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NASA NTRS1991

Remote sensing of Earth's atmosphere and surface using a digital array scanned interferometer: A new type of imaging spectrometer

The capabilities of the digital array scanned interferometer (DASI) class of instruments for measuring terrestrial radiation fields over the visible to mid-infrared are evaluated. DASI's are capable of high throughput, sensitivity and spectral resolution and have the potential for field-of-view spatial discrimination (an imaging spectrometer). The simplicity of design and operation of DASI's make them particularly suitable for field and airborne platform based remote sensing. The long term objective is to produce a versatile field instrument which may be applied toward a variety of atmospheric and surface studies. The operation of DASI and its advantages over other spectrometers are discussed.

Hammer, Philip D.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Wide-angle astrometry with the Mark III stellar interferometer

Astrometric measurements made with the Mark III stellar interferometer on five nights in August-September 1988 yielded average formal 1-sigma errors for 12 FK5 stars of 6 mas in declination and 10 mas in right ascension. This improvement in precision over previously reported measurements with this instrument made in 1986 is attributable to several factors: a second 12 m baseline; oriented E-S, was added to the instrument to improve the determination of right ascension; two-color analysis was included in the data-reduction process, along with a new central-fringe identification algorithm using three spectral channels, in order to reduce atmospheric errors; thermal control was greatly improved; and changes were made to observational procedures and hardware to monitor variations in the delay offset due to residual thermal drifts. Approximately half of the new positions are within 50 mas of their FK5 positions. However, an extended series of measurements are needed to ascertain the accuracy that can be achieved by interferometry.

Shao, M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Measurement of birefringence of optical materials using a wedged plate interferometer

A nondestructive technique for measuring the birefringence of optical materials such as calcite using wedged plate interferometer is presented. The sample needed for measuring the refractive index must be polished in the form of a parallel plate. The method is based on the measurement of the longitudinal displacement of the focus when the parallel plate is inserted in a converging beam of light. The displacement of the focus is a measure of the refractive index of the optical material. In the case of a uniaxial crystal, the displacement of the focus for the extraordinary ray is different from the displacement of the focus for the ordinary ray. Hence the birefringence of the crystal is determined by measuring the difference between the two focii. It is possible to obtain an accuracy up to 0.0002 in the measurement of birefringence depending on the sample thickness. The method should find its application for the characterization of new crystals in various material research and crystal growth laboratories.

Shukla, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Long-term stability of a Fabry-Perot interferometer used for measurement of stellar Doppler shift

The use of a fiber-optic-link CCD-detector Fabry-Perot interferometer (McMillan et al., 1985, 1986, and 1988) to obtain high-accuracy measurements of stellar Doppler shifts at KPNO is described in detail and illustrated with sample data. Particular attention is given to accuracy requirements and techniques for reducing errors, resolution (orders of 50 mA at wavelength 4300 A are separated by 640 mA), CCD sensitivity, observing and data-processing operations, and the control of environmental conditions. Standard-deviation data and statistics on seven solar-type stars are presented in tables, and the time evolution of the radial velocity of Beta Com is shown in a graph.

Mcmillan, R. S.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Development of a Fabry-Perot interferometer for rocket engine plume monitoring

The development of a lightweight, compact, high-resolution Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) based spectrometer capable of detecting the spectral signatures of eroding engine components during test and/or flight operations is discussed. FPI based spectrometers will be designed to be smaller and lighter than grating or prism type devices and to provide greater wavelength resolving capability. The FPI system seeks to combine the features of high line resolution, active background discrimination, smart digital signal processing, and rocket engine flight capability. The design, fabrication, and test of a breadboard FPI spectrometer have been completed and the breadboard instrument has clearly demonstrated the viability of the approach. The breadboard instrument design and test results are also presented.

Bickford, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Optical observations of close binaries with the Mark III Stellar Interferometer

For the first time, four spectroscopic binaries have been directly resolved with the Mark III Stellar Interferometer. Observations in 1988 and 1989 were analyzed, and visual orbits for four binaries have been determined. The semimajor axes for Beta Tri, Alpha Equ, Alpha And and Beta Ari are approximately 0.008 arcsec, 0.012 arcsec, 0.024 arcsec and 0.037 arcsec, respectively. The magnitude differences between two components are 0.5, 0.7, 1.8 and 2.6 mag, respectively. All of the orbital elements for Alpha And and Beta Ari were determined from interferometric data only, and agree well with spectroscopic observations. Predictions of relative position between the two components for these binaries are consistent with the measurements to less than 0.001 arcsec. Combined with data from spectroscopy, masses and distance for the double-lined spectroscopic binary Beta Ari are derived, and the results indicate that both components of Beta Ari agree well with the empirical mass-luminosity relation.

