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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.

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At least 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

The effects of atmospheric turbulence on precision optical measurements used for antenna-pointing compensation

Blind pointing of the Deep Space Network (DSN) 70-meter antennas can be improved if distortions of the antenna structure caused by unpredictable environmental loads can be measured in real-time, and the resulting boresight shifts evaluated and incorporated into the pointing control loops. The measurement configuration of a proposed pointing compensation system includes an optical range sensor that measures distances to selected points on the antenna surface. The effect of atmospheric turbulence on the accuracy of optical distance measurements and a method to make in-situ determinations of turbulence-induced measurement errors are discussed.

Nerheim, N.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Confirmation of radial velocity variability in Arcturus

The paper presents results of high-precision measurements of radial-velocity variations in Alpha Boo. Significant radial-velocity variability is detected well in excess of the random and systematic measurement errors. The radial velocity varies by an amount greater than 200 m/sec with a period of around 2 days.

Cochran, William D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Doppler and range determination for deep space vehicles using active optical transponders

This paper describes and analyzes two types of laser system employing active transponders that could accurately determine Doppler and range to deep space vehicles from earth-orbiting satellites. The first is a noncoherent optical system in which the Doppler effect on an intensity-modulating subcarrier is measured. The second is a coherent optical system in which the Doppler effect of the optical carrier itself is measured. Doppler and range measurement errors are mathematically modeled and, for three example systems, numerically evaluated.

Kinman, Peter W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Surface temperature determination in surface analytic systems by infrared optical pyrometry

An IR pyrometric technique for measuring the surface temperatures of metal specimens in an ultrahigh-vacuum analytic chamber is described and demonstrated. The experimental setup comprises a commercial IR microscope with a long-working-distance right-angle objective (focal spot diameter 1 mm at 53 cm), a metal-coated glass vacuum chamber with a Ta-mesh-covered quartz viewport, an Mo specimen stub with an internal heating element, and a Ta disk test specimen with a flat side coated with a high-emissivity graphite film. The results of an initial calibration test are presented graphically and briefly characterized. The measurement error at 450 C is found to be less than 10 C.

Wheeler, Donald R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Polarimetry of four Wolf-Rayet stars

Time-dependent broadband linear polarimetric observations of four WR stars are presented. On a time basis of days, WR 3 and SR 131 displayed no polarization variability above measurement errors. The position angle of WR 3 was consistent with the polarization being mainly of interstellar origin. The polarization of WR 103 showed variations, in one night on a time scale of hours. The polarization of WR 151 showed a modulation with orbital phase that was used to derive an estimate of the WN5 and O8 star's masses, of 6 and 14 solar masses, respectively. Four phenomenological types of polarization variability are introduced, and the stars are described in terms of them.

Schulte-Ladbeck, Regina E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A 100-micron polarimeter for the Kuiper Airborne Observatory

Consideration is given to the design and performance of the 100-micron polarimeter proposed for use on the NASA Kuiper Airborne Observatory. The polarimeter specifications are listed. The polarimeter design and data reduction techniques are based on the work of Hildebrand et al. (1984) and Dragovan (1986). The polarimeter has an improved signal-to-noise ratio and systematic measurement errors below 0.2 percent.

Novak, G.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Phoebe: A preliminary control network and rotational elements

A preliminary control network for the Saturnian satellite Phoebe was determined based upon 6 distinct albedo features mapped on 16 Voyager 2 images. Using an existing map and an analytical triangulation program which minimized the measurement error, the north pole of Phoebe was calculated to be alpha sub 0 = 355.0 deg + or - 9.6 deg, delta sub 0 = 68.7 deg + or - 7.9 deg, where alpha sub 0, delta sub 0 are standard equatorial coordinates with equinox J2000 at epoch J2000. The prime meridian of Phoebe was computed to be W = 304.7 deg + 930.833872d, where d is the interval in days from JD 2451545.0 TDB.

