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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

Metrology Camera System Using Two-Color Interferometry

A metrology system that contains no moving parts simultaneously measures the bearings and ranges of multiple reflective targets in its vicinity, enabling determination of the three-dimensional (3D) positions of the targets with submillimeter accuracy. The system combines a direction-measuring metrology camera and an interferometric range-finding subsystem. Because the system is based partly on a prior instrument denoted the Modulation Sideband Technology for Absolute Ranging (MSTAR) sensor and because of its 3D capability, the system is denoted the MSTAR3D. Developed for use in measuring the shape (for the purpose of compensating for distortion) of large structures like radar antennas, it can also be used to measure positions of multiple targets in the course of conventional terrestrial surveying. A diagram of the system is shown in the figure. One of the targets is a reference target having a known, constant distance with respect to the system. The system comprises a laser for generating local and target beams at a carrier frequency; a frequency shifting unit to introduce a frequency shift offset between the target and local beams; a pair of high-speed modulators that apply modulation to the carrier frequency in the local and target beams to produce a series of modulation sidebands, the highspeed modulators having modulation frequencies of FL and FM; a target beam launcher that illuminates the targets with the target beam; optics and a multipixel photodetector; a local beam launcher that launches the local beam towards the multi-pixel photodetector; a mirror for projecting to the optics a portion of the target beam reflected from the targets, the optics being configured to focus the portion of the target beam at the multi-pixel photodetector; and a signal-processing unit connected to the photodetector. The portion of the target beam reflected from the targets produces spots on the multi-pixel photodetector corresponding to the targets, respectively, and the signal-processing unit centroids the spots to determine bearings of the targets, respectively. As the spots oscillate in intensity because they are mixed with the local laser beam that is flood illuminating the focal plane, the phase of oscillation of each spot is measured, the phase of sidebands in the oscillation of each spot being proportional to a distance to the corresponding target relative to the reference target A.

Dubovitsky, Serge↗
NASA NTRS1982

Matrix isolation infrared spectra of hydrogen halide and halogen complexes with nitrosyl halides

Matrix isolation infrared spectra of nitrosyl halide (XNO) complexes with HX and X2 (X = Cl, Br) are presented. The relative frequency shifts of the HX mode are modest (ClNO H-Cl, delta-nu/nu = -0.045; BrNO H-Br, delta-nu/nu = -0.026), indicating weak hydrogen bonds 1-3 kcal/mol. These shifts are accompanied by significant shifts to higher frequencies in the XN-O stretching mode (CIN-O HCl, delta-nu/nu = +0.016; BrN-O HBr, delta-nu/nu = +0.011). Similar shifts were observed for the XN-O X2 complexes (ClN-O Cl2, delta-nu/nu = +0.009; BrN-O-Br2, delta-nu/nu = +0.013). In all four complexes, the X-NO stretching mode relative shift is opposite in sign and about 1.6 times that of the NO stretching mode. These four complexes are considered to be similar in structure and charge distribution. The XN-O frequency shift suggests that complex formation is accompanied by charge withdrawal from the NO bond ranging from about .04 to .07 electron charges. The HX and X2 molecules act as electron acceptors, drawing electrons out of the antibonding orbital of NO and strengthening the XN-O bond. The implications of the pattern of vibrational shifts concerning the structure of the complexes are discussed.

Allamandola, Louis J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A novel demodulator/detector for digital and analog signals on LMR channels

The design, implementation, and performance of an all-digital demodulator/detector suitable for differentially encoded phase-shift keying (DPSK), continuous-phase frequency-shift keying (CPFSK), frequency-shift keying (FSK), and analog FM are discussed. In this demodulator/detector, two detectors, one noncoherent and another differentially coherent, operate simultaneously to provide data detection and automatic frequency control (AFC). Test results indicate that the system provides improved performance over the conventional analog quadrature detector for two-period raised-cosine (2RC) CPFSK modulation in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and Rayleigh fading channels. Being all-digital, the demodulator/detector is well suited for integrated circuit implementation. In addition, the system performs as well as the analog quadrature detector for analog FM voice transmissions, thereby maintaining full compatibility with analog land mobile radio (LMR) transmissions.

