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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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Model potential curves are used to show that large windows are present in direct dissociative-recombination cross sections from excited molecular-ion vibrational levels. The windows are due to the overlap of vibrational wave functions of the repulsive neutral states with the nodes of the ion vibrational wave function.
A computer code was written which utilizes ray tracing techniques to predict the changes in position and geometry of a laser Doppler velocimeter probe volume resulting from refraction effects. The code predicts the position change, changes in beam crossing angle, and the amount of uncrossing that occur when the beams traverse a region with a changed index of refraction, such as a glass window. The code calculates the changes for flat plate, cylinder, general axisymmetric and general surface windows and is currently operational on a VAX 8600 computer system.
Since interstellar travel is not economically possible on the time scale of a human lifetime, communication with extraterrestrials can be achieved only by sending some form of energy or matter across space; photons (electromagnetic waves) are best. Of particular interest to SETI is the region from about 1,000-60,000 MHz known as the free-space microwave window. During the course of NASA's Cyclops program, it was pointed out that the hydrogen and hydroxyl lines bounded a band in which there were no other known lines. The threatened loss of the microwave window to earth-based services is discussed.
Transmission losses noted in cooled UV-quality synthetic fused silica windows were investigated. A deuterium lamp was employed as a source of continuum emission over the 400-190-nm range considered. Even slight cooling was found to produce a significant transmission change at wavelengths shorter than about 320 nm. Attempts to clean the windows produced little change in the results, indicating that surface contamination was not responsible for the effect.
Combustion-chamber window combines properties of polycarbonate and sapphire. Inner layer of sapphire, withstands flame in chamber. Outer layer of polycarbonate tough but susceptible to weakening by flame and protected from flame by sapphire layer. Resists flames, shattering, and high pressure. Windows withstand 60 lb/in. to second power (414 kPa) in hydrostatic pressure vessel. Also survives leak test under internal pressure of 2 atm (0.2 MPa) of helium and external pressure of 10 to negative fifth power torr (1.3 mPa). Has transmission density of 0.08 to 0.11 in visible light. In contrast, unbonded layers have transmission density of 0.13 to 0.16.
Peccei-Quinn symmetry with attendant axion is a most compelling, and perhaps the most minimal, extension of the standard model, as it provides a very elegant solution to the nagging strong CP-problem associated with the theta vacuum structure of QCD. However, particle physics gives little guidance as to the axion mass; a priori, the plausible values span the range: 10(-12)eV is approx. less than m(a) which is approx. less than 10(6)eV, some 18 orders-of-magnitude. Laboratory experiments have excluded masses greater than 10(4)eV, leaving unprobed some 16 orders-of-magnitude. Axions have a host of interesting astrophysical and cosmological effects, including, modifying the evolution of stars of all types (our sun, red giants, white dwarfs, and neutron stars), contributing significantly to the mass density of the Universe today, and producting detectable line radiation through the decays of relic axions. Consideration of these effects has probed 14 orders-of-magnitude in axion mass, and has left open only two windows for further exploration: 10(-6)eV is approx. less than m(a) is approx. less than 10(-3)eV and 1eV is approx. less than m(a) is approx. less than 5eV (hadronic axions only). Both these windows are accessible to experiment, and a variety of very interesting experiments, all of which involve heavenly axions, are being planned or are underway.
Thermal measurements of microwave transmitter feedhorn windows were performed using an imaging infrared radiometer. The measurement technique is described and results are presented for windows made of 0.001-in. Kapton (trademark of Dupont Chemical Co.) and 0.1-in. HTP-6 (Space Shuttle tile material). Measured and calculated temperatures agree well.
Suboptimal, easily computable substitutes for the discrete prolate-spheroidal windows used by Thomson for spectral estimation are given. Trigonometric coefficients and energy leakages of the window polynomials are tabulated.
Broad-area lasers are fabricated with a long (80-100 microns), nonabsorbing window at each end. The window is shown to dramatically improve the spatial mode properties, stabilizing and smoothing the near field, and reducing the far field from 5-15 deg to as low as 2 deg. This improvement comes at the expense of an increase in threshold current and a reduction of quantum efficiency.
Suboptimal, easily computable substitutes for the discrete prolate-spheroidal windows used by Thomson for spectral estimation are given. Trigonometric coefficients and energy leakages of the window polynomials are tabulated.
High resolution infrared radiance spectra achieved from the NASA ER2 airborne HIS experiment are used to analyze the spectral emissivity properties of cirrus clouds within the 8 to 12 micron atmospheric window region. Observations show that the cirrus emissivity generally decreases with increasing wavenumber (i.e., decreasing wavelength) within this band. A very abrupt decrease in emissivity (increase in brightness temperature) exists between 930/cm (10.8 microns) and 1000/cm (10.0 microns), the magnitude of the change being associated with the cirrus optical thickness as observed by lidar. The HIS observations are consistent with theoretical calculations of the spectral absorption coefficient for ice. The HIS observations imply that cirrus clouds can be detected unambiguously from the difference in brightness temperatures observed within the 8.2 and 11.0 micron window regions of the HIRS sounding radiometer flying on the operational NOAA satellites. This ability is demonstrated using simultaneous 25 km resolution HIRS observations and 1 km resolution AVHRR imagery achieved from the NOAA-9 satellite. Finally, the cirrus cloud location estimates combined with the 6.7 micron channel moisture imagery portray the boundaries of the ice/vapor phase of the upper troposphere moisture. This phase distinction is crucial for infrared radiative transfer considerations for weather and climate models, since upper tropospheric water vapor has little effect on the Earth's outgoing radiation whereas cirrus clouds have a very large attenuating effect.
