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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 955 records · Page 53
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1983

Land mobile satellite system requirements

A Land Mobile Satellite System (LMSS) provides voice, data and related communications services to moving vehicles and persons. Communications between the mobiles and satellite are in the 806-890 MHz band. The satellite translates these signals to a ""fixed services band'' such as 14/12 GHz band (Ku-band), and communicates in this band with fixed terminals called gateways. The gateways are located at convenient places such as telephone switches (which provide entry into the national telephone system), dispatcher headquarters, computer centers, etc. Communications are therefore principally mobile to fixed. A third communications link, also at Ku-band, is needed between the satellite and a single fixed ground station. This link provides satellite command, telemetry and ranging and also provides a network control function. The latter, through a common signalling system, receives requests and assigns channel slots, and otherwise controls, monitors and polices the network and collects billing information.

Kiesling, J. D.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Characterization of hollow cathode plasma turbulence using coherent Thomson scattering

Turbulence in hollow cathodes used for space propulsion is believed to play an important role in anomalous electron transport and ion heating. In this work, the implementation of coherent Thomson scattering to identify and characterize MHz-frequency ion acoustic turbulence and kHz-frequency oscillations in the plume of a hollow cathode is achieved. In the presence of a background magnetic field of a Hall thruster, a number of unstable modes are observed. A directive ion acoustic mode propagating predominantly within a restricted angle around the magnetic field is found, exhibiting an energy scaling with wavenumber k of the form k -5.2±0.58 , which differs from the classic Kadomtsev k -3 scaling for unmagnetized conditions. Bi-directional ion acoustic mode fluctuations propagating over a range of angles with respect to the magnetic field have been measured, possibly signifying the existence of a large-amplitude plasma wave, similar to the Buneman instability. Finally, electron density fluctuations in the kHz-frequency range, a possible consequence of drift-driven instabilities in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field, have also been identified. Furthermore, these results not only are an indication of the diversity of wave types that exist in hollow cathode plumes but also point to the key role played by the presence of, and the configuration of, the magnetic field in their appearance.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1972

Type III solar noise observed below 100 kHz on OGO 3.

Type III solar noise bursts have been observed in the frequency range 25-100 kHz with the VLF detector on OGO 3. The bursts decrease in frequency from 100 kHz (the highest frequency of observation) to as low as 25 kHz in approximately 45 min. The intensity at 100 kHz increases for about 20 min then decays over a period of approximately 1 hr. The variation of the intensity with time becomes less regular at lower frequencies. Bursts are predominantly associated with west-limb flares. Their commencement at 100 kHz tends to follow type III bursts observed at 2-4 MHz by about 10 min. Observed drift rates and decay times correspond roughly to those extrapolated from higher frequency measurements.

Dunckel, N.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Pulsar average waveforms and hollow cone beam models

An analysis of pulsar average waveforms at radio frequencies from 40 MHz to 15 GHz is presented. The analysis is based on the hypothesis that the observer sees one cut of a hollow-cone beam pattern and that stationary properties of the emission vary over the cone. The distributions of apparent cone widths for different observed forms of the average pulse profiles (single, double/unresolved, double/resolved, triple and multiple) are in modest agreement with a model of a circular hollow-cone beam with random observer-spin axis orientation, a random cone axis-spin axis alignment, and a small range of physical hollow-cone parameters for all objects.

Backer, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Simultaneous far-infrared, near-infrared, and radio observations of OH/IR stars

Simultaneous far-infrared, near-infrared, and radio observations have been made of five infrared stars which show OH maser emission at 1612 MHz. These stars have very thick circumstellar dust shells and are not seen optically. The data permit a direct comparison of the far-infrared and maser emission from these sources, which strongly supports the hypothesis that the maser emission is pumped by 35 micron photons. A comparison with data obtained at earlier epochs suggests that the maser emission is saturated. The infrared and radio data are used together with estimates of the source distances to determine the luminosities and mass loss rates for these objects. The luminosities lie in the range 2000-30,000 solar luminosities and are consistent with either Mira variable or M supergiant classifications for the underlying stars. The estimated mass loss rates lie between 0.000005-0.00007 solar mass/year.

