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At least 55 records · Page 3

Polarimetric Imaging using Two Photoelastic Modulators

A method of polarimetric imaging, now undergoing development, involves the use of two photoelastic modulators in series, driven at equal amplitude but at different frequencies. The net effect on a beam of light is to cause (1) the direction of its polarization to rotate at the average of two excitation frequencies and (2) the amplitude of its polarization to be modulated at the beat frequency (the difference between the two excitation frequencies). The resulting modulated optical light beam is made to pass through a polarizing filter and is detected at the beat frequency, which can be chosen to equal the frame rate of an electronic camera or the rate of sampling the outputs of photodetectors in an array. The method was conceived to satisfy a need to perform highly accurate polarimetric imaging, without cross-talk between polarization channels, at frame rates of the order of tens of hertz. The use of electro-optical modulators is necessitated by a need to obtain accuracy greater than that attainable by use of static polarizing filters over separate fixed detectors. For imaging, photoelastic modulators are preferable to such other electrio-optical modulators as Kerr cells and Pockels cells in that photoelastic modulators operate at lower voltages, have greater angular acceptances, and are easier to use. Prior to the conception of the present method, polarimetric imaging at frame rates of tens of hertz using photoelastic modulators was not possible because the resonance frequencies of photoelastic modulators usually lie in the range from about 20 to about 100 kHz.

Wang, Yu↗

Method for ambiguity resolution in range-Doppler measurements

A method for resolving range and Doppler target ambiguities when the target has substantial range or has a high relative velocity in which a first signal is generated and a second signal is also generated which is coherent with the first signal but at a slightly different frequency such that there exists a difference in frequency between these two signals of Delta f(sub t). The first and second signals are converted into a dual-frequency pulsed signal, amplified, and the dual-frequency pulsed signal is transmitted towards a target. A reflected dual-frequency signal is received from the target, amplified, and changed to an intermediate dual-frequency signal. The intermediate dual-frequency signal is amplified, with extracting of a shifted difference frequency Delta f(sub r) from the amplified intermediate dual-frequency signal done by a nonlinear detector. The final step is generating two quadrature signals from the difference frequency Delta f(sub t) and the shifted difference frequency Delta f(sub r) and processing the two quadrature signals to determine range and Doppler information of the target.

Heymsfield, Gerald M.↗

13CO2/12CO2 isotopic ratio measurements using a difference frequency-based sensor operating at 4.35 micrometers

A portable modular gas sensor for measuring the 13C/12C isotopic ratio in CO2 with a precision of 0.8%(+/-1 sigma) was developed for volcanic gas emission studies. This sensor employed a difference frequency generation (DFG)-based spectroscopic source operating at 4.35 micrometers (approximately 2300 cm-1) in combination with a dual-chamber gas absorption cell. Direct absorption spectroscopy using this specially designed cell permitted rapid comparisons of isotopic ratios of a gas sample and a reference standard for appropriately selected CO2 absorption lines. Special attention was given to minimizing undesirable precision degrading effects, in particular temperature and pressure fluctuations.

NASA Discipline Life Sciences Technologies↗

Development of procedures for calculating stiffness and damping properties of elastomers in engineering applications. Part 4: Testing of elastomers under a rotating load

A test rig designed to measure stiffness and damping of elastomer cartridges under a rotating load excitation is described. The test rig employs rotating unbalance in a rotor which runs to 60,000 RPM as the excitation mechanism. A variable resonant mass is supported on elastomer elements and the dynamic characteristics are determined from measurements of input and output acceleration. Five different cartridges are considered: three of these are buttons cartridges having buttons located in pairs, with 120 between each pair. Two of the cartridges consist of 360 elastomer rings with rectangular cross-sections. Dynamic stiffness and damping are measured for each cartridge and compared with predictions at different frequencies and different strains.

Darlow, M. S.↗

Atmospheric Limitations in Stellar Seismology: Should One Measure Radial Velocity or Brightness Fluctuations?

Low degree p-modes of the Sun have been measured in spatially integrated sunlight (the Sun as a star) both in Doppler shift and in intensity fluctuations. These observations are a good starting point for the discussion of the best way to collect equivalent data on other stars. It is assumed that the Sun is removed far enough in space to become an ordinary star of magnitude zero to one. Evidently another star will oscillate with different frequencies and different amplitudes, but some reference must be made to start with. Using this scheme, a detailed investigation of the limitations of observational accuracy in the search for global p-modes is made. The sources of noise stand in the Sun itself, in the instrumentation, in the observing time duration, in the corpuscular nature of the light and mostly in the Earth atmosphere in the case of ground based observations.

