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At least 1,117 records · Page 62

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NASA NTRS1992

Acquisition performance of various QPSK carrier tracking loops

The frequency and phase acquisition performance of three quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) carrier tracking loops, the MAP estimation loop, the Costas crossover loop, and the generalized Costas loop, is described. Acquisition time and probability of acquisition as a function of both loop signal-to-noise ratio and frequency offset to loop bandwidth ratio are obtained via computer simulations for type II and III loops. It is shown that the MAP loop, which results in the smallest squaring loss for all signal-to-noise ratios, is sometimes outperformed by the other two loops in terms of acquisition time and acquisition probability.

Hinedi, S.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Density waves in Saturn's rings probed by radio and optical occultation - Observational tests of theory

A parallel examination is conducted of Voyager radio and photopolarimeter occultation observations of the Saturn A ring's density waves. The radio instrument waves exhibit an average -90 deg offset from the dynamical phase. A warping height of about 100-m amplitude can qualtitatively reproduce this phase shift, while preserving the overall model wave shape. These results may be profoundly relevant for satellite-ring torque calculations in Saturn's rings, given the deposition of all of the net torque of the standard model in the first wavelength.

Brophy, Thomas G.↗

NASA NTRS1991

An electro-optic resonant modulator for coherent optical communication

A resonant cavity electro-optic phase modulator has been designed and implemented to operate at a data rate of 10 Mbps. The modulator consists of an electro-optic crystal located in a highly resonant cavity. The cavity is electro-optically switched on and off resonance, and the phase dispersion near the cavity resonance provides the output phase modulation. The performance of the modulator was measured by first heterodyne detecting the signal to an intermediate frequency, and measuring the spectral characteristics using an RF spectrum analyzer. The measured phase shift is shown to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. Further theoretical analysis shows that the design of the modulator can be scaled to operate at 100 Mbps.

Robinson, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Sleep and circadian rhythms

Three interacting processes are involved in the preservation of circadian rhythms: (1) endogenous rhythm generation mechanisms, (2) entrainment mechanisms to keep these rhythms 'on track', and (3) exogenous masking processes stemming from changes in environment and bahavior. These processes, particularly the latter two, can be dramatically affected in individuals of advanced age and in space travelers, with a consequent disruption in sleep and daytime functioning. This paper presents results of a phase-shift experiment investigating the age-related effects of the exogeneous component of circadian rhythms in various physiological and psychological functions by comparing these functions in middle aged and old subjects. Dramatic differences were found between the two age groups in measures of sleep, mood, activation, and performance efficiency.

Monk, Timothy H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Strain sensing technology for high temperature applications

This review paper discusses the status of strain sensing technology for high temperature applications. Technologies covered are those supported by NASA such as required for applications in hypersonic vehicles and engines, advanced subsonic engines, as well as material and structure development. The applications may be at temperatures of 540 C (1000 F) to temperatures in excess of 1400 C (2500 F). The most promising technologies at present are the resistance strain gage and remote sensing schemes. Resistance strain gages discussed include the BCL gage, the LaRC compensated gage, and the PdCr gage. Remote sensing schemes such as laser based speckle strain measurement, phase-shifting interferometry and X-ray extensometry will be discussed. Present status and limitations of these technologies are presented.

Williams, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Perceiving the coherent movements of spatially-separated features

When a partially-occluded object is represented in an image, it is defined by a set of spatially-separated features that may be registered at different spatial scales. To understand the image, human vision must organize these fragmented optical features into common and distinct object surfaces. Although the common fate of moving features often is considered a primary source of reliable information for image segmentation, little is known of the visual system's capacity to discriminate the coherent relative movements of spatially-separated features. In a series of experiments, observers viewed elements whose movements were correlated (direction and magnitude) or were uncorrelated. Our results indicate that observers can discriminate the two types of movement about as well as they can detect any movement at all. Moreover, the ability to perceive coherent movements is maintained under a variety of conditions including differences in the elements' spatial frequency content, spatial position and contrast, and temporal phase shifts between the spatially-correlated displacements. These results suggest that coherent relative motion may be a fundamental source of information exploited by vision, despite considerable variability in the spatial and temporal characteristics of the individual features.

