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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Interior impedance wedge diffraction with surface waves

The exact impedance wedge solution is evaluated asymptotically using the method of steepest descents for plane wave illumination at normal incidence. Uniform but different impedances on each face are considered for both soft and hard polarizations. The asymptotic solution isolates the incident, singly reflected, multiply reflected, diffracted, and surface wave fields. Multiply reflected fields of any order are permitted. The multiply reflected fields from the exact solution are written as ratios of auxiliary Maliuzhinets functions, whereas a geometrical analysis gives the reflected fields as products of reflection coefficients. These two representations are shown to be identical in magnitude, phase and the angular range over which they exist. The diffracted field includes four Fresnel transition functions as in the perfect conductor case, and the expressions for the appropriate discontinuities at the shadow boundaries are presented. The surface wave exists over a finite angular range and only for certain surface impedances. A surface wave transition field is included to retain continuity. Computations are presented for interior wedge diffractions although the formulation is valid for both exterior and interior wedges.

Balanis, Constantine A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Analysis of surface wave propagation in a grounded dielectric slab covered by a resistive sheet

Both parallel and perpendicular polarized surface waves are known to propagate on lossless and lossy grounded dielectric slabs. Surface wave propagation on a grounded dielectric slab covered with a resistive sheet is considered. Both parallel and perpendicular polarizations are examined. Transcendental equations are derived for each polarization and are solved using iterative techniques. Attenuation and phase velocity are shown for representative geometries. The results are applicable to both a grounded slab with a resistive sheet and an ungrounded slab covered on each side with a resistive sheet.

Shively, David G.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Assessing the contributions of surface waves and complex rays to far-field Mie scattering by use of the Debye series

The contributions of complex rays and the secondary radiation shed by surface waves to scattering by a dielectric sphere are calculated in the context of the Debye series expansion of the Mie scattering amplitudes. Also, the contributions of geometrical rays are reviewed and compared with the Debye series. Interference effects between surface waves, complex waves, and geometrical waves are calculated, and the possibility of observing these interference effects is discussed. Experimental data supporting the observation of a surface wave-geometrical pattern is presented.

Hovenac, Edward A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

120-GHz HEMT Oscillator With Surface-Wave-Assisted Antenna

Two monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) have been designed and built to function together as a source of electromagnetic radiation at a frequency of 120 GHz. One of the MMICs is an oscillator and is the highest-power 120-GHz oscillator reported thus far in the literature. The other MMIC is an end-fire antenna that radiates the oscillator signal. Although these MMICs were constructed as separate units and electrically connected with wire bonds, future oscillator/ antenna combinations could readily be fabricated as monolithic integrated units. Such units could be used as relatively high-power solid-state microwave sources in diverse applications that include automotive radar, imaging, scientific instrumentation, communications, and radio astronomy. As such, these units would be attractive alternatives to vacuum-tube oscillators, which are still used to obtain acceptably high power in the frequency range of interest. The oscillator (see figure) includes a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), with gate-periphery dimensions of 4 by 37 m, in a common-source configuration. The series feedback element of the oscillator is a grounded coplanar waveguide (CPW) at the source. The HEMT is biased for class-A operation (meaning that current is conducted throughout the oscillation cycle) to maximize the output power of the oscillator. Input and output impedance-matching circuit elements are designed to maximize output power and to establish the conditions needed for oscillation. The design of the antenna takes advantage of surface waves, which, heretofore, have been regarded as highly disadvantageous because they can leak power and degrade the performances of antennas that have not been designed to exploit them. Measures taken to suppress surface waves have included complex machining of circuit substrates and addition of separate substrates. These measures are difficult to implement in standard MMIC fabrication processes. In contrast, because the design of the present antenna eliminates the need to suppress surface waves, the fabrication of the antenna is fully compatible with standard MMIC fabrication processes.

Samoska, Lorene↗
NASA NTRS1990

Surface waves in an incompressible fluid - Resonant instability due to velocity shear

The effects of velocity shear on the resonance absorption of incompressible MHD surface waves are studied. It is found that there are generally values of the velocity shear for which the surface wave decay rate becomes zero. In some cases, the resonance absorption goes to zero even for very small velocity shears. It is also found that the resonance absorption can be strongly enhanced at other values of the velocity shear, so the presence of flows may be generally important for determining the effects of resonance absorption, such as might occur in the interaction of p-modes with sunspots. Resonances leading to instability of the global surface mode can exist, and instability can occur for velocity shears significantly below the Kelvin-Helmholtz threshold. These instabilities may play a role in the development or turbulence in regions of strong velocity shear in the solar wind or the earth's magnetosphere.

Hollweg, Joseph V.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Resonant absorption of phase-mixed Alfven surface waves in ideal and resistive magnetohydrodynamics - Initial-value problem

An initial-value approach to the study of Alfven surface waves, in which the linearized MHD equations are solved numerically in time and space, is considered. A disturbance of a particular wavelength is excited in a nonuniform plasma and its temporal evolution is simulated with numerical solutions of the ideal and resistive MHD equations in slab geometry. This procedure generates a continuous spectrum and therefore simulates phase-mixing and subsequent resonant absorption. Energy in the phase-mixed surface waves resistively dissipates with the absorption time and width scaling as resistivity to the -1/3 and 1/6 powers, respectively.