Saulnier, Gary J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Driven acoustic oscillations within a vertical magnetic field

The effects of a vertical magnetic field on p-mode frequencies, line widths, and eigenfunctions, are examined. A solar model, consisting of a neutrally stable polytropic interior matched to an isothermal chromosphere, is applied. The p-modes are produced by a spatially distributed driver. The atmosphere is threaded by a constant vertical magnetic field. The frequency shifts due to the vertical magnetic field are found to be much smaller than the shifts caused by horizontal fields of similar strength. A large vertical field of 2000 G produces shifts of several nHz. It is found that the frequency shifts decrease with increasing frequency and increase with field strength. The coupling of the acoustic fast mode to the escaping slow modes is inefficient. Constant vertical magnetic field models are therefore incapable of explaining the high level of absorption observed in sunspots and plage.

Hindman, Bradley W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The effects of a hot outer atmosphere on acoustic-gravity waves

We examine the effects of a hot chromosphere and corona on acoustic-gravity waves in the Sun. We use a simple solar model consisting of a neutrally stable polytrope smoothly matched to an isothermal chromosphere or corona. The temperature of the isothermal region is higher than the minimum temperature of the model. We ignore sphericity, magnetic fields, changes in the gravitational potential, and nonadiabatic effects. We find a family of atmospheric g-modes whose cavity is formed by the extremum in the buoyancy frequency at the transition region. The f-mode is the zero-order member of this family. For large values of the harmonic degree l, f-mode frequencies are below the classic f-mode frequency, mu=(gk)(exp 1/2), whereas at small values of l, the f-mode is identical to the classical f-mode solution. We also find a family of g-modes residing in the low chromosphere. Frequency shifts of p-modes can be positive or negative. When the frequency is less than the acoustic cutoff frequency of the upper isothermal atmsophere, the frequency of the upper isothermal atmosphere, the frequency shift is negative, but when the frequency is above this cutoff, the shifts can be positive. High-frequency acoustic waves which are not reflected by the photospheric cutoff are reflected at the corona by the high sound speed for moderate values of l and v. This result is independent of the solar model as long as the corona is very hot. The data are inconsistent with this result, and reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.

Hindman, Bradley W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Pickup proton cyclotron turbulence at comet P/Halley

Low-frequency electromagnetic turbulence near the proton gyrofrequency observed far upstream of comet P/Halley can be excited by a beam instability driven by relative streaming between cometary protons, solar wind protons, and water group ions. For a given solar wind velocity the growth rates peak at a certain optimum frequency shift (from the exact proton gyrofrequency), and the wavelengths involved can be deduced in a self-consistent way from the dispersion law. Only under ideal conditions when all parameters remain constant would the mode corresponding to the optimum frequency shift grow fastest and might it be possible to observe a nearly constant frequency mode. However, if the solar wind parameters were not constant, then a mode that was in resonance earlier would no longer remain so, and some other mode with a slightly different frequency shift might start to grow fastest, leading to a mixing of many modes. Thus only rarely would one be able to observe a single mode near the proton gyrofrequency, exactly as happens in the observations. Our self-consistent approach yields resonant instabilities with left-handed polarizations in the spacecraft frame.

Lakhina, G. S.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Buffer Gas Experiments in Mercury (Hg+) Ion Clock

We describe the results of the frequency shifts measured from various buffer gases that might be used as a buffer gas to increase the loading efficiency and cooling of ions trapped in a small mercury ion clock. The small mass, volume and power requirement of space clock precludes the use of turbo pumps. Hence, a hermetically sealed vacuum system, incorporating a suitable getter material with a fixed amount of inert buffer gas may be a practical alternative to the groundbased system. The collision shifts of 40,507,347.996xx Hz clock transition for helium, neon and argon buffer gases were measured in the ambient earth magnetic field. In addition to the above non-getterable inert gases we also measured the frequency shifts due to getterable, molecular hydrogen and nitrogen gases which may be used as buffer gases when incorporated with a miniature ion pump. We also examined the frequency shift due to the low methane gas partial pressure in a fixed higher pressure neon buffer gas environment. Methane gas interacted with mercury ions in a peculiar way as to preserve the ion number but to relax the population difference in the two hyperfine clock states and thereby reducing the clock resonance signal. The same population relaxation was also observed for other molecular buffer gases (N H ,) but at much reduced rate.

