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At least 1,099 records · Page 61
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Tectonic motions in California inferred from very long baseline interferometry observations, 1980-1984

Using VLBI, three baselines of 150-300 km length within California, and three baselines of 1500 km length between California and Texas, measured between 1980 and 1984, have been fitted to a steady plane/strain rotation model. The observed rate of displacement across the southern San Andreas fault is in agreement with other contemporary rate estimates near 3 cm/yr. Discrepancies between these rates and indicators of relative plate motion near 6 cm/yr seem to be related to local departures of the San Andreas system from the expected strike of the plate boundary. Results support a regional distribution of elastic strain that is offset in about the same sense and amount as the Big Bend of the San Andreas fault, and finite element simulations suggest that tractions on the base of the crust that accompany mantle downswelling beneath the Transverse Ranges could contribute to these strain inhomogeneities.

Lyzenga, Gregory A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Millimeter interferometry of the molecular gas in ARP 20

The Owens Valley Millimeter Wave Interferometer has been used to map the 2.6-mm CO emission in the ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220. Approximately 70 percent of the CO emission from the galaxy originates from an unresolved region less than 4 arcsec x 6 arcsec in size (corresponding to 1500 pc diameter) centered on the near-infrared nucleus. The mass of gas within this region is 10 to the 10th solar mass, which is about 30 times greater than that in an equivalent area of the Galaxy. This concentration could result in efficient star formation via cloud-cloud collisions and provide a significant accretion flow onto a compact, central object.

Scoville, N. Z.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Precise orbit determination of a geosynchronous satellite with differential very-long-baseline interferometry

The use of differential VLBI (DVLBI) to determine the orbit of a U.S. geosynchronous satellite with a position accuracy of a few meters is examined. DVLBI was employed to track the geosynchronous satellite DSCS-II; two observation channels with 2 MHz bandwidth each in a 2 GHz band were used to receive the telemetry signal of the satellite and quasar radio signals. The random observation, delay, station location, and quasar position errors are discussed. The correlation processing of the quasar and satellite signals is described. The accuracy of the estimated satellite position is evaluated using a covariance analysis. It is determined that the satellite position was estimated with an accuracy of about 4 m at the center of the observation arc. It is noted that the modeling error of the solar radiation pressure factor, ionospheric correction error, and observation error need to be corrected in order to provide more accurate orbit determinations.

Shiomi, Tadashi↗
NASA NTRS1986

Geodesy by radio interferometry - Corrections to the IAU 1980 nutation series

The 1980 data on VLBI were analyzed using two techniques: weighted least squares (WLS) and Kalman filtering (KF), estimating corrections to the 14 terms in the nutation series that have the largest coefficients and that could be separated spectrally using the VLBI data available. The estimates of the coefficients from the two analyses are in good agreement, with the rms difference between the two sets being 0.07 milliarcsec. The largest corrections to the nutation amplitudes found were -(/1.89 + or - 0.17/ + i/0.49 + or 0.17/) milliarcsec (WLS) and -(/2.03 + or - 0.12/ + i/0.38 + or - 0.12/) milliarcsec (KF) for the retrograde annual nutation; for the prograde semiannual nutation, the largest corrections were (/0.45 + or - 0.13/ + i/0.31 + or - 0.13/) milliarcsec (WLS) and (/0.43 + or - 0.10/ + i/0.34 + or 0.10/) milliarcsec (KF). The corrections of the amplitudes for all other terms (both in-phase and out-of-phase) were less than 0.3 milliarcsec.

Herring, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Cross-polarized interferometry of a Jovian decametric radio storm

Observations of an 18-MHz Io-A storm have been conducted using a 46 km cross-polarized interferometer at the University of Florida. The pre- and postdetection correlation properties of LH and RH elliptically polarized L bursts have been studied. Fringe visibility measurements suggest that two discrete and independent sources are sometimes simultaneously active, the polarization sense of one being LH and that of the other RH. A scintillation analysis supports the conclusion that two or more sources were active in such cases.

Phillips, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Measuring Flow By Holographic Interferometry

Flow field reconstructed by computer-aided tomography. Holographic interferogram formed on photographic plate by interference between object and reference beams. Double-exposure interferograms taken with blade rotating and stationary at various positions processed to reconstruct mathematically airflow about model helicopter rotor blade.

Yu, Yung H.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A test-bed for space interferometry: Space Platform Interferometer (SPI)

The Space Platform Interferometer (SPI), a 20-m two-mirror Michelson interferometer, which can reach magnitude 14 at UV and visible wavelengths, is described. The SPI is attached to a platform serviced from the space station. In addition to its ability to produce unique science in the UV, SPI is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of larger projects in the field. Dynamical behavior of the structure in the gravity gradient environment and fringe stabilization at low photon rate are studied by picking up an adjacent bin (in the near IR) on the same object and using it to track the white light fringe in a separate differential interferometer. The same subsystem also corrects for tilt. Active control of critical parameters ensures optical rigidity. Performances are evaluated in low orbit.

Faucherre, M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Imaging interferometry with non-redundant arrays

The performance of a set of nonredundant arrays, that convert an existing telescope to an interferometer, was simulated. Each array is a perforated mask, placed at an image of the objective. Each pair of holes in a mask transmits a unique spatial frequency that is present in the target; hence the term nonredundant. Each mask produces a fringe I(f) in the focal plane that is the product of the Fourier transforms of the object and the optical transfer function S(f).