Fossat, E.↗

Cable applications in robot compliant devices

Robotic systems need compliance to connect the robot to the work object. The cable system illustrated offers compliance for mating but can be changed in space to become quite stiff. Thus the same system can do both tasks, even in environments where the work object or robot are moving at different frequencies and different amplitudes. The adjustment can be made in all six degrees of freedom, translated in or rotated in any plane and still make a good contact and control.

Kerley, James J.↗

Multifrequency Monitoring of 3C 120, 3C 279, and PKS 1510--089

We analyze contemporaneous X-ray, optical, and radio light curves of 3C 120, ABC 279, and PKS 1510-089 on timescales from a few to hundreds of days over a 3-5 year period. The results show the diverse connections between variability properties at different frequencies for different blazers.

Jorstad, S. G.↗

Emission Patterns of Solar Type III Radio Bursts: Stereoscopic Observations

Simultaneous observations of solar type III radio bursts obtained by the STEREO A, B, and WIND spacecraft at low frequencies from different vantage points in the ecliptic plane are used to determine their directivity. The heliolongitudes of the sources of these bursts, estimated at different frequencies by assuming that they are located on the Parker spiral magnetic field lines emerging from the associated active regions into the spherically symmetric solar atmosphere, and the heliolongitudes of the spacecraft are used to estimate the viewing angle, which is the angle between the direction of the magnetic field at the source and the line connecting the source to the spacecraft. The normalized peak intensities at each spacecraft Rj = Ij /[Sigma]Ij (the subscript j corresponds to the spacecraft STEREO A, B, and WIND), which are defined as the directivity factors are determined using the time profiles of the type III bursts. It is shown that the distribution of the viewing angles divides the type III bursts into: (1) bursts emitting into a very narrow cone centered around the tangent to the magnetic field with angular width of approximately 2 deg and (2) bursts emitting into a wider cone with angular width spanning from [approx] -100 deg to approximately 100 deg. The plots of the directivity factors versus the viewing angles of the sources from all three spacecraft indicate that the type III emissions are very intense along the tangent to the spiral magnetic field lines at the source, and steadily fall as the viewing angles increase to higher values. The comparison of these emission patterns with the computed distributions of the ray trajectories indicate that the intense bursts visible in a narrow range of angles around the magnetic field directions probably are emitted in the fundamental mode, whereas the relatively weaker bursts visible to a wide range of angles are probably emitted in the harmonic mode.

Thejappa, G.↗

An Inter-Comparison of Two Independent Site Test Interferometers Located in Goldstone, California: Initial Study Results

Site Test Interferometers (STIs) have been deployed at two different locations at the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) tracking complex in Goldstone, California. An STI measures the difference in path length between a geostationary satellite and two antennas on the Earth, producing a measure of atmospheric phase fluctuations over spatial distances comparable to those between elements of possible microwave phased arrays. The purposes of the Goldstone STIs are to assess the suitability of Goldstone as an array site and to statistically characterize atmospheric induced delay fluctuations for application to future array scenarios.The two STI's are separated by 13 km across the Goldstone complex. Each instrument is composed of two small-diameter antennas and associated electronics separated by approx. 200 meters in a principally east-west configuration. The antennas continuously observe signals emitted by geo-stationary satellites and produce data that contain information on the phase difference between signals received by both antennas. The fluctuation in delay (or path length difference) statistics derived from these data sets can be used to infer power loss for particular array configurations.We report on a comparison of the root mean square (RMS) phase delay statistics estimated over 10-minute intervals between the two Goldstone STIs. We have achieved good statistical agreement between the data acquired from the two STIs, given that each instrument is observing different satellites, at different frequencies, over different baseline lengths, with very different implementations, and are located 13 km apart in widely separated terrain at different geodetic altitudes.

propagation↗

Heterodyne method for high specificity gas detection.

