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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 NTRS2008

Two-Stage Passive Vibration Isolator

The design and testing of a structural system were implemented to hold the optics of the planned Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) at positions and orientations characterized by vibrational translation and rotation errors of no more than a few nanometers or a few milliarcseconds, respectively. Much of the effort was devoted to a test bed for verifying the predicted behavior of a vibration- isolation structural subsystem working together with an active control system for positioning and orienting the SIM optics. There was considerable emphasis on the vibration-isolation subsystem, which was passive and comprised two stages. The main sources of vibration were six reaction wheels in an assembly denoted the "backpack." The first vibration-isolation stage consisted of hexapod isolator mounts - one for each reaction wheel - characterized by a natural vibration frequency of 10 Hz. The second stage was a set of three beams, disposed between the backpack and the structure that held the SIM optics, that were flexured such that they transmitted only bending loads, with a natural vibrational frequency and damping of about 5 Hz and 4 percent, respectively. Preliminary test results were presented and characterized as demonstrating the effectiveness of the two-stage vibration-isolation design.

Goullioud, Renaud↗
NASA NTRS1991

Optical system design for a Lunar Optical Interferometer

The moon offers particular advantages for interferometry, including a vacuum environment, a large stable base on which to assemble multi-kilometer baselines, and a cold nighttime temperature to allow for passive cooling of optics for high IR sensitivity. A baseline design for a Lunar Optical Interferometer (LOI) which exploits these features is presented. The instrument operates in the visible to mid-IL region, and is designed for both astrometry and synthesis imaging. The design uses a Y-shaped array of 12 siderostats, with maximum arm lengths of about 1 km. The inner siderostats are monitored in three dimensions from a central laser metrology structure to allow for high precision astrometry. The outer siderostats, used primarily for synthesis imaging, exploit the availability of bright reference stars in order to determine the instrument geometry. The path delay function is partitioned into coarse and fine components, the former accomplished with switched banks of range mirrors monitored with an absolute laser metrology system, and the latter with a short cat's eye delay line. The back end of the instrument is modular, allowing for beam combiners for astrometry, visible and IR synthesis imaging, and direct planet detection. With 1 m apertures, the instrument will have a point-source imaging sensitivity of about 29 mag; with the laser metrology system, astrometry at the microarcsecond level will be possible.

Colavita, M. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Amplitude and intensity spatial interferometry; Proceedings of the Meeting, Tucson, AZ, Feb. 14-16, 1990

Attention is given to such topics as ground interferometers, space interferometers, speckle-based and interferometry-based astronomical observations, adaptive and atmospheric optics, speckle techniques, and instrumentation. Particular papers are presented concerning recent progress on the IR Michelson array; the IOTA interferometer project; a space interferometer concept for the detection of extrasolar earth-like planets; IR speckle imaging at Palomar; optical diameters of stars measured with the Mt. Wilson Mark III interferometer; the IR array camera for interferometry with the cophased Multiple Mirror Telescope; optimization techniques appliesd to the bispectrum of one-dimensional IR astronomical speckle data; and adaptive optical iamging for extended objects.

Breckinridge, Jim B.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Shock compression of diamond single crystals to 120 GPa: Refractive index and nonlinear photoelasticity

The optical response of transparent solids at extreme conditions is important for both fundamental science and many applications. Strong transparent solids are of particular interest for use as optical windows in dynamic compression experiments. Due to diamond’s exceptional strength and optical properties, laser-driven shock experiments and plate impact experiments were carried out to examine the diamond optical response for shock wave compression along two different crystal orientations. Using laser interferometry at 532 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths, optical transparency was observed and refractive indices were determined for [100] diamond at stresses up to 119 GPa and for [111] diamond at stresses up to 87 GPa. From these results, the nonlinear photoelastic response for [100] and [111] diamond was determined, revealing significant dependence on both crystal orientation and laser wavelength. To enable [100] diamond as an interferometry window in dynamic compression experiments, the requisite window corrections were determined for 532 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths. Because of diamond’s excellent x-ray transparency, the present findings will be particularly useful for incorporating [100] diamonds as windows in dynamic compression experiments involving x-ray diffraction or other x-ray diagnostics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2004

Design considerations and validation of the MSTAR absolute metrology system

Absolute metrology measures the actual distance between two optical fiducials. A number of methods have been employed, including pulsed time-of-flight, intensity-modulated optical beam, and two-color interferometry. The rms accuracy is currently limited to -5 microns. Resolving the integer number of wavelengths requires a 1-sigma range accuracy of -0.1 microns. Closing this gap has a large pay-off the range (length measurement) accuracy can be increased substantially using the unambiguous optical phase. The MSTAR sensor (Modulation Sideband Technology for Absolute Ranging) is a new system for measuring absolute distance, capable of resolving the integer cycle ambiguity of standard interferometers, and making it possible to measure distance with sub-nanometer accuracy. In this paper, we present recent experiments that use dispersed white light interferometry to independently validate the zero-point of the system. We also describe progress towards reducing the size of optics, and stabilizing the laser wavelength for operation over larger target ranges. MSTAR is a general-purpose tool for conveniently measuring length with much greater accuracy than was previously possible, and has a wide range of possible applications.

