget (CPEB) tool automates many of the key steps required to evaluate the scattered starlight contrast in the dark hole of a space-based coronagraph. The tool uses a Code V prescription of the optical train, and uses MATLAB programs to call ray-trace code that generates linear beam-walk and aberration sensitivity matrices for motions of the optical elements and line-of-sight pointing, with and without controlled fine-steering mirrors (FSMs). The sensitivity matrices are imported by macros into Excel 2007, where the error budget is evaluated. The user specifies the particular optics of interest, and chooses the quality of each optic from a predefined set of PSDs. The spreadsheet creates a nominal set of thermal and jitter motions, and combines that with the sensitivity matrices to generate an error budget for the system. CPEB also contains a combination of form and ActiveX controls with Visual Basic for Applications code to allow for user interaction in which the user can perform trade studies such as changing engineering requirements, and identifying and isolating stringent requirements. It contains summary tables and graphics that can be instantly used for reporting results in view graphs. The entire process to obtain a coronagraphic telescope performance error budget has been automated into three stages: conversion of optical prescription from Zemax or Code V to MACOS (in-house optical modeling and analysis tool), a linear models process, and an error budget tool process. The first process was improved by developing a MATLAB package based on the Class Constructor Method with a number of user-defined functions that allow the user to modify the MACOS optical prescription. The second process was modified by creating a MATLAB package that contains user-defined functions that automate the process. The user interfaces with the process by utilizing an initialization file where the user defines the parameters of the linear model computations. Other than this, the process is fully automated. The third process was developed based on the Terrestrial Planet Finder coronagraph Error Budget Tool, but was fully automated by using VBA code, form, and ActiveX controls.

Marchen, Luis F.↗