Mowafy, Lyn↗

NASA NTRS1991

Phase shifter technology assessment - Prospects and applications

Capabilities and limitations of MMIC phase shifter technology at microwave and millimeter wave frequencies are reviewed. MMIC-based phase arrays make it possible to integrate active elements at the array face, i.e., to incorporate transmit power amplifiers and/or low noise amplifiers at each antenna element. Active elements make it possible to increase power efficiency and reliability and provide graceful degradation. Monolithic integration of the various transmit/receive functions including phase shifting is considered to be feasible through at least the lower millimeter-wave frequency range (about 30-100 GHz). MMIC integration also allows more flexibility in array design including those that are intended for airborne conformal applications.

Sokolov, Vladimir↗

NASA NTRS1993

Collision cross sections and diffusion parameters for H and D in atomic oxygen

Modeling the behavior of H and D in planetary exospheres requires detailed knowledge of the differential scattering cross sections for all of the important neutral-neutral and ion-neutral collision processes affecting these species over their entire ranges of interaction energies. In the upper atmospheres of Earth, Venus, and other planets as well, the interactions of H and D with atomic oxygen determine the rates of diffusion of escaping hydrogen isotopes through the thermosphere, the velocity distributions of exospheric atoms that encounter the upper thermosphere, the lifetimes of exospheric orbiters with periapsides near the exobase, and the transfer of momentum in collisions with hot O. The nature of H-O and D-O collisions and the derivation of a data base consisting of phase shifts and the differential, total, and momentum transfer cross sections for these interactions in the energy range 0.001 - 10 eV are discussed. Coefficients of mutual diffusion and thermal diffusion factors are calculated for temperatures of planetary interest.

Hodges, R. R., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1993

The discovery of pulsed iron line emission from Centaurus X-3

We present the first discovery of pulsed iron line emission from an X-ray binary, namely Cen X-3. Compared with the continuum pulsations, the iron line pulsations are shallow (50 percent change in amplitude), smeared (the profile is a single-peaked sinusoid) and phase-shifted (by about half a cycle). We also discuss the constraints on the origin of the line imposed by this discovery and by other observations.

Day, C. S. R.↗

NASA NTRS1993

10-Mbps electro-optic resonant phase modulator

A resonant cavity electro-optic phase modulator has been designed and implemented to operate at a data rate of 10 Mbps. The modulator consists of an electro-optic crystal located in a highly resonant cavity. The cavity is electro-optically switched on and off resonance, and the phase dispersion near the cavity resonance provides the output phase modulation. The performance of the modulator was measured by first heterodyne-detecting the signal to an intermediate frequency and then measuring the spectral characteristics using an rf spectrum analyzer. The measured phase shift is shown to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. Further theoretical analysis shows that the design of the modulator can be scaled to operate at 100 Mbps.

Robinson, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Digital data over video channels - Techniques for Spacelab

A study was made of various techniques for transmitting digital data over a composite video channel. Transmitting data from experiments on the Space Shuttle Orbiter over a video channel is attractive since extra channel capacity is needed. Broadcast television telecommunications schemes and other techniques described in the literature were reviewed and compared. PSK (Phase Shift Keying), MPSK (m-ary PSK), or PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulation) can be transmitted on visible lines of a frame, unassigned lines of the VBI (Vertical Blanking Interval), or during the HBI (Horizontal Blanking Interval). All three modulation techniques can be attractive under the proper conditions. However, PAM on visible lines or during the VBI should be relatively easy to implement, provide adequate average data rates, and give acceptable BERs (Bit Error Rates).