Werner, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Space-qualified submillimeter radiometer

The purpose of this research was to develop a reliable submillimeter wave spectrometer for space-borne high frequency spectral line work. The emphasis was on improving the efficiency of frequency multipliers to limit the system components to rugged, low power consumption solid-state devices. This research has allowed Millitech to develop increased efficiency and performance in Millitech's existing line of submillimeter components and systems. Millitech has fabricated and tested a complete solid-state spectrometer front end for use at 560 GHz (the 1(sub 10) to 1(sub 01) transition of water vapor). The spectrometer was designed with the rigors of flight conditions in mind. The spectrometer uses a phase-locked, solid-state Gunn diode oscillator as the local oscillator, employing a tripler to produce about 3 mW of power at 285 GHz, and a low noise second harmonic waveguide mixer which requires less than 2 mW of LO power. The LO (and the signal) is injected into the mixer by means of a quasioptical diplexer. The measured system noise temperature is 2800 K (DSB) over 400 MHz. The whole spectrometer front end is compact (21 cm by 21 cm by 24 cm), light (7.4 kg), and has a power consumption of less than 8 W. Other topics explored in this work include compact frequency agile phase lock loops, optical filters, and InP Gunn oscillators for low noise applications. As a result of this research, the improvement in the design of multipliers and harmonic mixers will allow their use as the LO power for a variety of satellite-borne receivers operating in the 200 to 600 GHz frequency range.

Huguenin, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Calibration of the Geosar Dual Frequency Interferometric SAR

GeoSAR is an airborne, interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (INSAR) system for terrain mapping, currently under development by a consortium including NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Calgis, Inc., and the California Department of Conservation (CalDOC) with funding provided by the Topographic Engineering Center (TEC) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The radar simultaneously maps swaths on both sides of the aircraft at two frequencies, X-Band and P-Band. For the P-Band system, data is collected for two across track interferometric baselines and at the crossed polarization. The aircraft position and attitude are measured using two Honeywell Embedded GPS Inertial Navigation Units (EGI) and an Ashtech Z12 GPS receiver. The mechanical orientation and position of the antennas are actively measured using a Laser Baseline Metrology System (LBMS). In the GeoSAR motion measurement software, these data are optimally combined with data from a nearby ground station using Ashtech PNAV software to produce the position, orientation, and baseline information are used to process the dual frequency radar data. Proper calibration of the GeoSAR system is essential to obtaining digital elevation models (DEMS) with the required sub-meter level planimetric and vertical accuracies. Calibration begins with the determination of the yaw and pitch biases for the two EGI units. Common range delays are determined for each mode, along with differential time and phase delays between channels. Because the antennas are measured by the LBMS, baseline calibration consists primarily of measuring a constant offset between mechanical center and the electrical phase center of the antennas. A phase screen, an offset to the interferometric phase difference which is a function of absolute phase, is applied to the interferometric data to compensate for multipath and leakage. Calibration parameters are calculated for each of the ten processing modes, each of the operational bandwidths (80 and 160 MHZ), and each aircraft altitude. In this talk we will discuss the layout calibration sites, the synthesis of data from multiple flights to improve the calibration, methods for determining time and phase delays, and techniques for determining radiometric and polarimetric quantities. We will describe how calibration quantities are incorporated into the processor and pre-processor. We will demonstrate our techniques applied to GeoSar data and assess the stability and accuracy of the calibration. This will be compared to the modeled performance determined from calibrating the output of a point target simulator. The details of baseline determination and phase screen calculation are covered in related talks.

