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At least 937 records · Page 52
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NASA NTRS1986

The AXAF CCD imaging spectrometer

The AXAF CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) is currently being defined as a possible focal plane instrument to be flown on the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF). The imaging spectrometer consists of an array of charge coupled devices (CCD's) to be placed at the focus of the AXAF mirrors. The array will provide high angular resolution (0.5 arc seconds), moderate spectral resolution (150 eV) over the energy range 0.1 to 10 keV, temporal resolution down to 60 microseconds, and single photon quantum detection efficiencies of up to 90 percent. X-ray sensitivity for a point source exceeds 10 to the -15th ergs/sq cm sec for a 10 to the 5th sec exposure. When used in conjunction with the objective gratings, the array will yield wavelength resolution of up to 200.

Garmire, G. P.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Balloon-borne cryogenic spectrometer for measurement of lower stratospheric trace constituents

A liquid-nitrogen cooled, multidetector Fourier transform spectrometer has been constructed to measure minor stratospheric constituents via high resolution, earth-limb emission spectroscopy from a balloon-borne platform. Cryogenic cooling, combined with the use of extrinsic silicon photoconductor detectors cooled to liquid-helium temperature, allows the detection of weak emission features of gaseous species. The spectrometer has two basic scan modes: the first mode records the continuous spectrum from 650-2100/cm with 0.2/cm resolution; the second simultaneously records four preselected narrow intervals (about 175/cm bandpass each) with 0.02/cm resolution, unapodized. Filtering of the interferogram signal is done by real-time, digital signal processing. The most important feature of this flat mirror Michelson system, with respect to remote balloon-borne operation, is the dynamic alignment system which maintains the relative parallelism of the two flat reflectors of the interferometer. Species identified to date in data obtained during a Nov. 6, 1984, flight include: CO2, O3, H2O, CH4, HNO3, N2O, NO2, NO, CCl3F (Freon-11) and CF2Cl2 (Freon-12).

Brasunas, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Multichannel Fabry-Perot spectrometer for infrared astronomy

A multichannel design which makes use of the radiation normally rejected in a Fabry-Perot spectrometer is described, with application to infrared astronomy. The present optical design minimizes the diameters of the etalon and optics. The use of spherical mirrors ensures that no radiation is lost through the entrance aperture, and the beams can be completely collimated at the etalon. Laboratory studies demonstrate that the ability to employ eight channels increases by a factor of four the flux integrated during a given time period compared with that of a single-channel instrument. The spectrometer is nondispersive, and the source can be imaged at each of several output spectral positions.

Jennings, Donald E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A grazing incidence extreme ultraviolet spectrometer for use with a diverging beam

Attention is given to the 100-350 A performance of a grazing incidence spectrometer configuration that accepts a diverging beam for the conduct of moderate resolution spectroscopy. Assuming a focal ratio of 10 for the diverging beam, the first optic of the configuration is an off-axis ellipsoid that is used at grazing incidence to refocus the diverging beam and increase the focal ratio. A detailed study is made of the performance of a plane, straight-groove, variable-line-space grating; the aberrations are evaluated analytically and verified by geometrical ray tracing. System resolution is a function of telescope image quality. An optimum design is found by varying six parameters and maximizing the average resolution over the bandpass. The spectrometer can be located far from the optical axis, and fed by a small grazing incidence pick-off mirror.

Hurwitz, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1986

A high resolution spectrometer for EUV/FUV wavelengths

The most efficient of the various configurations considered for a high-resolution spaceborne spectrometer for point-source astronomy in the 400-1200-A wavelength region which will fit within an envelope defined by the projected Spartan space platform is a multiple Rowland circle spectrograph, with each of four toroidal gratings respectively intercepting a fraction of the primary mirror beam. Each spectrometer can accept a rather slowly diverging beam, reducing grating aberrations, without further efficiency loss due to additional reflections or magnification. The line densities, detector size, pixel size, etc., of the detector for this instrument are dependent on the drift rate of the space platform; a design optimized for an uncorrected 4-arcsec drift is presented.

