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At least 1,189 records · Page 66

Space-to-Space Communications System

The Space-to-Space Communications System (SSCS) is an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Time-Division-Multiple Access (TDMA) system that is designed, developed, and deployed by the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) to provide voice, commands, telemetry and data services in close proximity among three space elements: International Space Station (ISS), Space Shuttle Orbiter, and Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU). The SSCS consists of a family of three radios which are, Space-to-Space Station Radio (SSSR), Space-to-Space Orbiter Radio (SSOR), and Space-to-Space Extravehicular Mobility Radio (SSER). The SSCS can support up to five such radios at a time. Each user has its own time slot within which to transmit voice and data. Continuous Phase Frequency Shift Keying (CPFSK) carrier modulation with a burst data rate of 695 kbps and a frequency deviation of 486.5 kHz is employed by the system. Reed-Solomon (R-S) coding is also adopted to ensure data quality. In this paper, the SSCS system requirements, operational scenario, detailed system architecture and parameters, link acquisition strategy, and link performance analysis will be presented and discussed

Kwei tU↗

In-Package Common-Mode Filter for GaN Power Module with Improved Radiated EMI Performance

This paper discusses the impact of parasitic inductances on the electromagnetic interference (EMI) performance at radiated frequency and provides a new concept for high-frequency wide bandgap (WBG) power module package design with integrated π-type common mode filter (π-CMF). The connection parasitic-inductances of a π-type CMF model are analyzed, and the parasitic inductances from the CMF to the CM noise source and to the heatsink are minimized to improve the CMF's EMI performance in the radiated frequency range. Therefore, placing the π-CMF closer to the power module (i.e. in-package CMF) provides a larger noise attenuation compared to placing it outside the module (i.e. external CMF). To verify the theoretical analysis, a half-bridge GaN power module with an in-package π-CMF is designed, and experiments are conducted by comparing the attenuated noise spectrums of a 70-V/1.75-A hard-switching buck converter built by the designed module with an external CMF and the power-module integrated CMF. According to the experiment results, up to 10 dBμV more attenuation is achieved by the in-package CMF than the external CMF, validating the analytical conclusion.

Xue, Lincoln↗

Exciton dressing by extreme nonlinear magnons in a layered semiconductor

Collective excitations presenting nonlinear dynamics are fundamental phenomena with broad applications. A prime example is nonlinear optics, where diverse frequency mixing processes are central to communication, sensing, wavelength conversion, and attosecond physics. Leveraging recent progress in van der Waals magnetic semiconductors, we demonstrate nonlinear opto-magnonic coupling by presenting exciton states dressed by up to 20 harmonics of magnons, resulting from their nonlinearities, in the layered antiferromagnetic semiconductor CrSBr. We also create tunable optical side bands from sum- and difference-frequency generation between two optically bright magnon modes under symmetry breaking magnetic fields. Moreover, the observed difference-frequency generation mode can be continuously tuned into resonance with one of the fundamental magnons, resulting in parametric amplification of magnons. These findings realize the modulation of the optical frequency exciton with the extreme nonlinearity of magnons at microwave frequencies, which could find applications in magnonics and hybrid quantum systems, and provide new avenues for implementing opto-magnonic devices.

Diederich, Geoffrey M.↗

An electric noise component with density 1/f identified on ISEE 3

The properties of the 1/f noise detected at the terminals of ISEE 3 antennas are described and related to the solar wind parameters. The 1/f noise was observed with the radio receivers of the three-dimensional radio mapping experiment using the S and Z dipole antennas. The noise spectra contained a negative spectral index component at frequencies lower than 0.7 of the plasma frequency, and 5-10 times the predicted thermal noise for the Z antenna. S-antenna measurements of the 1/f component revealed it to be deeply spin modulated with a minimum electric field in the direction of the solar wind. Modulation increases with increasing frequency, becomes negligible when the 1/f intensity is negligible with respect to the thermal noise, and increases with solar wind velocity. The possibilities that the noise is due either to waves or currents are discussed.

Hoang, S.↗

Waveguide Power-Amplifier Module for 80 to 150 GHz

A waveguide power-amplifier module capable of operating over the frequency range from 80 to 150 GHz has been constructed. The module comprises a previously reported power amplifier packaged in a waveguide housing that is compatible with WR-8 waveguides. (WR- 8 is a standard waveguide size for the nominal frequency range from 90 to 140 GHz.) The waveguide power-amplifier module is robust and can be bolted to test equipment and to other electronic circuits with which the amplifier must be connected for normal operation.

