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At least 1,207 records · Page 67

A Highly Doppler Blueshifted Fe-K Emission Line in the High-Redshift QSO PKS 2149-306

We report the results from an ASCA observation of the high-luminosity, radioloud quasar PKS 2149-306 (redshift 2.345), covering the approximately 1.7 - 30 keV band in the quasar-frame. We find the source to have a luminosity of approximately 6 x 10(exp 47) ergs/s in the 2 - 10 keV band (quasar frame). We detect an emission line centered at approximately 17 keV in the quasar frame. Line emission at this energy has not been observed in any other active galaxy or quasar to date. We present evidence rejecting the possibility that this line is the result of instrumental artifacts, or a serendipitous source. The most likely explanation is blueshifted Fe-K emission (the equivalent width, is EW approximately 300 +/- 200 eV, quasar frame). Bulk velocities of the order of 0.75c are implied by the data. We show that Fe-K line photons originating in an accretion disk and Compton-scattering off a leptonic jet aligned along the disk axis can account for the emission line. Curiously. if the emission-line feature recently discovered in another quasar (PKS 0637-752, z = 0.654) at 1.6 keV in the quasar frame, is due to blueshifted OVII emission, the Doppler blueshifting factor in both quasars is similar (approximately 2.7 - 2.8).

Yaqoob, Tahir↗

High Energy Continuum of High Redshift Quasars

Discussion with the RXTE team at GSFC showed that a sufficiently accurate background subtraction procedure had now, been derived for sources at the flux level of PKS 2126-158. However this solution does not apply to observations carried out before April 1997, including our observation. The prospect of an improved solution becoming available soon is slim. As a result the RXTE team agreed to re-observe PKS2126-158. The new observation was carried out in April 1999. Quasi-simultaneous optical observations were obtained, as Service observing., at the 4-meter Anglo-Australian Telescope, and ftp-ed from the AAT on 22April. The RXTE data was processed in late June, arriving at SAO in early July. Coincidentally, our collaborative Beppo-SAX observation of PKS2126-158 was made later in 1999, and a GTO Chandra observation (with which we are involved) was made on November 16. Since this gives us a unique monitoring data for a high redshift quasar over a broad pass-band we are now combining all three observations into a single comprehensive study Final publication of the RXTE data will thus take place under another grant.

Elvis, Martin↗

Analysis of Post-Support and Wind-Tunnel Wall Interference on Flow Field About Subsonic High-Lift High-Speed Research Configuration

The present study was performed to determine how significant the interference effects of the wind-tunnel model support system and tunnel walls can be for a high-speed configuration during takeoff and landing conditions. A 5-percent scale model of the Technology Concept Airplane was recently tested in the Langley 14- by 22-Foot Sub-sonic Tunnel. The model was numerically modeled with and without the support and tunnel walls and compared with experimental data. Detailed analysis of the flow provided additional insight concerning what effects the post support and tunnel walls had on the flow field. This study revealed that although the overall forces and moments could be experimentally accounted for, the detailed flow features, such as the surface pressure distributions, could not be accurately simulated without including the post support in the computations.

Lessard, Wendy B.↗

Optical Measurement and Visualization in High-Pressure, High-Temperature, Aviation Gas Turbine Combustors

Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), planar Mie scattering (PMie), and linear (1-D) spontaneous Raman scattering are applied to flame tube and sector combustors that burn Jet-A fuel at a range of inlet temperatures and pressures that simulate conditions expected in future high-performance civilian gas turbine engines. Chemiluminescence arising from C2 in the flame was also imaged. Flame spectral emissions measurements were obtained using a scanning spectrometer. Several different advanced concept fuel injectors were examined. First-ever PLIF and chemiluminescence data are presented from the 60-atm Gas turbine combustor facility.

Hicks, Yolanda R.↗

Nonlinear Analysis of Airfoil High-Intensity Gust Response Using a High-Order Prefactored Compact Code

The nonlinear response of symmetric and loaded airfoils to an impinging vortical gust is investigated in the parametric space of gust dimension, intensity, and frequency. The study, which was designed to investigate the validity limits for a linear analysis, is implemented by applying a nonlinear high-order prefactored compact code and comparing results with linear solutions from the GUST3D frequency-domain solver. Both the unsteady aerodynamic and acoustic gust responses are examined.

Crivellini, A.↗

Performance of High-frequency High-flux Magnetic Cores at Cryogenic Temperatures

Three magnetic powder cores and one ferrite core, which are commonly used in inductor and transformer design for switch mode power supplies, were selected for investigation at cryogenic temperatures. The powder cores are Molypermalloy Core (MPC), High Flux Core (HFC), and Kool Mu Core (KMC). The performance of four inductors utilizing these cores has been evaluated as a function of temperature from 20 C to -180 C. All cores were wound with the same wire type and gauge to obtain equal values of inductance at room temperature. Each inductor was evaluated in terms of its inductance, quality (Q) factor, resistance, and dynamic hysteresis characteristics (B-H loop) as a function of temperature and frequency. Both sinusoidal and square wave excitations were used in these investigations. Measured data obtained on the inductance showed that both the MPC and the HFC cores maintain a constant inductance value, whereas with the KMC and ferrite core hold a steady value in inductance with frequency but decrease as temperature is decreased. All cores exhibited dependency, with varying degrees, in their quality factor and resistance on test frequency and temperature. Except for the ferrite, all cores exhibited good stability in the investigated properties with temperature as well as frequency. Details of the experimental procedures and test results are presented and discussed in the paper.