Colvin, Tim R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Ridge regression processing

Current navigation requirements depend on a geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) criterion. As long as the GDOP stays below a specific value, navigation requirements are met. The GDOP will exceed the specified value when the measurement geometry becomes too collinear. A new signal processing technique, called Ridge Regression Processing, can reduce the effects of nearly collinear measurement geometry; thereby reducing the inflation of the measurement errors. It is shown that the Ridge signal processor gives a consistently better mean squared error (MSE) in position than the Ordinary Least Mean Squares (OLS) estimator. The applicability of this technique is currently being investigated to improve the following areas: receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM), coverage requirements, availability requirements, and precision approaches.

Kuhl, Mark R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Foundations of measurement and instrumentation

The user of instrumentation has provided an understanding of the factors that influence instrument performance, selection, and application, and of the methods of interpreting and presenting the results of measurements. Such understanding is prerequisite to the successful attainment of the best compromise among reliability, accuracy, speed, cost, and importance of the measurement operation in achieving the ultimate goal of a project. Some subjects covered are dimensions; units; sources of measurement error; methods of describing and estimating accuracy; deduction and presentation of results through empirical equations, including the method of least squares; experimental and analytical methods of determining the static and dynamic behavior of instrumentation systems, including the use of analogs.

Warshawsky, Isidore↗
NASA NTRS1990

Experimental validation study of an analytical model of discrete frequency sound propagation in closed-test-section wind tunnels

The principal objective is to assess the adequacy of linear acoustic theory with an impedence wall boundary condition to model the detailed sound field of an acoustic source in a duct. Measurements and calculations are compared of a simple acoustic source in a rectangular concrete duct lined with foam on the walls and anechoic end terminations. Measurement of acoustic pressure for twelve wave numbers provides variation in frequency and absorption characteristics of the duct walls. Close to the source, where the interference of wall reflections is minimal, correlation is very good. Away from the source, correlation degrades, especially for the lower frequencies. Sensitivity studies show little effect on the predicted results for changes in impedance boundary condition values, source location, measurement location, temperature, and source model for variations spanning the expected measurement error.

Mosher, Marianne↗
NASA NTRS1989

Population properties of AGN in the soft X-ray band

Maximum likehood analysis can be used to separate the intrinsic dispersion of spectral index from the measuring errors for X-ray observed samples of active galactic nuclei (AGN). A finite sigma tends to introduce selection biases, compels the use of large samples in searches for intrinsic properties, and can mask quite substantial trends in X-ray spectral index with other source properties. The property which appears to affect the mean spectral index is the relative strength of radio emission. The connection between radio and X-ray luminosity is discussed. Observed trends to flatter AGN X-ray spectral components with higher energy may be important in evaluating the composite spectrum of AGN contributing to the cosmic X-ray background.

Worrall, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Measuring and modeling near-surface reflected and emitted radiation fluxes at the FIFE site

Information is presented pertaining to the measurement and estimation of reflected and emitted components of the radiation balance. Information is included about reflectance and transmittance of solar radiation from and through the leaves of some grass and forb prairie species, bidirectional reflectance from a prairie canopy is discussed and measured and estimated fluxes are described of incoming and outgoing longwave and shortwave radiation. Results of the study showed only very small differences in reflectances and transmittances for the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of grass species in the visible and infrared wavebands, but some differences in the infrared wavebands were noted for the forbs. Reflectance from the prairie canopy changed as a function of solar and view zenith angles in the solar principal plane with definite asymmetry about nadir. The surface temperature of prairie canopies was found to vary by as much as 5 C depending on view zenith and azimuth position and on the solar azimuth. Aerodynamic temperature calculated from measured sensible heat fluxes ranged from 0 to 3 C higher than nadir-viewed temperatures. Models were developed to estimate incoming and reflected shortwave radiation from data collected with a Barnes Modular Multiband Radiometer. Several algorithms for estimating incoming longwave radiation were evaluated and compared to actual measures of that parameter. Net radiation was calculated using the estimated components of the shortwave radiation streams, determined from the algorithms developed, and from the longwave radiation streams provided by the Brunt, modified Deacon, and the Stefan-Boltzmann models. Estimates of net radiation were compared to measured values and found to be within the measurement error of the net radiometers used in the study.

