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At least 865 records · Page 48

Self-pulsing and bichromatic emission in homogeneously broadened bidirectional ring lasers

The effects of saturation-induced Bragg gratings on the mode structure and dynamics of bidirectional homogeneously broadened ring lasers are studied. The grating is viewed as a distributed feedback medium in a ring cavity and modes appropriate to such a structure are used. A Fourier decomposed rate equation model is developed to study the behavior of these modes above threshold. The difference in the properties of these solutions from the modes of an unfilled ring cavity lead to the possibility of bichromatic emission and both regular undamped and irregular damped self-pulsing.

Rabinovich, W. S.↗

Making Reliable Large-Diameter O-Rings

Vacuum curing yields joint-free, voidless elastomer seals. Method for manufacturing large-diameter O-rings produces them in single pieces, without bonded joints. Reduces probability trapped gases form flaws. O-rings produced, having diameters as much as 144 in. (3.66m), reliable and of high quality. Nesting upper and lower halves of mold hold elastomer rings for curing. Oil flowing through upper and lower cavities heats elastomer to cure it.

Larsen, Glade L.↗

Cyclic loads tests of carbon involute solid rocket motor outer boot ring segments

The cyclic loads tests performed on the 30-in. segments of the DM-9 (Development Motor-9) configuration solid rocket outer boot ring are described. The tests found that the effect of the cyclic loadings on the structural integrity of the outer boot ring was negligible. The results are compared with a hand analysis of the strength of a 30-in. outer boot ring segment. Several phenomena of engineering interest are also described.

Ahmed, Rafiq↗

Physical properties of Uranian delta ring from a possible density wave

On the basis of wavelength and amplitude behavior, as well as observed feature morphology, that are indicative of a density wave, the presently studied Voyager PPS stellar occultation observations of the Uranus delta ring are held to indicate the presence of a moonlet interior to the delta ring. Lindblad resonances are calculated for all 65 discrete possible locations for this moonlet; the locations are labeled by azimuth number of the resonance associated with each location that would excite the observed density wave in the delta ring.

Horn, L. J.↗

Access of energetic particles to storm time ring current through enhanced radial 'diffusion'

It is proposed that the transport of particles with energy of at least approximately 40 keV into the geomagnetic storm time ring current can result from enhanced stochastic radial transport driven by fluctuating electric fields during a storm's main phase. The effects of such electric fields are estimated by applying radial diffusion theory, assuming a preexisting trapped-particle population as the initial condition. The feasibility of explaining observed flux increases of particles of at least approximately 40 keV at no more than approximately 4 earth radii by enhanced radial 'diffusion' is then demonstrated. It is estimated that the at least approximately 40-keV portion of the storm time ring current at approximately 3 earth radii consists of about 50 percent preexisting and about 50 percent new particles. The formation of the storm time ring current is found to be perhaps explainable via a combination of direct radial transport at energies no greater than approximately 40 keV and 'diffusive' radial transport at higher energies.

Lyons, L. R.↗

Ballistic transport in planetary ring systems due to particle erosion mechanisms. I - Theory, numerical methods, and illustrative examples

Ballistic transport, defined as the net radial transport of mass and angular momentum due to exchanges of meteoroid hypersonic-impact ejecta by neighboring planetary ring regions on time-scales orders-of-magnitude shorter than the age of the solar system, is presently considered as a problem in mathematical physics. The preliminary results of a numerical scheme for following the combined effects of ballistic transport and viscous diffusion demonstrate that ballistic transport generates structure near sharp edges already present in the ring-mass distribution; the entire ring system ultimately develops an undulatory structure whose length scale is typically of the order of the radial excursion of the impact ejecta.

Durisen, Richard H.↗

The formation of sharp edges in planetary rings by nearby satellites

Equations are derived which govern the shapes of the perturbed streamlines near the 'sharp edge' boundaries between regions of high and low planetary ring optical depth; these are maintained by the shepherd satellites, which transfer angular momentum to and from ring particles. The results obtained by these equations' solution with a simple numerical model, whose parameters resemble those of the Encke division, are found to faithfully reproduce the sharp edges bounding the division; they imply that the ring thickness in the unperturbed regions far from the edges is of the order of 10 m, and that the angle-averaged surface density varies on a much shorter radial length scale than that over which the satellite torque is applied. This feature's relationship to the local reversal of angular momentum viscous transport, in the most strongly perturbed regions, is demonstrated.

Borderies, Nicole↗

Measuring Gaps In O-Ring Seals

Technique enables measurement of leakage areas created by small obstructions in O-ring seals. With simple fixture, gaps measured directly. Compresses piece of O-ring by amount determined by spacers. Camera aimed through clear plastic top plate records depression made in O-ring by obstruction. Faster, easier, more accurate than conventional estimation.

Johnson, Scott E.↗

Self-Aligned Guard Rings For Schottky-Barrier Diodes

Proposed self-aligned guard ring increases active area of Schottky-barrier infrared detector. Concept developed for silicide Schottky-barrier diodes in which platinum silicide or iridium silicide Schottky-contacts provide cutoff wavelengths of about 6 or 10 micrometers. Grid of silicon dioxide doped with phosphorus etched on silicon wafer, and phosphorus from grid diffused into substrate, creating n-type guard rings. Silicide layers formed in open areas of grid. Overlap of guard rings and silicide layers small.