mercury ion clock↗
NASA NTRS1999

Subsonic Jet Noise from Non-Axisymmetric and Tabbed Nozzles

Subsonic jet noise from non-axisymmetric and tabbed nozzles are investigated experimentally and theoretically. It is shown that the noise spectra of these jets are in good agreement with the similarity spectra found empirically earlier by Tam, Golebiowski and Seiner through a detailed analysis of supersonic jet noise data. Further, the radiated noise fields of the jets under study, including elliptic and large aspect ratio rectangular jets, are found to be quite axisymmetric and are practically the same as that of a circular jet with the same exit area. These experimental results strongly suggest that nozzle geometry modification into elliptic or rectangular shapes is not an effective method for jet noise suppression. A lobed nozzle, on the other hand, is found to significantly impact the noise field. Noise from large scale turbulent structures, radiating principally in the downstream direction, is effectively suppressed. Tabs also impact the noise field, primarily by shifting the spectral peak to a higher frequency. A jetlets model is developed to provide a basic understanding of the noise from tabbed jets. The model predicts that the noise spectrum from a jet with N tabs (N greater than or equal to 2) can be obtained from that of the original jet (no tab) by a simple frequency shift. The shifted frequency is obtained by multiplying the original frequency by N(exp 1/2). This result is in fairly good agreement with experimental data.

Tam, Christopher K. W.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Subsonic Jet Noise from Non-Axisymmetric and Tabbed Nozzles

Subsonic jet noise from non-axisymmetric and tabbed nozzles are investigated experimentally and theoretically. It is shown that the noise spectra of these jets are in good agreement with the similarity spectra found empirically earlier by Tam, Golebiowski and Seiner through a detailed analysis of supersonic jet noise data. Further, the radiated noise fields of the jets under study, including elliptic and large aspect ratio rectangular jets, are found to be quite axisymmetric and are practically the same as that of a circular jet with the same exit area. These experimental results strongly suggest that nozzle geometry modification into elliptic or rectangular shapes is not an effective method for jet noise suppression. A lobed nozzle, on the other hand, is found to significantly impact the noise field. Noise from large scale turbulent structures, radiating principally in the downstream direction, is effectively suppressed. Tabs also impact the noise field, primarily by shifting the spectral peak to a higher frequency. A jetlets model is developed to provide a basic understanding of the noise from tabbed jets. The model predicts that the noise spectrum from a jet with N tabs (N > 2) can be obtained from that of the original jet (no tab) by a simple frequency shift. The shifted frequency is obtained by multiplying the original frequency by N(sup 1/2). This result is in fairly good agreement with experimental data.

Zaman, K. B. M. Q.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Miniature Piezoelectric Macro-Mass Balance

Mass balances usually use a strain gauge that requires an impedance measurement and is susceptible to noise and thermal drift. A piezoelectric balance can be used to measure mass directly by monitoring the voltage developed across the piezoelectric balance, which is linear with weight or it can be used in resonance to produce a frequency change proportional to the mass change (see figure). The piezoelectric actuator/balance is swept in frequency through its fundamental resonance. If a small mass is added to the balance, the resonance frequency shifts down in proportion to the mass. By monitoring the frequency shift, the mass can be determined. This design allows for two independent measurements of mass. Additionally, more than one sample can be verified because this invention allows for each sample to be transported away from the measuring device upon completion of the measurement, if required. A piezoelectric actuator, or many piezoelectric actuators, was placed between the collection plate of the sampling system and the support structure. As the sample mass is added to the plate, the piezoelectrics are stressed, causing them to produce a voltage that is proportional to the mass and acceleration. In addition, a change in mass delta m produces a change in the resonance frequency with delta f proportional to delta m. In a microgravity environment, the spacecraft could be accelerated to produce a force on the piezoelectric actuator that would produce a voltage proportional to the mass and acceleration. Alternatively, the acceleration could be used to force the mass on the plate, and the inertial effects of the mass on the plate would produce a shift in the resonance frequency with the change in frequency related to the mass change. Three prototypes of the mass balance mechanism were developed. These macro-mass balances each consist of a solid base and an APA 60 Cedrat flextensional piezoelectric actuator supporting a measuring plate. A similar structure with 3 APA 120 Cedrat flextensional piezoelectric actuators spaced equidistantly at 120 degrees supporting the plate and a softer macro balance with an APA 150 actuator/sensor were developed. These flextensional actuators were chosen because they increase the sensitivity of the actuator to stress, allow the piezoelectric to be pre-stressed, and the piezoelectric element is a stacked multilayer actuator, which has a considerably lower input impedance than a monolithic element that allows for common instruments (e.g., input impedance of 10 megohms) to measure the voltage without rapidly discharging the charge/voltage on the piezoelectric actuator.