Chapine, Elaine↗
NASA NTRS2008

Kinetic Temperature and Electron Density Measurement in an Inductively Coupled Plasma Torch using Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing

Laser wave mixing is presented as an effective technique for spatially resolved kinetic temperature measurements in an atmospheric-pressure radio-frequency inductively-coupled plasma. Measurements are performed in a 1 kW, 27 MHz RF plasma using a continuous-wave, tunable 811.5-nm diode laser to excite the 4s(sup 3)P2 approaches 4p(sup 3)D3 argon transition. Kinetic temperature measurements are made at five radial steps from the center of the torch and at four different torch heights. The kinetic temperature is determined by measuring simultaneously the line shape of the sub-Doppler backward phase-conjugate degenerate four-wave mixing and the Doppler-broadened forward-scattering degenerate four-wave mixing. The temperature measurements result in a range of 3,500 to 14,000 K+/-150 K. Electron densities measured range from 6.1 (+/-0.3) x 10(exp 15)/cu cm to 10.1 (+/-0.3) x 10(exp 15)/cu cm. The experimental spectra are analyzed using a perturbative treatment of the backward phase-conjugate and forward-geometry wave-mixing theory. Stark width is determined from the collisional broadening measured in the phase-conjugate geometry. Electron density measurements are made based on the Stark width. The kinetic temperature of the plasma was found to be more than halved by adding deionized water through the nebulizer.

Schafer, Julia↗
NASA NTRS2010

MHz-Rate NO PLIF Imaging in a Mach 10 Hypersonic Wind Tunnel

NO PLIF imaging at repetition rates as high as 1 MHz is demonstrated in the NASA Langley 31 inch Mach 10 hypersonic wind tunnel. Approximately two hundred time correlated image sequences, of between ten and twenty individual frames, were obtained over eight days of wind tunnel testing spanning two entries in March and September of 2009. The majority of the image sequences were obtained from the boundary layer of a 20 flat plate model, in which transition was induced using a variety of cylindrical and triangular shaped protuberances. The high speed image sequences captured a variety of laminar and transitional flow phenomena, ranging from mostly laminar flow, typically at lower Reynolds number and/or in the near wall region of the model, to highly transitional flow in which the temporal evolution and progression of characteristic streak instabilities and/or corkscrew-shaped vortices could be clearly identified. A series of image sequences were also obtained from a 20 compression ramp at a 10 angle of attack in which the temporal dynamics of the characteristic separated flow was captured in a time correlated manner.

Jiang, N.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Microwave radiometer for subsurface temperature measurement

A UHF radiometer, operating at a frequency of 800 MHz, was modified to provide an integral, three frequency voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) circuit in the radio frequency (RF) head. The VSWR circuit provides readings of power transmission at the antenna-material interface with an accuracy of plus or minus 5 percent. The power transmission readings are numerically equal to the emissivity of the material under observation. Knowledge of material emissivity is useful in the interpretation of subsurface apparent temperatures obtained on phantom models of biological tissue. The emissivities of phantom models consisting of lean beefsteak were found to lie in the range 0.623 to 0.779, depending on moisture content. Radiometric measurements performed on instrumented phantoms showed that the radiometer was capable of sensing small temperature changes occurring at depths of at least 19 to 30 mm. This is consistent with previously generated data which showed that the radiometer could sense temperatures at a depth of 38 mm.

Porter, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Physical interpretation and development of ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation techniques applied to the quantitative characterization of textile composite materials

In this Progress Report, we describe our continuing research activities concerning the development and implementation of advanced ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation methods applied to the inspection and characterization of complex composite structures. We explore the feasibility of implementing medical linear array imaging technology as a viable ultrasonic-based nondestructive evaluation method to inspect and characterize complex materials. As an initial step toward the application of linear array imaging technology to the interrogation of a wide range of complex composite structures, we present images obtained using an unmodified medical ultrasonic imaging system of two epoxy-bonded aluminum plate specimens, each with intentionally disbonded regions. These images are compared with corresponding conventional ultrasonic contact transducer measurements in order to assess whether these images can detect disbonded regions and provide information regarding the nature of the disbonded region. We present a description of a standoff/delay fixture which has been designed, constructed, and implemented on a Hewlett-Packard SONOS 1500 medical imaging system. This standoff/delay fixture, when attached to a 7.5 MHz linear array probe, greatly enhances our ability to interrogate flat plate specimens. The final section of this Progress Report describes a woven composite plate specimen that has been specially machined to include intentional flaws. This woven composite specimen will allow us to assess the feasibility of applying linear array imaging technology to the inspection and characterization of complex textile composite materials. We anticipate the results of this on-going investigation may provide a step toward the development of a rapid, real-time, and portable method of ultrasonic inspection and characterization based on linear array technology.

