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At least 307 records · Page 17

The Next Generation Space Telescope - A large UV-IR successor to HST

Attention is given to the science goals of the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), namely, detection and spectroscopy of gas giant planets to earthlike planets around nearby stars, study of nearby star-forming complexes with resolutions of 5-50 AU in the visible and IR, measurement of stellar populations in a variety of environments, spatial resolution and mapping of complex structures in the inner narrow line regions for AGN and QSOs, and investigation of the structure and evolution of galaxies at redshifts greater than 1. The NGST characteristics, milestones, long-term strategy, and launch capability are also discussed.

Illingworth, Garth↗

8-13 micron spectroscopy and IR photometry of Comet P/Brorsen-Metcalf (1989o) near perihelion

Thermal IR spectrophotometry of Comet P/Brorsen-Metcalf near perihelion was obtained during August 28-September 6, 1989, by the NASA IRTF; these data are presently compared with results for Comet P/Halley. The spectra, which lacked silicate emission, are consistent with 400-430 K grey body emission. The grains are on these bases inferred to have been larger than typical for either new comets or P/Halley. Attention is given to the composition, mass, temperature, and character of the cometary dust in view of Comet P/Halley study results.

Lynch, David K.↗

Environmental effects on an optical-UV-IR synthesis array

The Moon offers a stable platform with excellent seeing conditions for the Lunar Optical-UV-IR Synthesis Array (LOUISA). Some troublesome aspects of the lunar environment will need to be overcome to realize the full potential of the Moon as an observatory site. Mitigation of negative effects of vacuum, thermal radiation, dust, and micrometeorite impact is feasible with careful engineering and operational planning. Shields against impact, dust, and solar radiation need to be developed. Means of restoring degraded surfaces are probably essential for optical and thermal control surfaces deployed in long-lifetime lunar facilities. Precursor missions should be planned to validate and enhance the understanding of the lunar environment (e.g., dust behavior without and with human presence and to determine environmental effects on surfaces and components. Precursor missions should generate data useful in establishing keepout zones around observatory facilities while rocket launches and landings, mining, and vehicular traffic could be detrimental to observatory operation.

Johnson, Stewart W.↗

Required technologies for a lunar optical UV-IR synthesis array

A Lunar Optical UV-IR Synthesis Array (LOUISA) proposed to take advantage of the characteristics of the lunar environment requires appropriate advances in technology. These technologies are in the areas of contamination/interference control, test and evaluation, manufacturing, construction, autonomous operations and maintenance, power and heating/cooling, stable precision structures, optics, parabolic antennas, and communications/control. LOUISA needs to be engineered to operate for long periods with minimal intervention by humans or robots. What is essential for LOUISA operation is enforcement of a systems engineering approach that makes compatible all lunar operations associated with habitation, resource development, and science.

Johnson, Stewart W.↗

SO2 in the middle atmosphere of Venus: IR measurements from Venera 15 and comparison to UV

Two sets of measurements of SO2 bands in the Venus spectra are presented and compared: IR spectra obtained on the USSR Venera 15 orbiter and UV spectra from the American Pioneer Venus orbiter and sounding rockets. The 40-mbar level was chosen as a reference level for comparison. The UV data are referred to this level. There are three SO2 bands in the infrared spectrum: at 519, 1150, and 1360 cm(exp -1). The levels of their formation in the atmosphere may differ significantly, by more than 10 km.

Zasova, L. V.↗

Advanced small rocket chambers: Option 1, 14 lbf Ir-Re rocket

A high performance Ir-Re 14 lbf (62 N) chamber and nozzle which can be a direct replacement for a production engine was designed, built, hot fired and vibration acceptance tested. It passed all acceptance tests satisfactorily and demonstrated a 20 sec increase in specific impulse (Is) over the conventional 14 lbf silicide coated Cb chamber. The high performance engine uses the production valve and injector without modification. Incorporation of a secondary mixing device or Boundary Layer Trip within the combustion chamber results in elimination of the fuel film coolant, improvement in flow uniformity, the 20 sec performance increase, and reduction of a potential source of spacecraft contamination. Measured Is was 305 sec at 75:1 area ratio, with monomenthylhydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide propellants. Qualification tests remain to be done.