Zirker, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Application of digital holographic interferometry to pressure measurements of symmetric, supercritical, and circulation control airfoils in transonic flow fields

Six airfoil interferograms were evaluated using a semiautomatic image-processor system which digitizes, segments, and extracts the fringe coordinates along a polygonal line. The resulting fringe order function was converted into density and pressure distributions and a comparison was made with pressure transducer data at the same wind tunnel test conditions. Three airfoil shapes were used in the evaluation to test the capabilities of the image processor with a variety of flows. Symmetric, supercritical, and circulation-control airfoil interferograms provided fringe patterns with shocks, separated flows, and high-pressure regions for evaluation. Regions along the polygon line with very clear fringe patterns yielded results within 1 percent of transducer measurements, while poorer quality regions, particularly near the leading and trailing edges, yielded results that were not as good.

Torres, Francisco J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A dual plate thermoplastic recording device for holographic interferometry

The development of a dual plate holographic interferometer using thermoplastic recording devices is described. The operational characteristics of the thermoplastic devices are investigated and optimized for fringe contrast and signal-to-noise ratio. The dual plate device was demonstrated in a transonic wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. The interferograms derived from the thermoplastic device are compared with those derived from conventional photographic emulsions. The fringe contrast achieved with the optimized thermoplastic device is equivalent to the contrast achieved with conventional techniques.

Umstatter, Holly L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Skin friction measurements by laser interferometry in swept shock wave/turbulent boundary-layer interactions

The laser interferometric skin friction meter was used to measure wall shear stress distributions in two interactions of fin-generated swept shock waves with turbulent boundary layers. The basic research configuration was an unswept sharp-leading-edge fin of variable angle mounted on a flatplate. The results indicate that such measurements are practical in high-speed interacting flows, and that a repeatability of + or - 6 percent or better is possible. Marked increases in wall shear were observed in both swept interactions tested.

Kim, Kwang-Soo↗
NASA NTRS1988

Speckle interferometry of asteroids. IV - Reconstructed images of 4 Vesta

The images of 4 Vesta obtained by means of speckle interferometric observations on November 16 and 17, 1983, support a 5-hr 20.5-min rotational period. The 4 Vesta visible light curve was approximately matched by the placing of circular 'spots' with 135-km diameter over the three dark and three bright features, followed by the assigning of albedos of 0 to the dark spots and 2 to the bright. The light curve is found to be primarily defined by albedo structure, rather than shape; this results in one maximum and one minimum/rotation, rather than the two of each that would be associated with 4 Vesta's triaxial ellipsoid morphology.

Drummond, J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

18 MHz interferometry of Non-Io-C L-bursts

In order to investigate previous discrepancies in source size measurements, 18-MHz interferometric data of L-bursts from a Non-Io-C storm have been collected during the summer of 1986. Variations noted in the fringe visibility of the Jovian L-bursts indicate that the source size changes in time and that the emission region can sometimes be resolved with a relatively modest baseline. The results suggest that all Jovian source sizes are smaller than 10 arcsec (and are possibly smaller than 0.1 arcmin) and that it is more probable that L-burst emission during a Jovian storm will evolve into S-bursts than that S-bursts will become L-bursts.

Phillips, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Strain measurements in composites subjected to compressive loading using moire interferometry

Experimental apparatus to apply a uniaxial compressive load to composite laminates and measure the resulting in-plane displacement fields using moireinterferometry were designed and built. Quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy and graphite/PEEK laminates were subjected to near-ultimate compressive creep loadings at room temperatures. Creep loads were applied for times up to 28 hrs. Strains were calculated from the measured displacements, and compared with theoretical results.

Klein, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Astrometric results of 1978-1985 Deep Space Network radio interferometry - The JPL 1987-1 extragalactic source catalog

An astrometric radio reference frame has been determined from intercontinental dual-frequency radio interferometric measurements. These measurements were carried out on a regular basis during 1978-1985 between NASA's Deep Space Network stations in California, Spain, and Australia. Analysis of 6800 pairs of delay and delay-rate observations made during 51 sessions produced estimates of 1300 parameters. The most significant of these are geophysical quantities and positions of extragalactic sources. The source catalog resulting from this analysis includes 106 sources fairly uniformly distributed over the celestial sphere, north of -45 deg declination. Almost all of the resulting source positions have formal uncertainties between 0.5 and 3 milliarcseconds (mas), with rms values of 2 mas in both angular coordinates. Internal consistency checks, as well as comparisons with independently determined source catalogs of comparable quality, indicate that relative source coordinates determined by VLBI contain systematic errors at the level of 1 to 2 mas.

Sovers, O. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Microgravity research applications of interferometry to heat and mass transfer

Major space flight experiments which have used interferometric measurement as a major support system are described together with similar ground-based research. Space experiments include those flown on Spacelab 3 ad on the D-1 mission. Included in the ground-based experiments are aircraft studies, Spacelab 3 data reduction and evaluation, and supportive laboratory hardware development. It is shown that optical measurement techniques are crucial to microgravity research.

Owen, Robert B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

North America-Pacific plate boundary, an elastic-plastic megashear - Evidence from very long baseline interferometry

Data obtained by Mark III VLBI measurements of radio signals from permanent and mobile VLBI sites for 5.5 years of observations, starting in October 1982, were used to derive a picture of the earth crust deformation near the North America-Pacific plate boundary. The data, which included the vector positions of the VLBI sites and their rate of change, were used for comparison with a number of lithospheric deformation models based upon the concept that the motions of points near the North America-Pacific plate boundary are a linear combination of North America and Pacific velocities. The best of these models were found to fit 95 percent of the variance in 139 VLBI length and transverse velocity observations. Instantaneous shear deformation associated with plate tectonics is apparently developing in a zone 450 km wide paralleling the San Andreas Fault; some of this deformation will be recovered through elastic rebound, while the rest will be permanently set through plastic processes. Because the VLBI data have not been collected for a significant fraction of the earthquake cycle, they cannot discriminate between elastic and plastic behaviors.

Ward, Steven N.↗