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At least 55 records · Page 3

Surface-emitting terahertz quantum cascade lasers with continuous-wave power in the tens of milliwatt range

We demonstrate efficient surface-emitting terahertz frequency quantum cascade lasers with continuous wave output powers of 20–25 mW at 15 K and maximum operating temperatures of 80–85 K. The devices employ a resonant-phonon depopulation active region design with injector, and surface emission is realized using resonators based on graded photonic heterostructures (GPHs). GPHs can be regarded as energy wells for photons and have recently been implemented through grading the period of the photonic structure. In this paper, we show that it is possible to keep the period constant and grade instead the lateral metal coverage across the GPH. This strategy ensures spectrally single-mode operation across the whole laser dynamic range and represents an additional degree of freedom in the design of confining potentials for photons.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A correlative investigation of the propagation of ULF wave power through the dayside magnetosphere

Three different ULF wave phenomena (azimuthally polarized Pc 3 pulsations, radially polarized Pc 4 pulsations, and solitary Pc 5 pulsations related to solar wind pressure pulses) were studied. The main problems covered are: (1) how do magnetospheric Pc 3-4 pulsations, which appear to originate in the solar wind, enter the magnetosphere, and how is this wave energy transported throughout the magnetosphere once it enters; (2) what is the ULF response of the outer dayside magnetosphere to solar wind pressure pulses; and (3) how do Pc 3-4 pulsations modulate ELF-VLF emissions in the dayside magnetosphere.

Engebretson, Mark J.↗

THE SLOW-MODE NATURE OF COMPRESSIBLE WAVE POWER IN SOLAR WIND TURBULENCE

We use a large, statistical set of measurements from the Wind spacecraft at 1 AU, and supporting synthetic spacecraft data based on kinetic plasma theory, to show that the compressible component of inertial range solar wind turbulence is primarily in the kinetic slow mode. The zero-lag cross-correlation C({delta}n, {delta}B{sub ||}) between proton density fluctuations {delta}n and the field-aligned (compressible) component of the magnetic field {delta}B{sub ||} is negative and close to -1. The typical dependence of C({delta}n, {delta}B{sub ||}) on the ion plasma beta {beta}{sub i} is consistent with a spectrum of compressible wave energy that is almost entirely in the kinetic slow mode. This has important implications for both the nature of the density fluctuation spectrum and for the cascade of kinetic turbulence to short wavelengths, favoring evolution to the kinetic Alfven wave mode rather than the (fast) whistler mode.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Use of a Compliant Tether to Decouple Observation Buoy Motion for Auxiliary Wave Power

With the growth of the Blue Economy, the volume of data collection within the ocean environment has been rapidly increasing. Larger numbers of oceanographic, meteorological, and floating Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) buoys have been collecting high fidelity measurements while pushing against power budget limits. Power limitations lead to infrequent transmission of reduced data sets or recording data to local storage that must be physically collected when the buoy is serviced. Triton Systems, Inc. and its partners are developing a retrofittable wave energy converter (WEC) to provide auxiliary power to these observation buoys to increase mission duration and power budget, improve reliability, and reduce the need for service trips. One of the greatest challenges has been developing a method to interface Triton's WEC with these buoys without impacting measurement fidelity. This is especially critical for inertial wave and LiDAR wind measurements collected with sensors that could be adversely affected by additional buoy dynamics introduced by an integrated WEC. To address this, Triton and EOM Offshore developed a compliant tether to pair an observation buoy with a floating WEC while decoupling relative motion. Based on EOM's proven stretch hose technology, this compliant tether transmits power and data between the buoy-WEC system. In conclusion, modeling shows that the system has the potential to minimally adversely affect oceanographic, meteorological, wind resource characterization, and other measurements, with future testing scheduled to validate modeling efforts.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Experimental results using active control of traveling wave power flow

Active structural control experiments conducted on a 24-ft pinned-free beam derived feedback compensators on the basis of a traveling-wave approach. A compensator is thus obtained which eliminates resonant behavior by absorbing all impinging power. A causal solution is derived for this noncausal compensator which mimics its behavior in a given frequency range, using the Wiener-Hopf. This optimal Wiener-Hopf compensator's structure-damping performance is found to exceed any obtainable by means of rate feedback. Performance limitations encompassed the discovery of frequencies above which the sensor and actuator were no longer dual and an inadvertent coupling of the control hardware to unmodeled structure torsion modes.