Pan, X. P.↗

NASA NTRS1991

The MPE/UCB far-infrared imaging Fabry-Perot interferometer (FIFI)

FIFI, an imaging spectrometer with two or three Fabry-Perot interferometers in a series for astronomical observations in the FIR range, is described. Spectral resolutions of 2 km/s can be obtained with FIFI. Design considerations are discussed as well as optics, the detector array, the transimpedance amplifier array, signal demodulation, data acquisition, and instrument control.

Poglitsch, A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Squeezed pulsed light from a fiber ring interferometer

Observation of squeezed noise, 5 +/- 0.3 dB below the shot noise level, generated with pulses in a fiber ring interferometer is reported. The interferometric geometry is used to separate the pump pulse from the squeezed vacuum radiation. A portion of the pump is reused as the local oscillator in a homodyne detection. The pump fluctuations are successfully subtracted and shot noise limited performance is achieved at low frequencies (35-85 KHz). A possible utilization of the generated squeezed vacuum in improving a fiber gyro's signal to noise ratio is discussed.

Bergman, K.↗

NASA NTRS1992

WAMDII: The Wide Angle Michelson Doppler Imaging Interferometer

As part of an effort to learn more about the upper atmosphere and how it is linked to the weather experienced each day, NASA and NRCC are jointly sponsoring the Wide Angle Michelson Doppler Imaging Interferometer (WAMDII) Mission. WAMDII will measure atmospheric temperature and wind speed in the upper atmosphere. In addition to providing data on the upper atmosphere, the wind speed and temperature readings WAMDII takes will also be highly useful in developing and updating computer simulated models of the upper atmosphere. These models are used in the design and testing of equipment and software for Shuttles, satellites, and reentry vehicles. In making its wind speed and temperature measurements, WAMDII examines the Earth's airglow, a faint photochemical luminescence caused by the influx of solar ultraviolet energy into the upper atmosphere. During periods of high solar flare activity, the amount of this UV energy entering the upper atmosphere increases, and this increase may effect airglow emissions.

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NASA NTRS1992

LIGO - The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory

The goal of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) Project is to detect and study astrophysical gravitational waves and use data from them for research in physics and astronomy. LIGO will support studies concerning the nature and nonlinear dynamics for gravity, the structures of black holes, and the equation of state of nuclear matter. It will also measure the masses, birth rates, collisions, and distributions of black holes and neutron stars in the universe and probe the cores of supernovae and the very early universe. The technology for LIGO has been developed during the past 20 years. Construction will begin in 1992, and under the present schedule, LIGO's gravitational-wave searches will begin in 1998.

Abramovici, Alex↗

NASA NTRS1991

System design for lunar-based optical and submillimeter interferometers

The designs and performances of lunar optical and submillimeter interferometer systems for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) are described. Attention is given to the conceptual design of these systems and to the concepts for the launch, transport, deployment, maintenance, and toleration of the lunar environment (both natural and induced by crew activity). Consideration is also given to the requirements for SEI resources (such as cargo space and crew time), the data return concepts, and the flight system technonogy develpment needs.

Gershman, R.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Optical system design for a Lunar Optical Interferometer

The moon offers particular advantages for interferometry, including a vacuum environment, a large stable base on which to assemble multi-kilometer baselines, and a cold nighttime temperature to allow for passive cooling of optics for high IR sensitivity. A baseline design for a Lunar Optical Interferometer (LOI) which exploits these features is presented. The instrument operates in the visible to mid-IL region, and is designed for both astrometry and synthesis imaging. The design uses a Y-shaped array of 12 siderostats, with maximum arm lengths of about 1 km. The inner siderostats are monitored in three dimensions from a central laser metrology structure to allow for high precision astrometry. The outer siderostats, used primarily for synthesis imaging, exploit the availability of bright reference stars in order to determine the instrument geometry. The path delay function is partitioned into coarse and fine components, the former accomplished with switched banks of range mirrors monitored with an absolute laser metrology system, and the latter with a short cat's eye delay line. The back end of the instrument is modular, allowing for beam combiners for astrometry, visible and IR synthesis imaging, and direct planet detection. With 1 m apertures, the instrument will have a point-source imaging sensitivity of about 29 mag; with the laser metrology system, astrometry at the microarcsecond level will be possible.