Samoska, Lorene↗

Combinatorial FSK modulation for power-efficient high-rate communications

Deep-space and satellite communications systems must be capable of conveying high-rate data accurately with low transmitter power, often through dispersive channels. A class of noncoherent Combinatorial Frequency Shift Keying (CFSK) modulation schemes is investigated which address these needs. The bit error rate performance of this class of modulation formats is analyzed and compared to the more traditional modulation types. Candidate modulator, demodulator, and digital signal processing (DSP) hardware structures are examined in detail. System-level issues are also discussed.

Wagner, Paul K.↗

Combinatorial FSK modulation for power-efficient high-rate communications

Deep-space and satellite communications systems must be capable of conveying high-rate data accurately with low transmitter power, often through dispersive channels. A class of noncoherent Combinatorial Frequency Shift Keying (CFSK) modulation schemes is investigated which address these needs. The bit error rate performance of this class of modulation formats is analyzed and compared to the more traditional modulation types. Candidate modulator, demodulator, and digital signal processing (DSP) hardware structures are examined in detail. System-level issues are also discussed.

Wagner, Paul K.↗

The Effect of Storm Direction on Flood Frequency Analysis

Abstract Storm direction modulates a hydrograph's magnitude and duration, thus having a potentially large effect on local flood risk. However, how changes in the preferential storm direction affect the probability distribution of peak flows remains unknown. We address this question with a novel Monte Carlo approach where stochastically transposed storms drive hydrologic simulations over medium and mesoscale watersheds in the Midwestern United States. Systematic rotations of these watersheds are used to emulate changes in the preferential storm direction. We found that the peak flow distribution impacts are scale‐dependent, with larger changes observed in the mesoscale watershed than in the medium‐scale watershed. We attribute this to the high diversity of storm patterns and the storms' scale relative to watershed size. This study highlights the potential of the proposed stochastic framework to address fundamental questions about hydrologic extremes when our ability to observe these events in nature is hindered by technical constraints and short time records.

Perez, G.↗

Detection of global phenomena of technogenic ultraviolet and infrared nightglows onboard the Vernov satellite

The generation of transients in the Earth’s upper atmosphere under the action of electron fluxes and high- and low-frequency electromagnetic waves has been studied onboard the small Vernov spacecraft (solar synchronous orbit, 98° inclination, height 640–830 km). The studies were carried out with ultraviolet (UV, 240–380 nm), red–infrared (IR, 610–800 nm), gamma-ray (0.01–3 MeV), and electron (0.2–15 MeV) detectors as well as with high-frequency (0.05–15 MHz) and low-frequency (0.1 Hz–40 kHz) radio receivers. Artificial optical signals distributed along the meridian in an extended region of latitudes in the Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres modulated by a low frequency were recorded during the nadir observations at nighttime. Examples of the oscillograms of such signals in the UV and IR spectral ranges and their global distribution are presented. The emission generation altitude and the atmospheric components that can be the sources of this emission are discussed. Particular attention is given to the technogenic causes of this glow in the ionosphere under the action of powerful low- and high-frequency radio stations on the ionosphere.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Efficient Distribution of Frequency-Standard Signals

Low power system distributes precise frequency standard signal to network of remote stations. Reference frequency at phase angle modulates transmitter at master transmitter/receiver circuit and recovers at remote circuit. Two circuits continuously transmit on microwave or optical signals 100 MHz apart to effect synchronization of reference frequency and phase.

Meyer, R. F.↗

Polarization selective phase-change nanomodulator

Manipulating optical signals below the diffraction limit is crucial for next-generation data-storage and telecommunication technologies. Although controlling the flow of light around nanoscale waveguides was achieved over a decade ago, modulating optical signals at terahertz frequencies within nanoscale volumes remains a challenge. Since the physics underlying any modulator relies on changes in dielectric properties, the incorporation of strongly electron-correlated materials (SECMs) has been proposed because they can exhibit orders of magnitude changes in electrical and optical properties with modest thermal, electrical or optical trigger signals. Here we demonstrate a hybrid nanomodulator of deep sub-wavelength dimensions with an active volume of only 0.002 µm 3 by spatially confining light on the nanometre length scale using a plasmonic nanostructure while simultaneously controlling the reactive near-field environment at its optical focus with a single, precisely positioned SECM nanostructure. Since the nanomodulator functionality hinges on this near-field electromagnetic interaction, the modulation is also selectively responsive to polarization. Lastly, this architecture suggests one path for designing reconfigurable optoelectronic building blocks with responses that can be tailored with exquisite precision by varying size, geometry, and the intrinsic materials properties of the hybrid elements.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