Hurwitz, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1986

A spectrometer to measure the diffuse, astronomical extreme ultraviolet background

The present grazing incidence spectrometer for measuring the diffuse astronomical background between 80 and 650 A uses a wire grid collimator to define a 40-arcmin by 15-deg field of view. After passing through the collimator, radiation impinges on an array of plane reflection gratings. An array of mirrors then focuses the diffracted light through a thin filter onto a microchannel plate detector. The resulting system focuses to a few arcmin and produces spectra with 10 to 20 A resolution. Performance characteristics of the spectrometer are discussed.

Labov, Simon↗
NASA NTRS1986

Solar wind control of the Geomagnetic Mass Spectrometer

Evidence from Dynamics Explorer retarding-ion mass-spectrometer data collected between 1981 and 1983 for the mass dispersion of ionospheric plasma in the polar cap, known as the Geomagnetic Mass Spectrometer, is discussed, and implications of this new source of ionospheric ions for the magnetosphere are considered. A localized source of energization of ionspheric H(+), He(+), O(+) and N(+) ions in the polar cusp yields a source of upswelling plasma that is transported into the magnetosphere, and equal heating of the ion species results in field-aligned flow velocities which are inversely proportional to the square root of the ion mass. The present phenomenon is produced by the resulting velocity filter effect of solar-driven ExB ion convection. The influence of solar wind conditions on the outflow via the polar cap ExB convection pattern is also discussed.

Waite, J. H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Conceptual design of the High-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (HIRIS) for EOS

The design concept and practical realization of HIRIS, the imaging spectrometer being developed for the Space Station Earth Observation System (EOS) on the basis of the Shuttle Imaging Spectrometer Experiment (SISEX), are discussed. Nominal operating parameters for HIRIS include altitude 705 km, GIFOV 30 m, swath 48.4 km, spectral sampling interval 10 nm, spectral coverage 400-2450 nm, cross-track pointing +20/-20 deg, down-track pointing +60/-30 deg, and raw data rate (at 8 bits/pixel) 621 Mb/s. The f/1.9 optical configuration for HIRIS is shown in a drawing, and consideration is given to technological challenges being encountered in modifying the SISEX focal-plane detectors, data-reduction procedures, and cooling system to meet the HIRIS requirements.

Herring, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1987

The Portable Instant Display and Analysis Spectrometer (PIDAS)

A field spectrometer covering the range 0.4 to 2.5 microns was developed that acquires spectra in 2 seconds at 872 points within the spectrum. The Portable Instant Display and Analysis Spectrometer (PIDAS) can acquire spectra every 8 seconds and stores up to 288 spectra in bubble memory. A hand held display unit allows for display of the current spectrum acquired and superimposed on one of 128 permanently stored library spectra. PIDAS represents a major advance in the technology of field spectral data acquisition and for the first time makes possible the acquisition of enough spectra to characterize the mean and intraclass variance within a LANDSAT MSS or TM pixel.

Goetz, Alexander F. H.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Signal chain for the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS)

The AVIRIS instrument has a separate dedicated analog signal processing chain for each of its four spectrometers. The signal chains amplify low-level focal-plane line array signals (5 to 10 mV full-scale span) in the presence of larger multiplexing signals (approx 150 mV) providing the data handling system a ten-bit digital word (for each spectrometer) each 1.3 microns. This signal chain provides automatic correction for the line array dark signal nonuniformity (which can approach the full-scale signal span).

Bunn, James S., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1987

HIRIS (High-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer: Science opportunities for the 1990s. Earth observing system. Volume 2C: Instrument panel report

The high-resolution imaging spectrometer (HIRIS) is an Earth Observing System (EOS) sensor developed for high spatial and spectral resolution. It can acquire more information in the 0.4 to 2.5 micrometer spectral region than any other sensor yet envisioned. Its capability for critical sampling at high spatial resolution makes it an ideal complement to the MODIS (moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer) and HMMR (high-resolution multifrequency microwave radiometer), lower resolution sensors designed for repetitive coverage. With HIRIS it is possible to observe transient processes in a multistage remote sensing strategy for Earth observations on a global scale. The objectives, science requirements, and current sensor design of the HIRIS are discussed along with the synergism of the sensor with other EOS instruments and data handling and processing requirements.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1988

Synopsis of a computer program designed to interface a personal computer with the fast data acquisition system of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer

Briefly described are the essential features of a computer program designed to interface a personal computer with the fast, digital data acquisition system of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The instrumentation was developed to provide a time-resolved analysis of individual vapor pulses produced by the incidence of a pulsed laser beam on an ablative material. The high repetition rate spectrometer coupled to a fast transient recorder captures complete mass spectra every 20 to 35 microsecs, thereby providing the time resolution needed for the study of this sort of transient event. The program enables the computer to record the large amount of data generated by the system in short time intervals, and it provides the operator the immediate option of presenting the spectral data in several different formats. Furthermore, the system does this with a high degree of automation, including the tasks of mass labeling the spectra and logging pertinent instrumental parameters.