A water-window imaging X-ray telescope configured with normal-incidence multilayer X-ray mirrors has been developed to obtain images with unprecedented spatial resolution and contrast of carbon-based microstructures within living cells. The narrow bandpass response inherent in multilayer X-ray optics is accurately tuned to wavelengths within the water window.
Report describes experiments in which four infrared-transparent window materials were coated with diamondlike carbon films. Purpose to investigate ability of films to protect infrared windows against erosion by rain and wind-blown hard particles. Diamondlike films chosen as protective coats because they are transparent over broad spectral range and resist attack by chemicals, moisture, and abrasion. Experiments yield mixed results.
The objectives were twofold: (1) to study the IRAS emission levels in the vicinity of Baade's Window and in other optically transparent regions near the Galactic Center; and (2) to study the IRAS emission levels along sightlines in the Milky Way that exhibit very little CO emission. Tests were attempted to see whether the optically transparent 'windows' near the Galactic center can be identified (as FIR-weak regions) in the IRAS data base; and if so, whether the CO weak regions found elsewhere in the Milky Way represent similarly FIR weak and thus optically transparent sightlines through the Galaxy. The CO weak regions were also targeted in an effort to study the diffuse intercloud dust and its warming by the interstellar radiation field.
In an earlier paper, I recounted an exploratory analysis, using Gaussian windows, of a data set derived from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite. Here, my goals are to develop strategies for finding structural features in a data set in a many-dimensional space, and to find ways to describe the shape of such a data set. After a brief review of Gaussian windows, I describe the current implementation of the method. I give some ways of describing features that we might find in the data, such as clusters and saddle points, and also extended structures such as a 'bar', which is an essentially one-dimensional concentration of data points. I then define a distance function, which I use to determine which data points are 'associated' with a feature. Data points not associated with any feature are called 'outliers'. I then explore the data set, giving the strategies that I used and quantitative descriptions of the features that I found, including clusters, bars, and a saddle point. I tried to use strategies and procedures that could, in principle, be used in any number of dimensions.
'Gaussian Windows' is a method for exploring a set of multivariate data, in order to estimate the shape of the underlying density function. The method can be used to find and describe structural features in the data. The method is described in two earlier papers. I assume that the reader has access to both of these papers, so I will not repeat material from them. The program described herein is written in BASIC and it runs on an IBM PC or PS/2 with the DOS 3.3 operating system. Although the program is slow and has limited memory space, it is adequate for experimenting with the method. Since it is written in BASIC, it is relatively easy to modify. The program and some related files are available on a 3-inch diskette. A listing of the program is also available. This user's manual explains the use of the program. First, it gives a brief tutorial, illustrating some of the program's features with a set of artificial data. Then, it describes the results displayed after the program does a Gaussian window, and it explains each of the items on the various menus.
The application of the split window variance ratio (SWVR) technique for estimating precipitable water values to AVHRR data in order to study regional and mesoscale moisture variability over land is examined. The formulation of the SWVR technique is based on the strong correlation between precipitable water and the split window channel transmittance ratio. The square of the transmittance ratio is estimated from the observed brightness temperature scene variations. The application of the SWVR technique to AVHRR data for the retrieval of total precipitable water involves calculating the split wind channel image variances and then relating the variance ratio to precipitable water. Preliminary results of the application of the SWVR technique to several passes of AVHRR imagery indicate that precipitable water values consistent with ground truth and other remote sensing measurements can be derived from AVHRR data.
This project has been focused on the design and analysis of an ultra-high resolution water window soft-x-ray microscope. These activities have been accomplished by completing two tasks contained in the statement of work of this contract. The new results from this work confirm: (1) that in order to achieve resolutions greater than three times the wavelength of the incident radiation, it will be necessary to use spherical mirror surfaces and to use graded multilayer coatings on the secondary in order to accommodate the large variations of the angle of incidence over the secondary when operating the microscope at numerical apertures of 0.35 or greater; (2) that surface contour errors will have a significant effect on the optical performance of the microscope and must be controlled to a peak-to-valley variation of 50-100 A and a frequency of 8 periods over the surface of a mirror; and (3) that tolerance analysis of the spherical Schwarzschild microscope has been shown that the water window operations will require 2-3 times tighter tolerances to achieve a similar performance of operations with 130 A radiation. These results have been included in a manuscript included in the appendix.