This paper describes a new technique for measuring trace quantities of gases. The technique involves the use of a reference cell (containing a known amount of the gas being sought) and a sample cell (containing an unknown amount of the same gas) wherein the gas densities are modulated. Light passing through the two cells in sequence is modulated in intensity at the vibrational-rotational lines characteristic of the absorption spectrum for the gas of interest. Since the absorption process is nonlinear, modulating the two absorption cells at two different frequencies gives rise to a heterodyning effect, which in turn introduces sum and difference frequencies in the detected signal. Measuring the ratio of the difference frequency signal for example, to the signal introduced by the reference cell provides a normalized measure of the amount of the gas in the sample cell. The readings produced are thereby independent of source intensity, window transparency, and detector sensitivity. Experimental evaluation of the technique suggests that it should be applicable to a wide range of gases, that it should be able to reject spurious signals due to unwanted gases, and that it should be sensitive to concentrations of the order of 10 to the minus 8th power when used with a sample cell of only 20 cm length.

Dimeff, J.↗

Longwave infrared (6.6–11.4 µm) dual-comb spectroscopy with 240,000 comb-mode-resolved data points at video rate

Using sub-3-cycle pulses from mode-locked Cr:ZnS lasers at λ ≈ 2.4 µm as a driving source, we performed high-resolution dual-frequency-comb spectroscopy in the longwave infrared (LWIR) range. A duo of highly coherent broadband (6.6–11.4 µm) frequency combs were produced via intrapulse difference frequency generation in zinc germanium phosphide (ZGP) crystals. Fast (up to 0.1 s per spectrum) acquisition of 240,000 comb-mode-resolved data points, spaced by 80 MHz and referenced to a Rb clock, was demonstrated, resulting in metrology grade molecular spectra of N 2 O (nitrous oxide) and CH 3 OH (methane). The key to high-speed massive spectral data acquisition was low intensity and phase noise of the LWIR combs and high (7.5%) downconversion efficiency, resulting in a LWIR power of 300 mW for each comb.

Vasilyev, Sergey (ORCID:0000000225203547)↗

Lunar Brightness Variations with Phase at 4.3-MM Wave Length

The lunar radio observations and interpretations of Piddington and Minnett (1949) and Gibson (1958) show that the lunar brightness variation with phase at millimeter wave lengths can be used to determine the physical properties of the lunar surface. They found that the millimeter-wave brightness lagged the optical phase, and their interpretation was that the millimeter radiation originates below a surface layer that is a very good thermal insulator. The thickness of this layer could not be determined from observations at one frequency. Observations at different frequencies give different results because of the wave-length dependence of the radio absorption by the surface material. The attenuation in the material increases with decreasing wave length, and therefore it is possible, in principle, to determine surface layer thickness from radio observations at several wave lengths. For this reason, observations of lunar radiation were started at the Naval Research Laboratory at a wave length of 4.3 mm. This is half the wave length used by Gibson (1958) in his earlier studies. The radio telescope used for these observations has been described in detail in a previous publication (Coates 1958). The antenna is a parabolic reflector 10 feet in diameter, and it has a beam width of 6.7 minutes of arc at the wave length of 4.3 mm. This is about one-fifth the diameter of the moon. The receiver was a Dicke-type radiometer.

Coates, Robert J.↗

Intermodulation in the oscillatory magnetoresistance of a two-dimensional electron gas

The oscillatory magnetoresistance wave form of a 2-D electron gas shows multiple structures when two subbands are populated. In addition to high-field oscillations at a frequency equal to the sum of the two frequencies corresponding to the concentrations of the subbands, and to a superposition at intermediate fields, we observed oscillations at the difference frequency at low fields and higher temperatures. The field range at which the frequency difference is observed increases with increasing temperature. The crossover from superposition to frequency difference is accompanied by a beat. Similar beats, whose field location shows identical temperature dependence, can be observed in data obtained by other groups on different structures. The various components of the wave form can be attributed to different phase relations between the diagonal and off-diagonal elements of the conductivity tensor. It is shown how the intermodulation term, when inserted into the extended oscillatory equation, can give rise to all three structures.