Sherrit, Stewart↗
NASA NTRS1981

Some new results on the frequency characteristics on quartz crystals irradiated by ionizing and particle radiations

The frequency behavior of AT-cut quartz crystals irradiated by X -, gamma rays and fast neutrons. Initial instability in frequency for gamma and neutron irradiated crystals was found. All the different radiations first give a negative frequency shift at lower doses which are followed by positive frequency shift for increased doses. Results are explained in terms of the fundamental crystal structure. Applications of the frequency results for radiation hardening are proposed.

Bahadur, H.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Roller Bearing Health Monitoring Using CPLE Frequency Analysis Method

This paper describes a unique vibration signature analysis technique Coherence Phase Line Enhancer (CPLE) Frequency Analysis - for roller bearing health monitoring. Defects of roller bearing (e.g. wear, foreign debris, crack in bearing supporting structure, etc.) can cause small bearing characteristic frequency shifts due to minor changes in bearing geometry. Such frequency shifts are often too small to detect by the conventional Power Spectral Density (PSD) due to its frequency bandwidth limitation. This Coherent Phase Line Enhancer technology has been evolving over the last few years and has culminated in the introduction of a new and novel frequency spectrum which is fully described in this paper. This CPLE technology uses a "key phasor" or speed probe as a preprocessor for this analysis. With the aid of this key phasor, this CPLE technology can develop a two dimensional frequency spectrum that preserves both amplitude and phase that is not normally obtained using conventional frequency analysis. This two-dimensional frequency transformation results in several newly defined spectral functions; i. e. CPLE-PSD, CPLE-Coherence and the CPLE-Frequency. This paper uses this CPLE frequency analysis to detect subtle, low level bearing related signals in the High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). For many rotating machinery applications, a key phasor is an essential measurement that is used in the detection of bearing related signatures. There are times however, when a key phasor is not available; i. e. during flight of any of the SSME turbopumps or on the SSME High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump (HPOTP) where no speed probe is present. In this case, the CPLE analysis approach can still be achieved using a novel Pseudo Key Phasor (PKP) technique to reconstruct a 1/Rev PKP signal directly from external vibration measurements. This paper develops this Pseudo Key Phasor technique and applies it to the SSME vibration data.

Jong, Jen-Yi↗
NASA NTRS2008

On Combining Thermal-Infrared and Radio-Occultation Data of Saturn's Atmosphere

Radio-occultation and thermal-infrared measurements are complementary investigations for sounding planetary atmospheres. The vertical resolution afforded by radio occultations is typically approximately 1 km or better, whereas that from infrared sounding is often comparable to a scale height. On the other hand, an instrument like CIRS can easily generate global maps of temperature and composition, whereas occultation soundings are usually distributed more sparsely. The starting point for radio-occultation inversions is determining the residual Doppler-shifted frequency, that is the shift in frequency from what it would be in the absence of the atmosphere. Hence the positions and relative velocities of the spacecraft, target atmosphere, and DSN receiving station must be known to high accuracy. It is not surprising that the inversions can be susceptible to sources of systematic errors. Stratospheric temperature profiles on Titan retrieved from Cassini radio occultations were found to be very susceptible to errors in the reconstructed spacecraft velocities (approximately equal to 1 mm/s). Here the ability to adjust the spacecraft ephemeris so that the profiles matched those retrieved from CIRS limb sounding proved to be critical in mitigating this error. A similar procedure can be used for Saturn, although the sensitivity of its retrieved profiles to this type of error seems to be smaller. One issue that has appeared in inverting the Cassini occultations by Saturn is the uncertainty in its equatorial bulge, that is, the shape in its iso-density surfaces at low latitudes. Typically one approximates that surface as a geopotential surface by assuming a barotropic atmosphere. However, the recent controversy in the equatorial winds, i.e., whether they changed between the Voyager (1981) era and later (after 1996) epochs of Cassini and some Hubble observations, has made it difficult to know the exact shape of the surface, and it leads to uncertainties in the retrieved temperature profiles of one to a few kelvins. This propagates into errors in the retrieved helium abundance, which makes use of thermal-infrared spectra and synthetic spectra computed with retrieved radio-occultation temperature profiles. The highest abundances are retrieved with the faster Voyager-era winds, but even these abundances are somewhat smaller than those retrieved from the thermal-infrared data alone (albeit with larger formal errors). The helium abundance determination is most sensitive to temperatures in the upper troposphere. Further progress may include matching the radio-occultation profiles with those from CIRS limb sounding in the upper stratosphere.