Colavita, M. M.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Hubble Extra Solar Planet Interferometer

This paper describes a proposed third-generation Hubble instrument for extra-solar planet detection, the Hubble Extra-Solar Planet Interferometer (HESPI). This instrument would be able to achieve starlight cancellation at the 10 exp 6 to 10 exp 8 level, given a stellar wavefront with phase errors comparable to the present Hubble telescope wavefront. At 10 exp 6 starlight cancellation, HESPI would be able to detect a Jupiter-like planet next to a star at a distance of about 10 parsec, for which there are about 400 candidate stars. This paper describes a novel approach for starlight suppression, using a combination of active control and single-mode spatial filters, to achieve starlight suppression far below the classical limit set by scattering due to microsurface imperfections. In preliminary lab experiments, suppression by a factor of 40 below the classical scatter limit due to optical wavefront errors has been demonstrated.

Shao, M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A mission and system design option for the Orbiting Stellar Interferometer

The Orbiting Stellar Interferometer (OSI) is a proposed space-based observatory that will open exciting new vistas in astronomy and address fundamental scientific questions by making extremely accurate (3 to 30 microarcsecond) astrometric measurements of the positions of stars, quasars, and other astronomical objects as faint as magnitude 20. In addition, it will be able to image objects with a resolution of about 13 milliarcseconds. Using the lessons learned from the development of a point design for OSI, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed a new conceptual design, with emphasis on reducing its cost and complexity while maximizing the return of valuable science.

Rayman, M. D.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Report of the Science Working Group: Science with a lunar optical interferometer

Resolution is the greatest constraint in observational astronomy. The Earth's atmosphere causes on optical image to blur to about 1 arcsec or greater. Interferometric techniques have been developed to overcome atmospheric limitations for both filled aperture conventional telescopes and for partially filled aperture telescopes, such as the Michelson or the radio interferometer. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) represents the first step toward space based optical astronomy. The HST represents an immediate short term evolution of observational optical astronomy. A longer time scale of evolution is focused on and the benefits are considered to astronomy of placing an array of telescopes on the Moon at a time when a permanent base may exist there.

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NASA NTRS1992

The goldstone real-time connected element interferometer

Connected element interferometry (CEI) is a technique of observing a celestial radio source at two spatially separated antennas and then interfering the received signals to extract the relative phase of the signal at the two antennas. The high precision of the resulting phase delay data type can provide an accurate determination of the angular position of the radio source relative to the baseline vector between the two stations. This article describes a recently developed connected element interferometer on a 21-km baseline between two antennas at the Deep Space Network's Goldstone, California, tracking complex. Fiber-optic links are used to transmit the data to a common site for processing. The system incorporates a real-time correlator to process these data in real time. The architecture of the system is described, and observational data are presented to characterize the potential performance of such a system. The real-time processing capability offers potential advantages in terms of increased reliability and improved delivery of navigational data for time-critical operations. Angular accuracies of 50-100 nrad are achievable on this baseline.

Edwards, C., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Portable fiber optic coupled Doppler interferometer system for detonation and shock wave diagnostics

Testing and analysis of shock wave characteristics such as detonators and ground shock propagation frequently require a method of measuring velocity and displacement of the surface of interest. One method of measurement is Doppler interferometry. The VISAR (Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector) uses Doppler interferometry and has gained wide acceptance as the preferred tool for shock measurement. An important asset of VISAR is that it measures velocity and displacement nonintrusively.

Fleming, Kevin J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Interferometer testbed: Overview and hardware summary

Viewgraphs on an overview and hardware summary for an interferometer testbed are presented. Topics covered include: reference mission and science requirements; science requirements derivation; reference spacecraft design summary; testbed requirements and performance metric; disturbance source and signal; and testbed architecture.

Nisbet, Andrew↗