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At least 847 records · Page 47

Great microwave bursts and hard X-rays from solar flares

The microwave and hard X-ray charateristics of 13 solar flares that produced microwave fluxes greater than 500 Solar Flux Units were analyzed. These Great Microwave Bursts were observed in the frequency range from 3 to 35 GHz at Berne, and simultaneous hard X-ray observations were made in the energy range from 30 to 500 keV with the Hard X-Ray Burst Spectrometer on the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft. The principal aim of this analysis is to determine whether or not the same distribution of energetic electrons can explain both emissions. Correlations were found between respective temporal characteristics and, for the first time, between microwave and hard X-ray spectral characteristics. A single-temperature and a multi-temperature model from the literature were tested for consistency with the coincident X-ray and microwave spectra at microwave burst maximum. Four events are inconsistent with both of the models tested, and neither of the models attempts to explain the high-frequency part of the microwave spectrum. A model in which the emissions above and below the peak frequency originate in two different parts of a diverging magnetic loop is proposed. With this model the entire microwave spectrum of all but one of the events is explained.

Wiehl, H. J.↗

The microwave and far-infrared spectra of the CH radical

The frequencies, wavelengths, and line strengths for transitions of the CH molecule at microwave and far-infrared wavelengths have been calculated from an analysis of the laser magnetic resonance spectrum. The low-frequency transitions are between lambda-type doublets, while the higher frequency transitions are between different spin-rotation levels.

Brown, J. M.↗

Blade loss transient dynamics analysis with flexible bladed disk

The transient dynamic response of a flexible bladed disk on a flexible rotor in a two rotor system is formulated by modal synthesis and a Lagrangian approach. Only the nonequilibrated one diameter flexible mode is considered for the flexible bladed disk, while the two flexible rotors are represented by their normal modes. The flexible bladed disk motion is modeled as a combination of two one diameter standing waves, and is coupled inertially and gyroscopically to the flexible rotors. Application to a two rotor model shows that a flexible bladed disk on one rotor can be driven into resonance by an unbalance in the other rotor, and at a frequency equal to the difference in the rotor speeds.

Gallardo, V. C.↗

Development of visible/infrared/microwave agriculture classification and biomass estimation algorithms, volume 2

Agricultural crop classification models using two or more spectral regions (visible through microwave) were developed and tested and biomass was estimated by including microwave with visible and infrared data. The study was conducted at Guymon, Oklahoma and Dalhart, Texas utilizing aircraft multispectral data and ground truth soil moisture and biomass information. Results indicate that inclusion of C, L, and P band active microwave data from look angles greater than 35 deg from nadir with visible and infrared data improved crop discrimination and biomass estimates compared to results using only visible and infrared data. The active microwave frequencies were sensitive to different biomass levels. In addition, two indices, one using only active microwave data and the other using data from the middle and near infrared bands, were well correlated to total biomass.

Rosenthal, W. D.↗

Parallel-processing with surface plasmons, a new strategy for converting the broad solar spectrum

A new strategy for efficient solar-energy conversion is based on parallel processing with surface plasmons: guided electromagnetic waves supported on thin films of common metals like aluminum or silver. The approach is unique in identifying a broadband carrier with suitable range for energy transport and an inelastic tunneling process which can be used to extract more energy from the more energetic carriers without requiring different materials for each frequency band. The aim is to overcome the fundamental 56-percent loss associated with mismatch between the broad solar spectrum and the monoenergetic conduction electrons used to transport energy in conventional silicon solar cells. This paper presents a qualitative discussion of the unknowns and barrier problems, including ideas for coupling surface plasmons into the tunnels, a step which has been the weak link in the efficiency chain.

Anderson, L. M.↗

Solar energy converter using surface plasma waves

Sunlight is dispersed over a diffraction grating formed on the surface of a conducting film on a substrate. The angular dispersion controls the effective grating period so that a matching spectrum of surface plasmons is excited for parallel processing on the conducting film. The resulting surface plasmons carry energy to an array of inelastic tunnel diodes. This solar energy converter does not require different materials for each frequency band, and sunlight is directly converted to electricity in an efficient manner by extracting more energy from the more energetic photons.