Jeganathan, Muthu↗
NASA NTRS2002

LISA Optics Model

The LISA experiment has six telescopes, in three spacecraft, in orbit about the sun. There is a continuous laser link between all of the spacecraft. Because of the large, 5 million kilometer distances, between the spacecraft and the need to perform picometer level interferometry and the fact that the optical system is dynamic precludes the use of standard optical codes in the design and analysis of this optical system. A detailed description of the approach used to model all of the optics, in the spacecraft in orbit, is presented and the ability of this model to analyze requirements is discussed. A dynamic computer simulation will be shown to illustrate the laser link and the effects of this dynamic environment on the interferometry.

Waluschka, Eugene↗
DOE OSTI2023

Astrometry in two-photon interferometry using an Earth rotation fringe scan

Optical interferometers may not require a phase-stable optical link between the stations if instead sources of quantum-mechanically entangled pairs could be provided to them, enabling long baselines. We developed a new variation of this idea, proposing that photons from two different astronomical sources could be interfered at two decoupled stations. Interference products can then be calculated in post-processing or requiring only a slow, classical connection between stations. In this work, we investigated practical feasibility of this approach. We developed a Bayesian analysis method for the earth rotation fringe scanning technique and showed that in the limit of high signal-to-noise ratio it reproduced the results from a simple Fisher matrix analysis. Here we identify candidate stair pairs in the northern hemisphere, where this technique could be applied. With two telescopes with an effective collecting area of ~ 2 m 2 , we could detect fringing and measure the astrometric separation of the sources at ~100 μas precision in a few hours of observations, in agreement with previous estimates.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1993

Controlled structures technology and the design of an optical interferometer spacecraft

The impact of extremely stringent structural control requirements and controlled structures techniques on the overall design of a spacecraft system is examined. A space-based optical interferometer presents a design case that necessitates the application of controlled structures technology. In order for interferometry to succeed, differential pathlengths between the optical components need to be identical within a fraction of a wavelength of the light (about 25 nm for visible light). This high level of precision must be maintained on a large, flexible structure in the face of common spacecraft vibrational disturbances. Aspects of spacecraft design are examined to determine the impact of structural control on the 'normal' design process. Structural control objectives can drive several choices in subsystem component selection and sizing that minimize the vibrational environment.

Nisbet, Andrew M.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Atomic Interferometry with Detuned Counter-Propagating Electromagnetic Pulses

Atomic fountain interferometry uses atoms cooled with optical molasses to 1 μK, which are then launched in a fountain mode. The interferometer relies on the nonlinear Raman interaction of counter-propagating visible light pulses. We present models of these key transitions through a series of Hamiltonians. Our models, which have been verified against special cases with known solutions, allow us to incorporate the effects of non-ideal pulse shapes and realistic laser frequency or wavevector jitter.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

MAGIS-100 Atom Source Support Preliminary Design

There are three Atom Sources within the MAGIS-100 experiment, located at the ends and midpoint of the shaft, adjacent to the vacuum tube. Each Atom Source weighs approximately 700 pounds and contains the optical components for the atom interferometry and delivers the Strontium.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

BOLOMETRIC FLUX ESTIMATION FOR COOL EVOLVED STARS

Estimation of bolometric fluxes (F{sub BOL}) is an essential component of stellar effective temperature determination with optical and near-infrared interferometry. Reliable estimation of F{sub BOL} simply from broadband K-band photometry data is a useful tool in those cases were contemporaneous and/or wide-range photometry is unavailable for a detailed spectral energy distribution (SED) fit, as was demonstrated in Dyck et al. Recalibrating the intrinsic F{sub BOL} versus observed F{sub 2.2μm} relationship of that study with modern SED fitting routines, which incorporate the significantly non-blackbody, empirical spectral templates of the INGS spectral library (an update of the library in Pickles) and estimation of reddening, serves to greatly improve the accuracy and observational utility of this relationship. We find that F{sub BOL} values predicted are roughly 11% less than the corresponding values predicted in Dyck et al., indicating the effects of SED absorption features across bolometric flux curves.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1969

Multilayer infrared beamsplitter film system

Multilayer infrared beamsplitter film system on a potassium bromide crystal substrate is operational over a wavelength range of 2.5 to 25 microns with nearly equal broadband reflectance and transmittance. It is useful in optical coating, vacuum deposition, radiometry, interferometry, and spectrometry.