Jassowski, Donald M.↗

Jet Engine hot parts IR Analysis Procedure (J-EIRP)

A thermal radiation analysis method called Jet Engine IR Analysis Procedure (J-EIRP) was developed to evaluate jet engine cavity hot parts source radiation. The objectives behind J-EIRP were to achieve the greatest accuracy in model representation and solution, while minimizing computer resources and computational time. The computer programs that comprise J-EIRP were selected on the basis of their performance, accuracy, and flexibility to solve both simple and complex problems. These programs were intended for use on a personal computer, but include the ability to solve large problems on a mainframe or supercomputer. J-EIRP also provides the user with a tool for developing thermal design experience and engineering judgment through analysis experimentation, while using minimal computer resources. A sample jet engine cavity analysis demonstrates the procedure and capabilities within J-EIRP, and is compared to a simplified method for approximating cavity radiation. The goal is to introduce the terminology and solution process used in J-EIRP and to provide insight into the radiation heat transfer principles used in this procedure.

Baumeister, Joseph F.↗

Design concept for an IR mapping spectrometer for the Pluto fast flyby mission

The design of an IR mapping spectrometer that exceeds all the criteria of the Pluto Fast Flyby Mission will be presented. The instrument has a mass of approximately 1700 g and uses less than 4 W of power. The design concept is based on an f/3 spectrograph using an aberration-corrected concave holographic grating. Up to four spectral regions can be covered simultaneously by dividing the grating into two to four sections, each imaging the entrance slit on a different area of the array. The spectrography will be fed by a lightweight 5 in. f/3 telescope based on SDIO precepts. In order to provide spectroscopic access to the fundamental molecule frequencies, an extended-range NICMOS array to approximately 3.5 microns and an InSb array going to 5.8 microns will be considered.

Fink, U.↗

Segmented mirror figure control for a space-based far-IR astronomical telescope

For segmented large mirrors to be used effectively for astronomy they must be actively aligned and controlled to extreme levels of precision. We consider the figure control problem for a spaceborne far-IR telescope, the Precision Segmented Reflector Project Focus Moderate Mission Telescope. We propose a two-stage approach. A figure initialization controller is used to achieve initial phasing and alignment of the telescope using an imaging science detector. A figure maintenance controller keeps the telescope aligned during normal operation using a laser metrology optical truss sensor system. We show that performance of any figure control system is subject to limits on the controllability of the wavefront. Maintenance controllers are additionally limited by considerations of the observability of the wavefront from the maintenance sensors. We show preliminary results for the figure initialization controller. We present a 'Wavefront Compensation' method for figure maintenance control that minimizes wavefront errors due to misalignment errors.

Redding, David↗

Pointing and figure control system for a space-based far-IR segmented telescope

A pointing and figure control system for two space-based far-IR telescopes, the 10-20 m Large Deployable Reflector and the 3.6 m Submillimeter Intermediate Mission, is described. The figure maintenance control system is designed to counter the optical elements translational and rotational changes induced by long-term thermal drifts that the support structure may experience. The pointing system applies optical truss to telescope pointing; a laser metrology system is used to transfer pointing informaton from an external fine guidance sensor to the telescope optical boresight, defined by the primary mirror, secondary mirror, and focal plane assembly.

Lau, Kenneth↗

High-resolution studies of atmospheric IR emission spectra

Atmospheric emission spectra obtained with two different spectrometer systems are presented. The first system (the BOMEM Michelson interferometer) is designed for emission work. Spectra were obtained under adverse conditions in the Antarctic, and are still of good absolute accuracy. The second system (a modified Bruker Instruments IFS120 very high spectral resolution interferometer) demonstrates the sensitivity that can be achieved even at higher spectral resolution. This system shows that mid-IR atmospheric emission spectra can be obtained with a good SNR in a reasonable length of time at a relatively high resolution. A properly designed high resolution system should achieve high accuracy, sensitivity, and resolution, thereby permitting measurements of many atmospheric constituents when solar spectra cannot be obtained.

Murcray, F. J.↗

Detection of the 2165 inverse centimeter (4.619 micron) XCN band in the spectrum of L1551 IRS 5

We report the detection of a broad absorption band at 2165/cm in the spectrum of L1551 IRS 5. New laboratory results over the 2200-2100/cm wavenumber interval, performed with realistic interstellar ice analogs, suggest that this feature is due to a CN-containing compound. We will refer to this compound as XCN. We also confirm the presence of frozen CO through absorption bands at 2140/cm and 2135/cm. The relative abundance of solid state CO to frozen H2O is about 0.13 while the abundance of XCN seems comparable to that of frozen CO.