POLARIZATION MODULATION FROM LENSE–THIRRING PRECESSION IN X-RAY BINARIES

It has long been recognized that quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the X-ray light curves of accreting black hole and neutron star binaries have the potential to be powerful diagnostics of strong field gravity. However, this potential cannot be fulfilled without a working theoretical model, which has remained elusive. Perhaps, the most promising model associates the QPO with Lense–Thirring precession of the inner accretion flow, with the changes in viewing angle and Doppler boosting modulating the flux over the course of a precession cycle. Here, we consider the polarization signature of a precessing inner accretion flow. We use simple assumptions about the Comptonization process generating the emitted spectrum and take all relativistic effects into account, parallel transporting polarization vectors toward the observer along null geodesics in the Kerr metric. We find that both the degree of linear polarization and the polarization angle should be modulated on the QPO frequency. We calculate the predicted absolute rms variability amplitude of the polarization degree and angle for a specific model geometry. We find that it should be possible to detect these modulations for a reasonable fraction of parameter space with a future X-ray polarimeter such as NASA’s Polarization Spectroscopic Telescope Array (the satellite incarnation of the balloon experiment X-Calibur)

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Demonstration of high sensitivity laser ranging system

We report on a high sensitivity semiconductor laser ranging system developed for the Gravity and Magnetic Earth Surveyor (GAMES) for measuring variations in the planet's gravity field. The GAMES laser ranging instrument (LRI) consists of a pair of co-orbiting satellites, one which contains the laser transmitter and receiver and one with a passive retro-reflector mounted in an drag-stabilized housing. The LRI will range up to 200 km in space to the retro-reflector satellite. As the spacecraft pair pass over the spatial variations in the gravity field, they experience along-track accelerations which change their relative velocity. These time displaced velocity changes are sensed by the LRI with a resolution of 20-50 microns/sec. In addition, the pair may at any given time be drifting together or apart at a rate of up to 1 m/sec, introducing a Doppler shift into the ranging signals. An AlGaAs laser transmitter intensity modulated at 2 GHz and 10 MHz is used as fine and medium ranging channels. Range is measured by comparing phase difference between the transmit and received signals at each frequency. A separate laser modulated with a digital code, not reported in this paper, will be used for coarse ranging to unambiguously determine the distance up to 200 km.

Millar, Pamela S.↗

Theoretical and simulated performance for a novel frequency estimation technique

A low complexity, open-loop, discrete-time, delay-multiply-average (DMA) technique for estimating the frequency offset for digitally modulated MPSK signals is investigated. A nonlinearity is used to remove the MPSK modulation and generate the carrier component to be extracted. Theoretical and simulated performance results are presented and compared to the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the variance of the frequency estimation error. For all signal-to-noise ratios (SNR's) above threshold, it is shown that the CRLB can essentially be achieved with linear complexity.

Crozier, Stewart N.↗

Magnetron R&D toward the Amplitude Modulation Control for SRF Accelerator

The scheme of using a high efficiency magnetron to drive a superconducting radio frequency (SRF) accelerator cavity needs not only the injection phase locking but also the amplitude modulation to compensate the cavity's microphomics caused cavity voltage change and the beam loading variation. To be able to do a fast and efficient modulation, the magnetron's magnetic field has to be trimmed by an external coil to compensate the frequency pushing effect due to the anode current change [1]. A low eddy current magnetron body has been designed and built [2]. This paper will present the analytical prediction, simulation and experimental results on the 2.45 GHz magnetron test stand with the modulation frequency up to 1 kHz. In addition, the progresses on the injection lock to a copper cavity, new 1497 MHz magnetron prototype, 13 kW high power magnetron test stand development and newly built low level RF (LLRF) controller for the amplitude modulation will be reported.

Rimmer, Robert A.↗

Amplitude- and frequency-dependent activation of layer II/III neurons by intracortical microstimulation

Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) has been used for the development of brain machine interfaces. However, further understanding about the spatiotemporal responses of neurons to different electrical stimulation parameters is necessary to inform the design of optimal therapies. In this study, we employed in vivo electrophysiological recording, two-photon calcium imaging, and electric field simulation to evaluate the acute effect of ICMS on layer II/III neurons. Our results show that stimulation frequency non-linearly modulates neuronal responses, whereas the magnitude of responses is linearly correlated to the electric field strength and stimulation amplitude before reaching a steady state. Temporal dynamics of neurons’ responses depends more on stimulation frequency and their distance to the stimulation electrode. In addition, amplitude-dependent post-stimulation suppression was observed within ~500 μm of the stimulation electrode, as evidenced by both calcium imaging and local field potentials. These findings provide insights for selecting stimulation parameters to achieve desirable spatiotemporal specificity of ICMS.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