Miller, James G.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Coherence Time of Mid-Tropospheric Wind Features as a Function of Vertical Wavelength from 300 to 2 Km

The coherence between vertical wind profiles separated by a time lag, L, is measured as a function of vertical wavenumber, k, from Doppler radar wind profiler data. Each profile covers altitudes from 6811 to 16261 meters and is Fourier transformed over a wavenumber range from 0 to 3.33 E-3/m. Time lags between profiles of 0.083, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 hours are used. A correction for instrument noise is derived and applied to the results. An empirical formula for the coherence as a function of L and k is presented and evaluated. The "coherence time", tau, is defined as the value of L beyond which the coherence decays below a chosen value, epsilon, at a given scale lambda where lambda = 1/k. A relation between tau and lambda is derived. The resolution of the KSC 50 MHz profiler is reassessed.

Merceret, Francis J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Status of DMRadio-50L and DMRadio-m$^3$

Recent theoretical advancements have made the QCD axion a stronger dark matter candidate, especially in the sub- \mu μ eV range. While cavity haloscopes have made significant progress in excluding QCD axions in the 1-100 \mu μ eV region, the 1 peV- 1 \mu μ eV region remains unexplored. The DMRadio program consists of a series of experiments designed to probe low mass axions. DMRadio-50L uses a 1 T average field toroidal magnet and a high-Q LC-oscillator with target sensitivity to axions of g_{a\gamma\gamma} < 5 \times 10^{-15}\text{ GeV}^{-1} g a γ γ < 5 × 10 − 15 GeV − 1 between 5 kHz and 5 MHz. DMRadio-m ^3 3 consists of a higher frequency LC-oscillator in a 4 T peak field solenoidal magnet with sensitivity to the DFSZ model of QCD axions between 30 MHz and 200 MHz. In this work, we present the status of DMRadio-50L and DMRadio-m ^3. 3 .

Rapidis, Nicholas Marcos↗
NASA NTRS1975

Particulate size distribution cascade analyzer for spacecraft contamination monitoring

A cascade particulate analyzer was developed for nearly real time measurement of the contaminating particulate size distribution in the spacecraft interior ambient environment and as a real time total impacting particulate mass monitor under vacuum conditions. The analyzer has four stages, the first stage is a basic 10 MHz quartz crystal microbalance used widely on spacecraft (such as Skylab) for contamination monitoring purposes. In this application the front sensing crystal is coated with a low vapor pressure adhesive grease which captures impacting particles. This first stage has a wide viewing angle and measures total particulate mass impacting the crystal while the unit is exposed to the vacuum environment. The remaining three states form an aerodynamic impaction cascade with individual quartz crystal microbalances at each stage acting as accumulated mass sensing elements. These three stages thus give relative mass distribution of particulates in three ranges, particles having effective diameter greater than 5 micron, particles between 1 and 5 micron diameter and particles 0.3 to 1 micron diameter.

Wallace, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Linear models of acoustic waves in sunspot umbrae

The two-dimensional, linear hydrodynamics of quiet solar and umbral model atmospheres in a plane-parallel, adiabatic approximation are investigated. The 5.5-8.5 mHz oscillations observed in umbral chromospheres and transition regions are interpreted as acoustic waves propagating parallel, or nearly parallel, to the temperature gradient. These waves are not totally internally reflected by the steep temperature gradient and, thus, are not trapped. Partial reflections, however, are effective in modulating the transmission as a function of frequency. The resonant transmission mechanism of Zugzda, Locans, and Staude (1983) is found to produce a spectrum of resonances in the transmission of acoustic waves in any atmosphere with a temperature minimum. Since the observed umbral oscillations display power in only a narrow range of frequencies, characteristics of the umbral models, wave propagation, and observations that would tend to suppress the higher frequency resonances are examined.