Flasar, F. M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Improvement in Rayleigh Scattering Measurement Accuracy

Spectroscopic Rayleigh scattering is an established flow diagnostic that has the ability to provide simultaneous velocity, density, and temperature measurements. The Fabry-Perot interferometer or etalon is a commonly employed instrument for resolving the spectrum of molecular Rayleigh scattered light for the purpose of evaluating these flow properties. This paper investigates the use of an acousto-optic frequency shifting device to improve measurement accuracy in Rayleigh scattering experiments at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The frequency shifting device is used as a means of shifting the incident or reference laser frequency by 1100 MHz to avoid overlap of the Rayleigh and reference signal peaks in the interference pattern used to obtain the velocity, density, and temperature measurements, and also to calibrate the free spectral range of the Fabry-Perot etalon. The measurement accuracy improvement is evaluated by comparison of Rayleigh scattering measurements acquired with and without shifting of the reference signal frequency in a 10 mm diameter subsonic nozzle flow.

Fagan, Amy F.↗
NASA NTRS1980

A report on the gravitational redshift test for non-metric theories of gravitation

The frequencies of two atomic hydrogen masers and of three superconducting cavity stabilized oscillators were compared as the ensemble of oscillators was moved in the Sun's gravitational field by the rotation and orbital motion of the Earth. Metric gravitation theories predict that the gravitational redshifts of the two types of oscillators are identical, and that there should be no relative frequency shift between the oscillators; nonmetric theories, in contrast, predict a frequency shift between masers and SCSOs that is proportional to the change in solar gravitational potential experienced by the oscillators. The results are consistent with metric theories of gravitation at a level of 2%.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2008

Bimaterial Thermal Compensators for WGM Resonators

Bimaterial thermal compensators have been proposed as inexpensive means of preventing (to first order) or reducing temperature-related changes in the resonance frequencies of whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical resonators. A bimaterial compensator would apply, to a WGM resonator, a pressure that would slightly change the shape of the resonator and thereby change its resonance frequencies. Through suitable choice of the compensator dimensions and materials, it should be possible to make the temperature dependence of the pressure-induced frequency shift equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the temperature dependence of the frequency shift of the uncompensated resonator so that, to first order, a change in temperature would cause zero net change in frequency.

Savchenkov, Anatoliy↗
NASA NTRS1988

Helioseismology from the South Pole: Comparison of 1987 and 1981 Results

Full disk images with 10 arc sec pixels and filtered to a 7 A pass band centered on the Ca II K line were obtained from the geographic South Pole in 1981 and 1987. In 1981, 50hr of essentially uninterrupted data were obtained. In 1987, three such runs were obtained over a period of 325 hours for a duty cycle of 47 percent. The 1987 observations are characterized by a much lower level of solar activity than 1981, a much improved CCD camera, considerably better image stability and a varying amount of instrumental scatter. The 1987 data have a substantially better signal-to-noise ratio than the 1981 data so that oscillations with degrees from 0 to 150 and frequencies from 2 to 7 mHz are well observed. The observations were reduced to spectra in l, m, and v. A comparison of p-mode frequencies measured in 1981 and 1987, and coefficients of Legendre polynomial expansions of frequency shifts caused by solar rotation are presented. The time behavior of systematic frequency shifts which depend upon m but which do not arise from rotation is described.

Jefferies, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Acoustic levitation and the Boltzmann-Ehrenfest principle

The Boltzmann-Ehrenfest principle of adiabatic invariance relates the acoustic potential acting on a sample positioned in a single-mode cavity to the shift in resonant frequency caused by the presence of this sample. This general and simple relation applies to samples and cavities of arbitrary shape, dimension, and compressibility. Positioning forces and torques can, therefore, be determined from straightforward measurements of frequency shifts. Applications to the Rayleigh disk phenomenon and levitated cylinders are presented.

Putterman, S.↗