Bechtel, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

An imaging spectrometer for the investigation of Mars

Unmanned misions to Mars will employ imaging spectrometry to yield compositional data about the target body, through visual and IR measurements of the intensity and distribution of characteristic spectral signature features in the radiation that is emitted and reflected by surface materials. Attention is presently given to a modular imaging spectrometer design with applicability to a diverse range of planetary missions. This visual and IR mapping spectrometer has been tentatively selected for NASA's recently approved Mars Observer mission. Detailed optical characteristics and capabilities of the instrument are presented.

Duval, James E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A model-free method for mass spectrometer response correction

A new method for correction of mass spectrometer output signals is described. Response-time distortion is reduced independently of any model of mass spectrometer behavior. The delay of the system is found first from the cross-correlation function of a step change and its response. A two-sided time-domain digital correction filter (deconvolution filter) is generated next from the same step response data using a regression procedure. Other data are corrected using the filter and delay. The mean squared error between a step response and a step is reduced considerably more after the use of a deconvolution filter than after the application of a second-order model correction. O2 consumption and CO2 production values calculated from data corrupted by a simulated dynamic process return to near the uncorrupted values after correction. Although a clean step response or the ensemble average of several responses contaminated with noise is needed for the generation of the filter, random noise of magnitude not above 0.5 percent added to the response to be corrected does not impair the correction severely.

Shykoff, Barbara E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Shuttle imaging spectrometer optics

This paper discusses the optical design and performance of the Shuttle Imaging Spectrometer (SISEX) optical system, which is being planned for the next generation of Earth remote sensing instruments. This optical system represents a new approach to remote sensing in which wide-field optics, dispersing elements, and area detector arrays are used in place of mechanical scanners, filters, and discrete detector elements or linear arrays. While the SISEX optical system is designed specifically for flight on Shuttle, the same optical approach is being used in the design of other remote sensing instruments, such as the High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer, which is expected to fly on the Earth Observing System.

Page, N. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Post-flare coronal arches observed with the SMM/XRP flat crystal spectrometer

Postflare coronal arch observations made with the SMM Flat Crystal Spectrometer on January 20-23, 1985 are discussed. Results suggest that the arch revival following the dynamic flare of 23:50 UT on January 1 was of the type noted on November 6-8 and June 4, 1980 by the SMM Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS). Activity different from that of the HXIS observations was found starting at about 23 UT on January 22, with no trigger of the revival being identified, and with the activity being restricted to the coronal regions (without any related disturbance in the chromosphere). The development of the arch enhancement in the corona was shown to be slower than is expected for a flare-associated revival.

Hick, Paul↗
NASA NTRS1988

Imaging extreme ultraviolet spectrometer employing a single toroidal diffraction grating - The initial evaluation

The design and test results of a high-efficiency EUV imaging spectrometer employing a concave toroidal grating which is illuminated at normal incidence in a Rowland circle mounting and has only one reflecting surface are discussed. Photographic tests and initial photoelectric tests with a two-dimensional pulse-counting detector system demonstrate the excellent image quality of the grating at wavelengths near 600 A. Applications of the spectrometer for the study of nonsolar objects and solar regions (including the chromosphere, transition region, and corona) are considered.

Huber, M. C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Mass spectrometer for measurements of relative ion concentrations in plasmas

A mass spectrometer which can be used to measure relative ion concentrations in a multiion component plasma has been designed for use in a strong (1-4-kG) uniform magnetic field. The spectrometer features an acceleration region which accelerates thermal ions through a series of three tantalum electrodes at a 30 deg angle to the B field, and a collection region in which ions are selectively collected, depending on the size of their gyroradii, by a cylindrical collector. Relative ion concentrations are determined from measurements of the collector current as a function of accelerating voltage. Results obtained using this instrument in a Q-machine device operated with a two-ion (Cs+/K+) component plasma are presented.

Suszcynsky, David M.↗