Bastien, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

High sensitivity laser interferometry for detection of boundary-layer transition

A high sensitivity laser interferometry for continuous monitoring of optical path changes is presented. The sensitivity to small changes in the optical path is achieved by means of a feedback system which keeps the interferometer at its maximum (and linear) position. Two experiments were designed to verify the interferometer's performance, both in direct and in scattering configurations. In each case, small temperature fluctuations were introduced as the signal source. Simultaneous measurement of temperature were compared with the results of the interferometer. Good correlation between the results were obtained. Finally, the application of the high sensitivity interferometer for detection of boundary-layer transition is examined. Optical signal strength and possible sources of noise are examined. Some methods of model surface preparation for enhancement of signal-to-noise ratio are discussed.

Modarress, D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Research in materials processing using a low gravity simulation aircraft

The feasibility of performing materials experiments aboard the NASA KC-135 low gravity simulation aircraft is demonstrated. The vehicle serves as a research platform which flies parabolic maneuvers. Experiments which have been conducted on board the aircraft are outlined and particular attention is given to tests utilizing optical measurement techniques such as interferometry, schlieren, and holography. It is noted that the KC-135 can be used for crew training, flight hardware checkout, conceptual development, self-sufficient experiments, and research in support of and leading to space flight experiments.

Owen, Robert B.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Interlaminar shear test method development for long term durability testing of composites

The high speed civil transport is a commercial aircraft that is expected to carry 300 passengers at Mach 2.4 over a range of more than 6000 nautical miles. With the existing commercial structural material technology (i.e., aluminum) the performance characteristics of the high speed civil transport would not be realized. Therefore there has been a concerted effort in the development of light weight materials capable of withstanding elevated temperatures for long duration. Thermoplastic composite materials are such candidate materials and the understanding of how these materials perform over the long term under harsh environments is essential to safe and effective design. The matrix dominated properties of thermoplastic composites are most affected by both time and temperature. There is currently an effort to perform short term testing to predict long term behavior of in-plane mechanical properties E22 (transverse modulus of elasticity) and G12 (shear modulus). Out-of-plane properties such as E33, G13, and G23 are inherently more difficult to characterize. This is especially true for the out-of-plane shear modulus G23 and hence there is no existing acceptable standard test method. Since G23 is the most matrix dominated property, it is essential that a test method be developed. A shear test methodology is developed to do just that. The test method, called the double notched specimen, along with the previously developed shear gage was tested at room temperature. Mechanical testing confirmed the attributes of the methodology. A finite element parametric study was conducted for specimen optimization. Moire interferometry, a high sensitivity laser optical method, was used for full-field analysis of the specimen. From this work, material parameters will be determined and thus enable the prediction of long term material behavior of laminates subjected to general loading states.

Ifju, Peter G.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Contributions of the NASA Langley Research Center to the DARPA/AFRL/NASA/ Northrop Grumman Smart Wing Program

An overview of the contributions of the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to the DARPA/AFRL/NASA/ Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) Smart Wing program is presented. The overall objective of the Smart Wing program was to develop smart** technologies and demonstrate near-flight-scale actuation systems to improve the aerodynamic performance of military aircraft. NASA LaRC s roles were to provide technical guidance, wind-tunnel testing time and support, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses. The program was divided into two phases, with each phase having two wind-tunnel entries in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT). This paper focuses on the fourth and final wind-tunnel test: Phase 2, Test 2. During this test, a model based on the NGC Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) concept was tested at Mach numbers up to 0.8 and dynamic pressures up to 150 psf to determine the aerodynamic performance benefits that could be achieved using hingeless, smoothly-contoured control surfaces actuated with smart materials technologies. The UCAV-based model was a 30% geometric scale, full-span, sting-mounted model with the smart control surfaces on the starboard wing and conventional, hinged control surfaces on the port wing. Two LaRC-developed instrumentation systems were used during the test to externally measure the shapes of the smart control surface and quantify the effects of aerodynamic loading on the deflections: Videogrammetric Model Deformation (VMD) and Projection Moire Interferometry (PMI). VMD is an optical technique that uses single-camera photogrammetric tracking of discrete targets to determine deflections at specific points. PMI provides spatially continuous measurements of model deformation by computationally analyzing images of a grid projected onto the model surface. Both the VMD and PMI measurements served well to validate the use of on-board (internal) rotary potentiometers to measure the smart control surface deflection angles. Prior to the final entry, NASA LaRC also performed three-dimensional unstructured Navier Stokes CFD analyses in an attempt to predict the potential aerodynamic impact of the smart control surface on overall model forces and moments. Eight different control surface shapes were selected for study at Mach = 0.6, Reynolds number = 3.25 x 10(exp 6), and + 2 deg., 3 deg., 8 deg., and 10 deg.model angles-of-attack. For the baseline, undeflected control surface geometry, the CFD predictions and wind-tunnel results matched well. The agreement was not as good for the more complex aero-loaded control surface shapes, though, because of the inability to accurately predict those shapes. Despite these results, the NASA CFD study served as an important step in studying advanced control effectors.

Florance, Jennifer P.↗