Anderson, L. M.↗

Laboratory tests on an aircraft fuselage to determine the insertion loss of various acoustic add-on treatments

This paper describes a laboratory study of add-on acoustic treatments for a propeller-driven light aircraft fuselage. The treatments included: no treatment (i.e., baseline fuselage); a production-type double-wall interior; and various amounts of high density fiberglass added to the baseline fuselage. The sound source was a pneumatic-driver with attached exponential horn, supplied with a broadband signal. Data were acquired at the approximate head positions of the six passenger seats. The results were analyzed on space-averaged narrowband, one-third octave band and overall insertion loss basis. In addition, insertion loss results for the different configurations at specific frequencies representing propeller tone spectra are presented. The propeller tone data includes not only the space-averaged insertion loss, but also the variation of insertion loss at these particular frequencies across the six microphone positions.

Heitman, K. E.↗

Development of visible/infrared/microwave agriculture classification and biomass estimation algorithms

This paper describes the results of a study to determine if crop acreage and biomass estimates could be improved by using visible IR and microwave data. The objectives were to (1) develop and test agricultural crop classification models using two or more spectral regions (visible through microwave), and (2) estimate biomass by including microwave with visible and infrared data. Aircraft multispectral data collected during the study included visible and infrared data (multiband data from 0.5 m - 12 m), and active microwave data K band (2 cm), C band (6 cm), L band (20 cm), and P band (75 cm) HH and HV polarizations. Ground truth data from each field consisted of soil moisture and biomass measurements. Results indicated that C, L, and P band active microwave data combined with visible and infrared data improved crop discrimination and biomass estimates compared to results using only visible and infrared data. The active microwave frequencies were sensitive to different biomass levels; K and C being sensitive to differences at low biomass levels, while P band was sensitive to differences at high biomass levels.

Rosenthal, W. D.↗

Far-field patterns of spaceborne antennas from plane-polar near-field measurements

Certain unique features of a recently constructed plane-polar near-field measurement facility for determining the far-field patterns of large and fragile spaceborne antennas are described. In this facility, the horizontally positioned antenna rotates about its axis while the measuring probe is advanced incrementally in a fixed radial direction. The near-field measured data is then processed using a Jacobi-Bessel expansion to obtain the antenna far fields. A summary of the measurement and computational steps is given. Comparisons between the outdoor far-field measurements and the constructed far-field patterns from the near-field measured data are provided for different antenna sizes and frequencies. Application of the substitution method for the absolute gain measurement is discussed. In particular, results are shown for the 4.8-m mesh-deployable high-gain antenna of the Galileo spacecraft which has the mission of orbiting Jupiter in 1988.

Rahmat-Samii, Y.↗

Switched-Multibeam Antenna System

Various time delays introduced at intermediate frequency aim antenna in different directions. System includes spherical reflector with feed horn containing two five-element cross arrays. Each element in cross array connected to different set of switched delay lines. Antenna has low and moderate gains and wide coverage.

Iwasaki, R. S.↗

A new model for broadband waveguide to microstrip transition design

A new model is presented which permits the prediction of the resonant frequencies created by antipodal finline waveguide to microstrip transitions. The transition is modeled as a tapered transmission line in series with an infinite set of coupled resonant circuits. The resonant circuits are modeled as simple microwave resonant cavities of which the resonant frequencies are easily determined. The model is developed and the resonant frequencies determined for several different transitions. Experimental results are given to confirm the models.

Ponchak, George E.↗

Onboard multichannel demultiplexer/demodulator

An investigation performed for NASA LeRC by COMSAT Labs, of a digitally implemented on-board demultiplexer/demodulator able to process a mix of uplink carriers of differing bandwidths and center frequencies and programmable in orbit to accommodate variations in traffic flow is reported. The processor accepts high speed samples of the signal carried in a wideband satellite transponder channel, processes these as a composite to determine the signal spectrum, filters the result into individual channels that carry modulated carriers and demodulate these to recover their digital baseband content. The processor is implemented by using forward and inverse pipeline Fast Fourier Transformation techniques. The recovered carriers are then demodulated using a single digitally implemented demodulator that processes all of the modulated carriers. The effort has determined the feasibility of the concept with multiple TDMA carriers, identified critical path technologies, and assessed the potential of developing these technologies to a level capable of supporting a practical, cost effective on-board implementation. The result is a flexible, high speed, digitally implemented Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) bulk demultiplexer/demodulator.