Schacham, S. E.↗

Intermodulation in the oscillatory magnetoresistance of a two-dimensional electron gas

The oscillatory magnetoresistance wave form of a 2-D electron gas shows multiple structures when two subbands are populated. In addition to high-field oscillations at a frequency equal to the sum of the two frequencies corresponding to the concentrations of the subbands, and to a superposition at intermediate fields, we observed oscillations at the difference frequency at low fields and higher temperatures. The field range at which the frequency difference is observed increases with increasing temperature. The crossover from superposition to frequency difference is accompanied by a beat. Similar beats, whose field location shows identical temperature dependence, can be observed in data obtained by other groups on different structures. The various components of the wave form can be attributed to different phase relations between the diagonal and off-diagonal elements of the conductivity tensor. It is shown how the intermodulation term, when inserted into the extended oscillatory equation, can give rise to all three structures.

Schacham, S. E.↗

Integrated reference cavity with dual-mode optical thermometry for frequency correction

Photonic integrated resonators have advantages over traditional benchtop cavities in terms of size, weight, and cost with the potential to enable applications that require spectrally pure light. However, integrated resonators suffer from temperature-dependent frequency variations and are sensitive to external environmental perturbations, which hinders their usage in precision frequency applications. One solution is to use interrogation of the cavity temperature through dual-mode optical thermometry (DMOT) by measuring the shift of the resonance frequency difference between two polarization or optical frequency modes. Yet this approach has only been demonstrated in bulk-optic whispering gallery mode and fiber resonators. In this paper, we implement dual-mode optical thermometry in an ultra-high Q integrated silicon nitride resonator. A dual-mode resonance frequency difference temperature sensitivity of 188 ± <#comment/> 15 M H z / K is measured. We demonstrate feedforward DMOT frequency correction that, under an applied external temperature ramp, is able to reduce the optical frequency change to 0.31 kHz/s as compared to an uncorrected 10.03 kHz/s, a factor of 30 × <#comment/> reduction. These results show promise for on-chip frequency correction solutions for quantum, metrology, atomic, and coherent optical communications applications.

Zhao, Qiancheng (ORCID:0000000206968667)↗

Simulation Study Using a New Type of Sample Variance

We evaluate with simulated data a new type of sample variance for the characterization of frequency stability. The new statistic (referred to as TOTALVAR and its square root TOTALDEV) is a better predictor of long-term frequency variations than the present sample Allan deviation. The statistical model uses the assumption that a time series of phase or frequency differences is wrapped (periodic) with overall frequency difference removed. We find that the variability at long averaging times is reduced considerably for the five models of power-law noise commonly encountered with frequency standards and oscillators.

Howe, D. A.↗

Enhanced Eddy-Current Detection Of Weld Flaws

Mixing of impedances measured at different frequencies reduces noise and helps reveal flaws. In new method, one excites eddy-current probe simultaneously at two different frequencies; usually, one of which integral multiple of other. Resistive and reactive components of impedance of eddy-current probe measured at two frequencies, mixed in computer, and displayed in real time on video terminal of computer. Mixing of measurements obtained at two different frequencies often "cleans up" displayed signal in situations in which band-pass filtering alone cannot: mixing removes most noise, and displayed signal resolves flaws well.

Van Wyk, Lisa M.↗

ESTIMATION OF THE WAKEFIELD RESONANT FREQUENCY USING DIFFERENT SIMULATION TOOLS

Reliable and fast wakefield calculations are important for beam dynamics and THz generation in accelerators. We compare approaches and limitations with different available simulation tools and compare results. As an example, we analyse a cylindrical corrugated waveguide with narrower and wider radii of 5 and 6 mm, and aperture width and periodicity of 1 and 2 mm using ABCI by KEK and ANSYS HFSS simulation software. First, ABCI was used to determine the resonant frequency of the cylindri-cal corrugated waveguide with different lengths. The corresponding results were taken as a reference to exam-ine the simulation method in the ANSYS HFSS environ-ment. The eigenmode solver of ANSYS HFSS was used to determine different resonant frequencies. This was fol-lowed by examining a cylindrical corrugated waveguide that was implemented having a length of 17 mm for dif-ferent conductor settings. The corresponding waveguide was fed by a plane wave having a resonant frequency that satisfies the intersection of the light line and dispersion curve of the corresponding mode. The analysis showed that the maximum loss factor was achieved at 39.20 and 40.07 GHz using ANSYS HFSS simulation data for differ-ent conductors, whereas ABCI resulted in 38.50 GHz. The talk will present the results gathered by different simula-tion setups implemented in ANSYS HFSS.

Unutmaz, Muhammed [SLAC National Accelerator Labor↗