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At least 757 records · Page 42

IR pumped third-harmonic generation and sum-frequency generation in diatomic molecules

The potential efficiency of using nonlinear up-conversion techniques for the high efficiency type lasers (CO,CO2, and chemical) is assessed. Results indicate that: the small pump photon energy necessitates the use of molecular media for conversion if resonance enhancement is to be used and that molecular systems present several problems. These difficulties include: their levels are complex; their transition probabilities are often unknown; and the oscillator strengths among vibrational levels in the ground electronic state of a molecule are much smaller than those among electronic states of an atom, thus limiting the magnitude of nonlinear interactions. It is shown that this problem can be eliminated by making use of vibronic transitions which, being primarily electronic transitions have much larger matrix elements and efficient conversion can be achieved with molecular systems.

She, C. Y.↗

The effect of instrument performance upon the calculated spectrum from a spaceborne IR interferometer

The data processing equations used to transform an interferometer output signal into a spectrum have been applied to the instrument noise to find the relationship between the signal to noise ratio (S/N) in the interferogram and that in the computed spectrum. Both photon and thermal noises have been taken into account. The results show that the voltage S/N in the spectrum is inversely proportional to the square root of the number of samples so that taking a larger number of samples requires a larger S/N in the interferogram to achieve the same S/N in the spectrum. Numerical examples are given relating the exposure time to design and performance parameters for stellar and atmospheric applications.

James, D. A.↗

Upgrading and testing program for narrow band high resolution planetary IR imaging spectrometer

An imaging spectrometer, intended primarily for observations of the outer planets, which utilizes an acoustically tuned optical filter (ATOF) and a charge coupled device (CCD) television camera was modified to improve spatial resolution and sensitivity. The upgraded instrument was a spatial resolving power of approximately 1 arc second, as defined by an f/7 beam at the CCD position and it has this resolution over the 50 arc second field of view. Less vignetting occurs and sensitivity is four times greater. The spectral resolution of 15 A over the wavelength interval 6500 A - 11,000 A is unchanged. Mechanical utility has been increased by the use of a honeycomb optical table, mechanically rigid yet adjustable optical component mounts, and a camera focus translation stage. The upgraded instrument was used to observe Venus and Saturn.

Wattson, R. B.↗

Energy threshold effects in the collisionless dissociation of polyatomic molecules by ir laser radiation

The threshold for collisionless dissociation of SF6, SiF4, and CF2Cl2 by focused CO2 laser radiation has been measured. This threshold is a laser pulse energy effect and, within experimental error, is found to be the same for all three gases. Provided collisions cannot occur during the laser pulse, the degree of dissociation produced depends only on the energy in the pulse, which is consistent with simple adiabatic vibrational heating of the molecules by the laser.

Gower, M. C.↗

Characteristics of IR variable stars as observed from orbit

A selection of infrared variable stars was studied at wavelength 2.7 microns during 1971-1975 with data from U.S. Air Force satellites. Stars observed in this program are classified as long-period variable stars, semiregular variables, and irregular variables and are among the strongest stellar sources at this wavelength. In addition, a few new, as yet unclassified variable stars were identified during the course of the investigation. Time scales of reproducible variations range from a few weeks to a few years, and amplitudes of variation are as large as a factor of three for stars with periods of order one year. The minimum infrared flux density of a long-period star repeats accurately from one cycle to the next, whereas the maximum flux density was found to be unstable. The correlation of 2.7 micron and radio emission line data from one, well-studied long-period variable is consistent with the hypothesis that the H2O and OH circumstellar masers are saturated, if pumped by the stellar infrared flux near 2.7 microns.

Maran, S. P.↗

Data on atmospheric transmission in the IR spectral region

The weakening of radiation by the atmosphere in the infrared region of the spectrum was studied. The instrument used for the measurements was the IKAU-1 infrared atmospheric unit, and measurements were carried out both on an inclined path and a near-earth horizontal path.

Paramonova, N. N.↗

Detection of a near-infrared complex associated with S140 IRS

A near-infrared (0.9-micron) counterpart to the bright compact infrared source in Sharpless 140 has been detected. Observations with a CCD array show structure within a few arcseconds of the 2-20-micron source. The possible nature of the source is discussed, and an upper limit is set on the ionizing flux.

Dinerstein, H. L.↗

Significance of absorption features in Io's IR reflectance spectrum

This paper shows that the presence of SO2 may have important implications for Io's atmosphere and transient phenomena. It is suggested that any abundant metal-containing compounds, such as halides or sulfides, are spectrally bland in the wavelength region from 2.0 to 5.0 microns.

Fanale, F. P.↗

Quasi-simultaneous observations of the BL Lac object MK 501 in X-ray, UV, visible, IR and radio frequencies

Quasi-simultaneous observations of the BL Lacertae (Lac) objects MK 501 were performed for the first time at X-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and radio frequencies. The observed spectral slope from the X-ray to UV regions is positive and continuous, but that from the mid UV to visible light region becomes gradually flat and possibly turns down toward lower frequencies; the optical radio emission can not be accounted for by a single power law. Several theoretical models were considered for the emission mechanism. A quantitative comparison was performed with the synchrotron-self-Compton model; the total spectrum is found consistent with this model. The spectrum from visible light to X-ray is consistent with synchrotron radiation or with inverse-Compton scattering by a hot thermal cloud of electrons. The continuity of the spectral slope from X-ray to UV implied by the current data suggests that the previous estimates of the total luminosity of this BL Lac object is underestimated by a factor of about three or four.

Kondo, D. M.↗

New atlas of IR solar spectra

Over 4500 absorption lines have been marked on the spectra and the corresponding line positions tabulated. The associated absorbing telluric or solar species for more than 90% of these lines have been identified and only a fraction of the unidentified lines have peak absorptions greater than a few percent. The high resolution and the low Sun spectra greatly enhance the sensitivity limits for identification of trace constituents.

Goldman, A.↗

The IR energy distribution of SS433

The infrared energy distribution of the emission-line object SS 433 in the range 1 to 10 microns is determined. Photometric measurements were made with a 2.2-m telescope using an InSb detector and a 6-arcsec diaphragm for 1.2- to 4.8-micron observations and a gallium-doped germanium bolometer with a 6-arcsec diaphragm for 8- to 13-micron observations. Results indicate the presence of substantial night-to-night flux density and color variations, and a decrease in flux density at wavelengths greater than 5 microns. The energy cut-off is used to estimate a physical size of 1 AU for the emitting region and an electron density of 10 to the 11th/cu cm on the basis of a model of reddened free-free emission from an ionized plasma, with self-absorption of radiation over 5 microns. The greater variability observed at longer wavelengths is also interpreted in terms of this model.

Wynn-Williams, C. G.↗

IR brightness and eclipse cooling of Saturn's rings

Equatorial scans of Saturn at 20 microns wavelength, obtained with the Mayall 4-m telescope in 1978-79, show a continuing decrease in the specific brightness of the A and B rings as the ring plane projection approaches and edge-on apparition. The decreased brightness of the previously dominant B ring reveals more clearly a large difference in brightness between the east and west ansae portions of the C ring, in contrast to a barely discernible difference for the other ring ansae. The amount of eclipse cooling is compatible with a C ring particle size of about 1 cm. It is proposed here that the B ring brightness variation could partially result from a decrease of absorbed insolation by a modest amount of visible scattering.

Nolt, I. G.↗