Campanella, S. Joseph↗

Pseudomorphic InGaAs/AlGaAs modulation-doped FET's with reduced low-frequency noise and thermally stable performance

A high-performance MODFET structure grown by MBE with the incorporation of a single quantum well In(0.15)Ga(0.85)As layer for the transport of two-dimensional electron gas has been critically examined for its thermal stability at 80 K and low-frequency noise form 0.01 to 10 to the 8th Hz. Experimental results indicate that the behavior of this device in both these respects is much superior when compared with the same behavior of conventional MODFETs. A maximum low-field carrier mobility of 29,000 sq cm/s at 80 K and an average carrier saturation velocity of 2 x 10 to the 7th cm/s at 300 K in a 1-micron gate device clearly indicate that the quality of the pseudomorphic quantum well (InGaAs) layer is either comparable or better than that of the usual GaAs buffer layer. The deep level spectra, obtained through photo-FET measurements, and the low-frequency noise spectra at different temperatures obtained for the new pseudomorphic and conventional MODFET's have clearly indicated that contributions from various deep levels present in the new structure are significantly reduced.

Liu, Shih-Ming↗

A new model for broadband waveguide-to-microstrip transition design

A new model is presented which permits the prediction of the resonant frequencies created by antipodal finline waveguide to microstrip transitions. The transition is modeled as a tapered transmission line in series with an infinite set of coupled resonant circuits. The resonant circuits are modeled as simple microwave resonant cavities of which the resonant frequencies are easily determined. The model is developed and the resonant frequencies determined for several different transitions. Experimental results are given to confirm the models.

Ponchak, George E.↗

Visual field influence on manual roll and pitch stabilization

Human control performance in nulling perceived tilt angles was investigated for combinations of pseudo-random vestibular disturbances and different waveforms of low frequency wide visual field motions. For both roll and pitch axes, subjects tilted the trainer in which they were seated in the direction of field rotation. This visual bias was much stronger for pitch backwards with upward field rotation. Frequency response analysis showed the dominance of visual cues at low frequencies (below 0.06 Hz) and the reliance on vestibular information in the high frequency range for both axes. Models suggest that operator balancing responses at high frequencies are mainly processed by the semicircular canals rather than the otolith organs. The results also suggest that the subject tends to rely less on the otolith organs for pitch perception than for roll.

Huang, J.-K.↗

Thermal evolution of Titan's atmosphere

The present model of Titan's atmosphere/surface evolution assumes the presence of a kilometer-deep ethane-methane ocean at the surface that serves as a tropospheric thermal balance-determining atmospheric-gas reservoir. The evolution of the atmospheric thermal structure is driven by gas-abundance changes occurring as stratospheric photolysis irreversibly converts methane into higher hydrocarbons, whereby the ocean becomes ethane-enriched and methane-depleted. A family of evolution models is presented whose various members correspond to different present-day ocean compositions, various atmospheric hydrogen abundances, and different schemes for frequency-averaging the gas opacity. A slow evolution over several billion years is envisioned.

Lunine, Jonathan I.↗

Olympus receiver evaluation and phase noise measurements

A set of measurements performed by the Michigan Tech Sensing and Signal Processing Group on the analog receiver built by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for propagation measurements using the Olympus Satellite is described. Measurements of local oscillator (LO) phase noise were performed for all of the LOs supplied by JPL. In order to obtain the most useful set of measurements, LO phase noise measurements were made using the complete VPI receiver front end. This set of measurements demonstrates the performance of the receiver from the Radio Frequency (RF) input through the high Intermediate Frequency (IF) output. Three different measurements were made: LO phase noise with DC on the voltage controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO) port; LO phase noise with the 11.381 GHz LO locked to the reference signal generator; and a reference measurement with the JPL LOs out of the system.

Campbell, Richard L.↗

Dual physiological rate measurement instrument

The object of the invention is to provide an instrument for converting a physiological pulse rate into a corresponding linear output voltage. The instrument which accurately measures the rate of an unknown rectangular pulse wave over an extended range of values comprises a phase-locked loop including a phase comparator, a filtering network, and a voltage-controlled oscillator, arranged in cascade. The phase comparator has a first input responsive to the pulse wave and a second input responsive to the output signal of the voltage-controlled oscillator. The comparator provides a signal dependent on the difference in phase and frequency between the signals appearing on the first and second inputs. A high-input impedance amplifier accepts an output from the filtering network and provides an amplified output DC signal to a utilization device for providing a measurement of the rate of the pulse wave.

Cooper, Tommy G.↗