Tegler, Stephen C.↗

Unfulfilled needs in IR astronomy focal-plane readout electronics

The NOAO's 8-m IR optimized telescope for Mauna Kea and NASA's SIRTF show that from 1 to 200 microns there are a number of unfulfilled needs in readout electronics. These include: extremely low readnoise, less than 10 electrons, stable operation at temperatures as low as 2 K, high well capacity, greater than 1 e 7 electrons, and integration times from 30 msec to over 100 sec. Sensors for adaptive optics systems are required with readnoise less than 10 electrons and response times of 30 msec. They should be highly efficient from 1 to 2.5 microns, but may have small formats. Ground-based imagers at these wavelengths need comparable readnoise but longer integration times, and the largest possible formats are essential. To achieve these goals improved cryogenic MOSFETS are essential and complete cryogenic CMOS circuits are highly desirable. Experimental cryoptimized MFETS promise to exceed the above noise requirements at 77 K and approach the needs at 2 K.

Low, Frank J.↗

Synthesis Of Ir(1-x-y)Rh(x)Co(y)Sb(3) Semiconductors

Ir(1-x-y)Rh(x)Co(y)Sb(3) semiconductors synthesized by gradient-freeze and sintering techniques. Sintering techniques used for variety of compositions; gradient-freeze technique used for RhSb(3) and CoSb(3).

Caillat, Thierry↗

The IR properties of ringed galaxies and the IRAS database

Our study of the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) properties of ringed galaxies has been largely successful. We have identified what we think is the probable cause of the differences in the IRAS properties among non-interacting barred galaxies as the pattern speed of the bar. The key to identifying this parameter has been our focusing the study on outer-ringed galaxies where we know precisely what is present in the central regions (from available BVI CCD images in our library of images). The theory is that outer rings, through their morphology and other characteristics, can be identified with the outer Lindblad resonance, one of the major resonances in galaxy structure. Using a library of n-body simulations for comparison, we can reliably infer both low and high pattern speed galaxies from the appearance of outer rings and the existence of other ring features. It is clear that in some barred galaxies, the bar pattern speed is high enough to avoid an inner Lindblad resonance, hence such objects do not contain nuclear or circumnuclear star formation. The IRAS observations are most sensitive to nuclear star formation in early-type barred galaxies, and will thus select those barred galaxies where the pattern speed is low enough to allow an inner Lindblad resonance to exist. High pattern speed barred galaxies therefore weaken the correlation between bars and infrared excess. This finding helps to reconcile the inconsistent results found between different studies on the correlation between bars and far-IR emission.

Buta, Ronald J.↗

Evidence for dust transport in Viking IR thermal mapper opacity data

Global maps of 9-micron dust opacity derived from radiometric observations made by the Viking Orbiter IR Thermal Mapper instruments have revealed a wealth of new information about the distribution of airborne dust over 1.36 Mars years from 1976-1979. In particular, the changing dust distribution during major dust storms is of interest since the data provide a point of contact with both Earth-based observations of storm growth and with global circulation models.

Martin, Terry Z.↗

Studies of atmospheric dust from Viking IR thermal mapper data

Following earlier work to map the dust opacity of the Mars atmosphere, a number of separate studies have been performed employing the radiometric measurements of the Viking IR Thermal Mappers. These efforts have resulted in a new perspective on the atmospheric dust distribution during the Viking Mission, as well as quantitative measures useful in the modeling of likely behavior at other times, and improved boundary conditions for circulation models of Mars. The significant findings from these studies are presented.

Martin, T. Z.↗

Mossbauer and spectral (visible and near-IR) data for Fe(3+)-substituted rutile

Titanohematite and rutile containing some Fe(3+) are possible highly oxidized weathering products of ilmenite and titanomagnetities. We report here Moessbauer and reflectivity data (visible and near-IR) for Fe(3+)-substituted rutile as a part of our continuing studies of ferric-substituted minerals that might have bearing on the interpretation of Martian spectral data.

Lauer, H. V., Jr.↗