Smith, Dean L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Optical figure testing of prototype mirrors for JPL's Precision Segmented Reflector (PSR) program

JPL's PSR program is developing enabling technologies for large space telescopes employing segmented optics, and in particular, lightweight, thermally stable mirrors for telescopes operating at sub-mm wavelengths. JPL's vacuum cryointerferometric optical test facility includes a computer-controlled phase shifting interferometer operating at 10.59 microns and laser metrology for measurement of piston and absolute radius of curvature. The optical metrology has been integrated with a large vacuum chamber including a liquid nitrogen shroud capable of radiatively cooling 1.5 meter aperture mirrors down to 150 K. The facility is now being used to characterize prototype mirrors in both their room-temperature 'as-replicated' condition, and under orbital temperature conditions. The performance and limitations of the optical metrology hardware and software components are noted. Representative test results on prototype one meter-class composite mirrors being developed for PSR and related ground-based programs are also presented.

Hochberg, Eric B.↗

NASA NTRS1991

A microprocessor based portable bolt tension monitor

A bolt tension monitor (BTM) which uses ultrasonics and a pulsed phase locked loop circuit to measure load-induced acoustic phase shifts which are independent of friction is described. The BTM makes it possible to measure the load in a bolt that was tightened at some time in the past. This capability to recertify a load after-the-fact will help to insure the integrity of a bolted joint.

Perey, D. F.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A 100 Mbps resonant cavity phase modulator for coherent optical communications

A resonant cavity electro-optic phase modulator has been designed and implemented to operate at a data rate of 100 Mbps. The modulator consists of an electro-optic crystal located in a highly resonant cavity. The cavity is electro-optically tuned on and off resonance, and the phase dispersion near the cavity resonance provides the output phase modulation. The performance of the modulator was measured by first heterodyne detecting the signal to an intermediate frequency and then measuring the spectral characteristics using an RF spectrum analyzer. The measured phase shift is shown to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.

Chen, Chien-Chung↗

NASA NTRS1993

Techniques for transmitting digital data on the Spacelab's analog video channel

Smith, Dean L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Estimating the path-average rainwater content and updraft speed along a microwave link

There is a scarcity of methods for accurately estimating the mass of rainwater rather than its flux. A recently proposed technique uses the difference between the observed rates of attenuation A with increasing distance at 38 and 25 GHz, A(38-25), to estimate the rainwater content W. Unfortunately, this approach is still somewhat sensitive to the form of the drop-size distribution. An alternative proposed here uses the ratio A38/A25 to estimate the mass-weighted average raindrop size Dm. Rainwater content is then estimated from measurements of polarization propagation differential phase shift (Phi-DP) divided by (1-R), where R is the mass-weighted mean axis ratio of the raindrops computed from Dm. This paper investigates these two water-content estimators using results from a numerical simulation of observations along a microwave link. From these calculations, it appears that the combination (R, Phi-DP) produces more accurate estimates of W than does A38-25. In addition, by combining microwave estimates of W and the rate of rainfall in still air with the mass-weighted mean terminal fall speed derived using A38/A25, it is possible to detect the potential influence of vertical air motion on the raingage-microwave rainfall comparisons.

Jameson, Arthur R.↗

NASA NTRS1953

Dynamics of mechanical feedback-type hydraulic servomotors under inertia loads

An analysis of the dynamics of mechanical feedback-type hydraulic servomotors under inertia loads is developed and experimental verification is presented. The analysis, which is developed in terms of two physical parameters, yields direct expressions for the following dynamic responses: (1) the transient response to a step input and the maximum cylinder pressure during the transient and (2) the variation of amplitude attenuation and phase shift with the frequency of a sinusoidally varying input. The validity of the analysis is demonstrated by means of recorded transient and frequency responses obtained on two servomotors. The calculated responses are in close agreement with the measured responses. The relations presented are readily applicable to the design as well as to the analysis of hydraulic servomotors.

Gold, Harold↗

NASA NTRS1994

Heat-Pulse Measurements Reveal Fiber Volume Fractions

Measurements of thermal diffusivities by heat-pulse method constitutes basis of noncontact, nondestructive method of determining fiber volume fractions (FVFs) of samples of composite (matrix/fiber) materials. Modulated radiant heat applied to sample, while resulting modulated infrared emitted is monitored. Phase shift between two modulations indicative of thermal diffusivity and fiber volume fraction of sample. Testing method takes less time, provides data to characterize sample through its thickness, and amenable to scanning for global determination of gradual spatial variations in FVF along sample.

Winfree, William P.↗