Steinolfson, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Waveform synthesis of surface waves in a laterally heterogeneous earth by the Gaussian beam method

The present investigation is concerned with an application of the Gaussian beam method to surface waves in the laterally heterogeneous earth. The employed method has been developed for ray tracing and synthesizing seismograms of surface waves in cases involving the laterally heterogeneous earth. The procedure is based on formulations derived by Yomogida (1985). Vertical structure of the wave field is represented by the eigenfunctions of normal mode theory, while lateral variation is expressed by the parabolic equation as in two-dimensional acoustic waves or elastic body waves. It is demonstrated that a large-amplitude change can result from a slight perturbation in the phase velocity model.

Yomogida, K.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A surface wave spread spectrum communication link.

This development has resulted in a fast lock-up, 8-MHz bandwidth, 8-KHz data rate, spread spectrum communication link breadboard that is implemented using surface wave devices as the primary signal generators and signal processing elements. It uses surface wave tapped delay lines (SWTDL's) in the transmitter to generate the signals and in the receiver to match filter detect them. The system also incorporates a re-entry delay line (circulating integrator) which increases the effective code length per data bit by eight-fold.

Fugit, B. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Drag reduction characteristics of small amplitude rigid surface waves

The possibility of reducing drag by using rigid, wavy surfaces is investigated both analytically and experimentally. Although pressure drag for rigid sine-wave surfaces can be predicted empirically, viscous drag for even shallow waves was poorly predicted by state-of-the-art turbulent boundary layer calculation procedures. Calculations for the effects of geometric and fluid variables on total wave drag are presented under the philosophy that trends will be nearly correct even though levels are probably incorrect. Experiments by the present authors indicate that a total drag reduction with wavy walls is possible.

Cary, A. M., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Distributed feedback acoustic surface wave oscillator

Using a simple model, the feasibility of applying the distributed feedback concept to the generation of acoustic surface waves is evaluated. It is shown that surface corrugation of the piezoelectric boundary in a semiconductor-piezoelectric surface acoustic wave amplifier could lead to self-sustained oscillations.

Elachi, C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

On the behavior of hydromagnetic surface waves

The behavior of velocity, magnetic field, and pressure perturbations about a continuously varying interface in pressure equilibrium is investigated in detail within ideal incompressible magnetohydrodynamics. A specific initial value problem is solved in quadrature for a thin interface and compared with the solution for a discontinuous interface. The unattenuated surface wave about a discontinuous interface is replaced at a thin interface by a collective surface disturbance which decays, with the associated energy density flowing into local oscillations within the interface. At long times the envelope of the local oscillations is concentrated within a small fraction of the thin interface (gradients within the envelope increase linearly with time, eventually resulting in a breakdown of the linearized ideal theory). Thus, the derived decay rate of the surface disturbance gives a mode-conversion rate rather than a heating rate. In applications to the propagation and dissipation of surface waves in the solar corona, this rate cannot in general be interpreted as a coronal heating rate.

Lee, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

ISEE particle observations of surface waves at the magnetopause boundary layer

The dual-spacecraft ISEE mission provides a unique opportunity to study the motions of the magnetopause and adjacent boundary layer. By comparing high-time-resolution energetic particle data from ISEE 1 to those of ISEE 2, the velocity and orientation of the inner boundary of the boundary layer can be determined. Two cases are presented. In one, tailward propagating sinusoidally shaped surface waves with a wavelength in excess of 42,000 km and an amplitude of approximately 5000 km are found. In the other, surface waves are indicated with a wavelength of approximately 40,000 km and an amplitude of approximately 11,000 km having steepened nonsinusoidal shapes. The existence of such large-amplitude waves suggests that the particle dynamics near the magnetopause support nonlinear processes.

Couzens, D.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Resonant absorption of Alfvenic surface waves and the heating of solar coronal loops

A first-order mass- and energy-balance model is developed for steady-state EUV 'coronal rain' loops that are not associated with postflare events and are often seen over sunspot umbrae. The model disregards variations in a loop's thermodynamic and magnetic properties along magnetic-field lines and yields average properties of the resonant absorption sheath, the boundary layer, and the loop's interior. Both irreversible heating by Alfvenic surface waves and energy transport via induced boundary-layer convection are taken into account in the analysis. Results that include predictions of the temperatures of the sheath and the boundary-layer plasma, the temperature of the interior plasma, the radiative output of the loop, and the filling factor associated with this radiation are given in terms of the period and velocity amplitude of the relevant surface wave as well as various parameters that characterize a typical 'coronal rain' loop. These results are shown to be consistent with the observed minimum and maximum temperatures as well as the radiative output of typical 'coronal rain' loops.

Ionson, J. A.↗