Gurman, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Flaw characterization in structural ceramics using scanning laser acoustic microscopy

The ability of scanning laser acoustic microscopy (SLAM) to characterize artifically seeded voids in sintered silicon nitride structural ceramic specimens was investigated. The voids ranged from 20 to 430 microns in diameter and were embedded up to 2 mm beneath the surface of the specimens. Probability of detection was determined as a function of void depth and size. Trigonometric relationships and Airy's diffraction theory were used to obtain predictions of void depth and size from acoustic diffraction patterns produced by the voids. Agreement was observed between actual and predicted void depths. However, predicted void diameters were generally much greater than actual diameters. Precise diameter predictions are difficult to obtain because of measurement uncertainty and the limitations of the 100 MHz SLAM applied to typical ceramic specimens.

Roth, Don J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Magnets are Weber Bar Gravitational Wave Detectors

When a gravitational wave (GW) passes through a dc magnetic field, it couples to the conducting wires carrying the currents which generate the magnetic field, causing them to oscillate at the GW frequency. The oscillating currents then generate an ac component through which the GW can be detected-thus forming a resonant mass detector or a nagnetic Weber bar. We quantify this claim and demonstrate that magnets can have exceptional sensitivity to GWs over a frequency range demarcated by the mechanical and electromagnetic resonant frequencies of the system; indeed, we outline why a magnetic readout strategy can be considered an optimal Weber bar design. The concept is applicable to a broad class of magnets, but can be particularly well exploited by the powerful magnets being deployed in search of axion dark matter, for example, by DMRadio and ADMX-EFR. Explicitly, we demonstrate that the MRI magnet that is being deployed for ADMX-EFR can achieve a broadband GW strain sensitivity of ∼10^{-20}/sqrt[Hz] from a few kHz to about 10 MHz, with a peak sensitivity down to ∼10^{-22}/sqrt[Hz] at a kHz exploiting a mechanical resonance.

Domcke, Valerie↗
NASA NTRS2007

Optoelectronic System Measures Distances to Multiple Targets

An optoelectronic metrology apparatus now at the laboratory-prototype stage of development is intended to repeatedly determine distances of as much as several hundred meters, at submillimeter accuracy, to multiple targets in rapid succession. The underlying concept of optoelectronic apparatuses that can measure distances to targets is not new; such apparatuses are commonly used in general surveying and machining. However, until now such apparatuses have been, variously, constrained to (1) a single target or (2) multiple targets with a low update rate and a requirement for some a priori knowledge of target geometry. When fully developed, the present apparatus would enable measurement of distances to more than 50 targets at an update rate greater than 10 Hz, without a requirement for a priori knowledge of target geometry. The apparatus (see figure) includes a laser ranging unit (LRU) that includes an electronic camera (photo receiver), the field of view of which contains all relevant targets. Each target, mounted at a fiducial position on an object of interest, consists of a small lens at the output end of an optical fiber that extends from the object of interest back to the LRU. For each target and its optical fiber, there is a dedicated laser that is used to illuminate the target via the optical fiber. The targets are illuminated, one at a time, with laser light that is modulated at a frequency of 10.01 MHz. The modulated laser light is emitted by the target, from where it returns to the camera (photodetector), where it is detected. Both the outgoing and incoming 10.01-MHz laser signals are mixed with a 10-MHz local-oscillator to obtain beat notes at 10 kHz, and the difference between the phases of the beat notes is measured by a phase meter. This phase difference serves as a measure of the total length of the path traveled by light going out through the optical fiber and returning to the camera (photodetector) through free space. Because the portion of the path length inside the optical fiber is not ordinarily known and can change with temperature, it is also necessary to measure the phase difference associated with this portion and subtract it from the aforementioned overall phase difference to obtain the phase difference proportional to only the free-space path length, which is the distance that one seeks to measure. Therefore, the apparatus includes a photodiode and a circulator that enable measurement of the phase difference associated with propagation from the LRU inside the fiber to the target, reflection from the fiber end, and propagation back inside the fiber to the LRU. Because this phase difference represents twice the optical path length of the fiber, this phase difference is divided in two before subtraction from the aforementioned total-path-length phase difference. Radiation-induced changes in the photodetectors in this apparatus can affect the measurements. To enable calibration for the purpose of compensation for these changes, the apparatus includes an additional target at a known short distance, located inside the camera. If the measured distance to this target changes, then the change is applied to the other targets.

Liebe, Carl Christian↗