Blad, Blaine L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Ground-based testing of Precision Segmented Reflectors - PSR in the ground test environment

Recent PSR test experiences including panel surface error measurements and a truss beam experiment are covered. Principal environmental concerns, such as one-g condition, ambient microseismic environment, acoustic environment and thermal environment for the PSR testbed are analyzed. Results of the analysis and their implications for ground-based testing of large precision segmented optical systems are presented.

Satter, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The gas/dust ratio in spiral galaxies

IRAS data are used here to calculate warm dust masses, which are then compared with the molecular and atomic gas masses for 58 spiral galaxies in order to constrain the fraction and the phase of the interstellar medium in spiral galaxies that contributes to the emission measured by IRAS. The dispersion in the ratio of dust mass to total gas mass is larger than expected on the basis of measurement errors. The dispersion in the ratio of dust mass to inner disk gas mass is less than the dispersion in the ratio of IR to radio emission. The inner gas to warm dust mass ratio for spiral galaxies is 1080 + or - 70, indicating that 80-90 percent of the dust mass in spiral galaxies is radiating at over 100 microns and has a temperature less than about 30 K. However, the bulk of the dust in spiral galaxies is less than about 15 K regardless of the phase of the ISM. Both H I and H2-associated dust contributes to the warm 30 K emission.

Devereux, Nicholas A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Lithospheric flexure beneath the Freyja Montes foredeep, Venus - Constraints on lithospheric thermal gradient and heat flow

Analysis of Venera 15 and 16 radar images and topographic data from the Freyja Montes region on Venus suggests that this mountain belt formed as a result of a sequence of underthrusts of the lithosphere of the North Polar Plains beneath the highlands of Ishtar Terra. The lithospheric flexure hypothesis is tested, and the effective thickness Te of the elastic lithosphere of the underthrusting portion of the North Polar Plains is estimated by fitting individual topographic profiles to deflection curves for a broken elastic plate. The theoretical curves fit the observed topographic profiles to within measurement error for values of flexural rigidity D in the range (0.8-3) x 10 to the 22nd N m, equivalent to Te in the range 11-18 km.

Solomon, Sean C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Comparisons of one- and two- interface methods for tunnel wall interference calculation

Tunnel wall interference in two-dimensional subsonic flow can be analytically calculated on the basis of the one- or two-interface method. The application of numerical integration by means of matrix multiplication to both methods has been found to significantly reduce CPU time in on-line operation. An investigation of the sensitivity of these methods to random velocity-measurement disturbances shows the one-interface method to be less sensitive to measurement errors, and therefore to be preferable for practical applications.

Lo, C. F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Orbiter-orbiter and orbiter-lander tracking using same-beam interferometry

Two spacecraft orbiting Mars may be tracked simultaneously by a single earth-based antenna. Same-beam interferometric techniques, using two widely separated antennas, produce a spacecraft-spacecraft measurement in the plane of the sky, complementary to the line-of-sight Doppler information. This paper presents an overview of the same-beam interferometric measurement technique, a measurement error analysis, and examples of the application of same-beam interferometry to orbit determination. For the case of Mars Observer and the Soviet Mars '94 mission, orbit determination improvement up to an order of magnitude is found. Relative tracking between a Mars orbiter and a lander fixed on the surface of Mars is also studied. The lander location may be determined to a few meters, while the orbiter ephemeris may be determined with accuracy similar to the orbiter-orbiter case.

Folkner, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Improved Notch Filter For Synchronous-Response Control

Tracking differential-notch filter (TDNF) developed to retain good synchronous-response performance of notch filter, but with vastly improved stability properties. Measurement error perfectly filtered from feedback signal used to drive compensator. Provides good stability of simple lead/lag compensator combined with good synchronous-response performance gained by addition of notch filter.

Johnson, Bruce G.↗