Miller, David W.↗

Focusing of Alfvenic wave power in the context of gamma-ray burst emissivity

Highly dynamic magnetospheric perturbations in neutron star environments can naturally account for the features observed in gamma-ray burst spectra. The source distribution, however, appears to be extragalactic. Although noncatastrophic isotropic emission mechanisms may be ruled out on energetic and timing arguments, MHD processes can produce strongly anisotropic gamma rays with an observable flux out to distances of about 1-2 Gpc. Here we show that sheared Alfven waves propagating along open magnetospheric field lines at the poles of magnetized neutron stars transfer their energy dissipationally to the current sustaining the field misalignment and thereby focus their power into a spatial region about 1000 times smaller than that of the crustal disturbance. This produces a strong (observable) flux enhancement along certain directions. We apply this model to a source population of 'turned-off' pulsars that have nonetheless retained their strong magnetic fields and have achieved alignment at a period of approximately greater than 5 sec.

Fatuzzo, Marco↗

Circuit Modelling of the Mechanical-Motion-Rectifier for Electrical Simulation of Ocean Wave Power Take-off

As is the case with several other mechanical power takeoffs (PTOs), the mechanical-motion-rectifier (MMR) based PTO consists of components such as one-way clutches, gears, a ball screw, mechanical couplings, and a generator. Equivalent circuit models have been created in this paper to describe the dry frictions, viscous damping, and mechanical compliances in these components, so the non-ideal efficiency and nonlinear force of the PTO can be predicted in electrical simulations by integrating these sub-circuit models. The circuit model is simplified, and its parameters are categorized as dc and ac unknowns. The dc and ac tests on the PTO are performed sequentially to extract two sets of parameters through linear regression or nonlinear curve fitting. Then, the model is validated through its prediction capability over 25 test conditions on input forces, output voltages, and efficiencies, with correlation coefficients of 0.9, 0.98, and 0.981, respectively.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Mm-wave power meter mount

E-band thermistor mount and a technique for adjusting a temperature compensating thermistor to provide an electrically balanced bridge are used for measuring RF power in the mm-wavelength. The mount is relatively insensitive to temperature effects that cause measurement errors in single ended circuits.

Mullen, D. L.↗

On the theory of self-focusing of powerful wave beams in nonhomogeneous media

The stationary self-focusing of the Gauss wave beam is considered in a nonhomogeneous medium in the case of local nonlinearity. Equations of the aberrationless approximation for the beam width, the field on the beam axis and the refraction factor are integrated on a computer. Self-focusing in dependence of the nonlinearity level and initial divergence, the dissipation, the length of nonhomogeneity of the dielectric permittivity nondisturbed by a beam, and the diffraction parameter are investigated.

Yerokhin, N. S.↗

Microwave and millimeter-wave power generation in silicon carbide avalanche devices

Numerical simulations were performed to investigate the typical power-generating capabilities of SiC IMPATT diodes. Using available material parameters, SiC double-drift IMPATT diodes were simulated at 10, 35, 60, and 94 GHz, and the operating characteristics of these devices were compared to those of Si and GaAs devices. Compared to the Si and GaAs IMPATT performances in the pulsed mode, the SiC IMPATT performance was found to be far superior. The performance of SiC devices in the CW mode was also superior to that of GaAs devices, especially at lower frequencies. At a high frequency (94 GHz), the performance of the SiC device was found to be comparable to that of Si devices.

Mehdi, I.↗

Microwave and millimeter-wave power generation in silicon carbide (SiC) IMPATT devices

There are two points that should be noted. First, in the thermal resistance calculations it is assumed that the device is operating at 773 K while the results of the room temperature simulations are used. This was done because there is not enough information to correctly predict the material parameters at 773 K. Since, in general, device performance degrades with increasing temperature, the cw results are perhaps a bit optimistic. Second, the electric field in these structures gets extremely high and there might be some possibility of tunneling. This was not incorporated into the simulation. Again, this could result in different device operating conditions.

Mehdi, I.↗

Ultra-low-frequency wave power in the magnetotail lobes. I - Relation to substorm onsets and the auroral electrojet index

Time-series observations of the magnetotail-lobe magnetic field have been Fourier analyzed to compute the frequency-weighted energy density Pfz in the range 1-30 mHz. Pfz is generally observed in the range 0.0001-0.01 gamma-squared Hz with a mean value of 0.0012 during substorm growth phases and 0.001 in the comparison intervals. No strong correlation of Pfz is found with the auroral electrojet index in either set of intervals, but during substorm growth phases Pfz may vary by an order of magnitude over time scales of 30 min, with a tendency for higher power levels to occur later in the growth phase. Increases in Pfz precede by about 10 min localized expansive phase activity observed in individual magnetograms.

Smith, R. A.↗