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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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Laser Links eliminate costly cables connecting sensors to data-collection centers. Data-transmission scheme uses laser-based communication systems instead of cables. Sensor data transmitted by semiconductor-diode lasers effective over line-of-sight distances of up to several hundred meters. Use of lasers instead of cables simplifies number of installations.
Oat (Avena sativa cv Seger) seedlings were irradiated with IR light-emitting diode (LED) radiation passed through a visible-light-blocking filter. Infrared LED irradiated seedlings exhibited differences in growth and gravitropic response when compared to seedlings grown in darkness at the same temperature. Thus, the oat seedlings in this study were able to detect IR LED radiation. These findings call into question the use of IR LED as a safe-light for some photosensitive plant response experiments. These findings also expand the defined range of wavelengths involved in radiation-gravity (light-gravity) interactions to include wavelengths in the IR region of the spectrum.
Report evaluates effects of power and temperature overstress on General Semi-conductor and Siemens devices. Excessive failure rates limited testing. Failure modes are described.
Report evaluates effects of power and temperature overstress on General Semiconductor and Siemens devices. Mechanical disruption is prominent failure mode. Other failures are described.
Report evaluates effects of power and temperature overstress on Motorola and Siemens devices. Reverse bias leakage maximum limit failure and Zener-breakdown maximum limit failure were common. Other failures are described.
Displacement damage effects from protons and neutrons are compared. Differences in the annealing properties were observed which are due to the different microscopic structure of the damaged regions from the two ty pes of particles.
Gas analyzer to determine effects of gas impurities on cesium diodes
Mercury or cadmium seeding effects on performance of cesium plasma diodes, obtaining plasma electron temperature from mathematical model
Effects of nuclear radiation on performance of diodes for use in SNAP 8
The authors present the results of a method for frequency stabilizing laser diodes based on the resonant Faraday effects. A Faraday cell in conjunction with a polarizer crossed with respect to the polarization of the laser diode comprises the intracavity frequency selective element. In this arrangement, a laser pull-in range of 9 A was measured, and the laser operated at a single frequency with a linewidth less than 6 MHz.
Consideration of the effect of the ideality factor on the high-frequency noise emission from diodes. Noise measurements on Schottky barriers and n-n heterojunction diodes are presented as verification of the theory over a range of ideality factors. The requirements for low-noise diodes are outlined.
A comparison of measured and predicted signal-to-noise ratio is made in an optical heterodyne spectrometer utilizing a tunable diode laser which exhibited excess noise. It is shown that good agreement between predicted and measured signal-to-noise ratios results if excess noise effects due to tunable diode lasers are included in the predictions. The methods used to quantify excess noise and to incorporate their effects into predictions of signal-to-noise ratio are discussed.
This study was undertaken to determine the single event effect (SEE) susceptibility of the commercial silicon carbide 1200V Schottky diode manufactured by Cree, Inc. Heavy-ion testing was conducted at the Texas A&M University Cyclotron Single Event Effects Test Facility (TAMU). Its purpose was to evaluate this device as a candidate for use in the Solar-Electric Propulsion flight project.
Current ringing in an Inductive Pulsed Plasma Thruster (IPPT) can lead to reduced energy efficiency, excess heating, and wear on circuit components such as capacitors and solid state devices. Clamping off the current using a fast turn-off power diode is an effective way to reduce current ringing and increase energy efficiency. A diode with a shorter reverse recovery time will allow the least amount of current to ring back through the circuit, as well as minimize switching losses. The reverse recovery response of a new 5.8 kilovolt SiC PiN diode from Cree, Inc. in the IPPT plasma drive circuit is investigated using a physicsbased Simulink model, and compared with that of a 5SDF 02D6004 5.5 kilovolt fast-switching Si diode from ABB. Parameter extraction was carried out for each diode using both datasheet specifications and experimental waveforms, in order to most accurately adapt the model to the specific device. Further experimental data will be discussed using a flat-plate IPPT developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and used to verify the simulation results. A final quantitative measure of circuit efficiency will be described for both the Si and SiC diode configuration.
The effects of nuclear radiation on the reverse bias electrical characteristics of one hundred silicon power diodes were investigated. On a percentage basis, the changes in reverse currents were large but, due to very low initial values, this electrical characteristic was not the limiting factor in use of these diodes. These changes were interpreted in terms of decreasing minority carrier lifetimes as related to generation-recombination currents. The magnitudes of reverse voltage breakdown were unaffected by irradiation.
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Report describes extensive program to test behavior of discrete diodes and transistors subjected to power and temperature overstress. Commercially available bipolar and field effect transistors and diodes were stressed between 0.5 and 1.75 times maximum rated power. Two groups were temperature stressed: 160 hour steps starting at 75 C to maximum of 300 C. Cumulative failures and changes in device parameters were monitored and reasons for failures presented.
Laboratory spectra of CCL2F2 in the 10.8 micron region was recorded, using a tuneable diode laser spectrometer. Effects of air-broadening at pressures up to 48 Torr show that spectral structure should be exhibited under high resolution at altitudes as low as 19 Km. The single line, pressure-broadening coefficient for CCL2F2 was estimated to be 8 MHz/Torr FWHM.