Lin, True-Lon↗

Liquid-Ring Attitude-Control System For Spacecraft

Angular momentum transferred to liquid flowing in rings of tubing. Proposed fluid-ring actuator used to orient spacecraft. Used instead of rotating inertia wheels. Meets need for pointing system of low mass, low power, and high resolution. Advantage of actuator, rings of tubing routed through existing structures, minimizing required space and mass.

Lurie, Boris J.↗

O-Ring-Testing Fixture

Fixture used to evalute properties of O-rings of various materials. Hydraulic actuator positions plug in housing, creating controlled, variable gap in O-ring glands formed by grooves in plug and by inner wall of housing. Creates controlled axial and radial gaps between sealing surfaces around ring so effectiveness of material in maintaining seal determined under dynamic conditions.

Turner, James E.↗

Alternative parallel ring protocols

Communication protocols are know to influence the utilization and performance of communication network. The effect of two token ring protocols on a gigabit network with multiple ring structure is investigated. In the first protocol, a mode sends at most one message on receiving a token. In the second protocol, a mode sends all the waiting messages when a token is received. The behavior of these protocols is shown to be highly dependent on the number of rings as well as the load in the network.

Mukkamala, R.↗

Lower hybrid drift instability at the inner edge of the ring current

Excitation of electrostatic waves around and above the lower hybrid frequency at the inner edge of the ring current is investigated. The model consists of cold plasmaspheric ions; hot, dilute, inhomogeneous ring current ions; and cold charge neutralizing electrons. It is shown that in the presence of a sufficiently large density gradient the coupling of the lower hybrid with the drift cyclotron harmonic mode destabilizes the plasma. Unstable interactions also occur at higher cyclotron harmonics when the lower hybrid is replaced by an ion Bernstein mode. Additional power at frequencies above the lower hybrid frequency is attributed to the thermal enhancement by the hot ring current ions, which increases with their density gradient. Particle simulations are conducted, and comparison to AMPTE data is discussed.

Roth, I.↗

Saturn ring rendezvous mission utilizing a tethered sub-satellite

By combining the advanced technologies of constant-thrust propulsion and space tethers in a planetary mission, it may be feasible to perform a complete radial and azimuthal survey of the Saturnian ring system from close range (about 10 km) in a period of some 300 days. Constant-thrust propulsion would provide the means of 'hovering' above the rings while simultaneously spiraling radially inward toward Saturn. Use of a tethered sub-satellite at a distance of 500-1000 km from the main spacecraft would permit an instrumented package to achieve a significant azimuthal angular rate relative to the rings. Exhaustive 360 deg azimuthal mapping at one or two selected distances from Saturn could be performed in a few tens of days.

Bright, Larry E.↗

Observations of Neptunian rings by Voyager Photopolarimeter Experiment

The Voyager Photopolarimeter Experiment detected the Neptunian rings 1989N1R and possibly 1989N2R. These rings were also photographed by the Voyager imaging cameras in August 1989. The firm detection of 1989N1R has an equivalent depth (the product of the radial width and mean normal optical depth) of 0.77 + or - 0.13 km, while a less certain detection of 1989N2R has an equivalent depth of 0.7 km + or - 0.2 km. Several statistical techniques were used to search for additional material in the Neptune ring system, and none was identified at a high confidence level.

Horn, Linda J.↗

An absolute radius scale for Saturn's rings

Radio and stellar occultation observations of Saturn's rings made by the Voyager spacecraft are discussed. The data reveal systematic discrepancies of almost 10 km in some parts of the rings, limiting some of the investigations. A revised solution for Saturn's rotation pole has been proposed which removes the discrepancies between the stellar and radio occultation profiles. Corrections to previously published radii vary from -2 to -10 km for the radio occultation, and +5 to -6 km for the stellar occultation. An examination of spiral density waves in the outer A Ring supports that the revised absolute radii are in error by no more than 2 km.

Nicholson, Philip D.↗

O-ring gasket test fixture

An apparatus is presented for testing O-ring gaskets under a variety of temperature, pressure, and dynamic loading conditions. Specifically, this apparatus has the ability to simulate a dynamic loading condition where the sealing surface in contact with the O-ring moves both away from and axially along the face of the O-ring.

Turner, James Eric↗

Queueing models for token and slotted ring networks

Currently the end-to-end delay characteristics of very high speed local area networks are not well understood. The transmission speed of computer networks is increasing, and local area networks especially are finding increasing use in real time systems. Ring networks operation is generally well understood for both token rings and slotted rings. There is, however, a severe lack of queueing models for high layer operation. There are several factors which contribute to the processing delay of a packet, as opposed to the transmission delay, e.g., packet priority, its length, the user load, the processor load, the use of priority preemption, the use of preemption at packet reception, the number of processors, the number of protocol processing layers, the speed of each processor, and queue length limitations. Currently existing medium access queueing models are extended by adding modeling techniques which will handle exhaustive limited service both with and without priority traffic, and modeling capabilities are extended into the upper layers of the OSI model. Some of the model are parameterized solution methods, since it is shown that certain models do not exist as parameterized solutions, but rather as solution methods.

Peden, Jeffery H.↗