Gerber, Scott S.↗

An Investigation of the Effects of Sweep on the Characteristics of a High-Aspect-Ratio Wing in the Langley 8-Foot High-Speed Tunnel

An untwisted wing, which when unswept has an NACA 65-210 section, an aspect ratio of 9.0 and a taper ration of 2.5:1.0, has been tested with no sweep, and 30 deg and 45 deg of sweepback and sweepforward in conjunction with a typical fuselage at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 0.96 at angles of attack generally between -2 deg and 10 deg in the Langley 8-foot high-speed tunnel. Sweep was obtained by rotating the wing semispans about a point in the plane of symmetry. The normal-force, pitching-moment, profile-drag, and loading characteristics for the wings have been obtained from pressure measurements and wake surveys. The results indicate that the wings with +/-30 deg of sweep experienced the severe changes in characteristics associated with the presence of a shock at higher Mach numbers then did the wing without sweep. The differences between the Mach numbers at which the changes occurred for the wings with +/-30 deg sweep and no sweep were generally slightly less than the factor 1/cosDelta(sub r) times the Mach numbers at which the changes occurred for the unswept wing, Delta(sub r) being the sweep angle. The wings with +/-45 deg of sweep did not experience the changes in the characteristics associated with the presence of shock at an angle of attack of 2 deg at Mach numbers up to the highest test value. The magnitudes of changes in the normal-force and pitching-moment coefficients that occurred were less for the wing with 30 deg of sweep than for the unswept wing. The use of sweepforward was superior to sweepback in delaying and reducing the changes in the normal-force coefficients, but was inferior in delaying and reducing the changes in the profile-drag coefficients. Increasing the Mach number to the highest test values had little effect on the positions of the center of loads on the various configurations for the probable design load conditions.

Whitcomb, Richard T.↗

Combining Hard with Soft Materials in Nanoscale Under High-Pressure High-Temperature Conditions

Nano-composites with a primary nanocrystalline ceramic matrix and a secondary nanocrystalline material (metal or semiconductor) were synthesized by infiltration of an appropriate liquid into ceramic compacts under pressures of up to 8 GPa and temperatures of up to 2000 K. The purpose of our work is to obtain nanocomposites which constitute homoger?ous mixtures of two phases, both forming nano- grains of about 10 nm in size. The high pressure is used to bring the porosity of the compacted powders down to the nano-scale and force a given liquid into the nano-sized pores. The advantage of the infiltration technique is that, in a single, continuous process, we start with a nanocrystalline powder, compress it to form the matrix of the composite, and crystallize and/or synthesize a second nanomaterial in the matrix pores. The key limitation of this technology is, that the pores in the matrix need to stay open during the entire process of infiltration. Thus the initial powder should form a rigid skeleton, otherwise the so-called self-stop process can limit cr block a further flow of the liquid phase and hinder the process of the composite formation. Therefore powders of only very hard ceramic materials like diamond, Sic, or Alz03, which can withstand a substantial external load without undesired deformation, can be used as the primary phase. With this technique, using diamond and S i c ceramic powders infiltrated by liquid metals (AI, Zn, Sn, Ag, Au) and semiconductors (Si, Ge, GaAs, CdTe), we obtained nano-composites with the grain size in the range of 10 - 30 nm. Our work addresses the key problem in manufacturing bulk nanocrystalline materials, i.e. preservation of nano-scale during the fabrication process. In this paper we discuss basic technical and methodological problems associated with nano-infiltration based on the results obtained for Zn-Sic composites.

Palosz, B.↗

Three-Dimensional Measurements of Fuel Distribution in High-Pressure, High- Temperature, Next-Generation Aviation Gas Turbine Combustors

In our world-class, optically accessible combustion facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center, we have developed the unique capability of making three-dimensional fuel distribution measurements of aviation gas turbine fuel injectors at actual operating conditions. These measurements are made in situ at the actual operating temperatures and pressures using the JP-grade fuels of candidate next-generation advanced aircraft engines for the High Speed Research (HSR) and Advanced Subsonics Technology (AST) programs. The inlet temperature and pressure ranges used thus far are 300 to 1100 F and 80 to 250 psia. With these data, we can obtain the injector spray angles, the fuel mass distributions of liquid and vapor, the degree of fuel vaporization, and the degree to which fuel has been consumed. The data have been used to diagnose the performance of injectors designed both in-house and by major U.S. engine manufacturers and to design new fuel injectors with overall engine performance goals of increased efficiency and reduced environmental impact. Mie scattering is used to visualize the liquid fuel, and laser-induced fluorescence is used to visualize both liquid and fuel vapor.

Hicks, Yolanda R.↗

High-Power, High-Frequency Si-Based (SiGe) Transistors Developed

Future NASA, DOD, and commercial products will require electronic circuits that have greater functionality and versatility but occupy less space and cost less money to build and integrate than current products. System on a Chip (SOAC), a single semiconductor substrate containing circuits that perform many functions or containing an entire system, is widely recognized as the best technology for achieving low-cost, small-sized systems. Thus, a circuit technology is required that can gather, process, store, and transmit data or communications. Since silicon-integrated circuits are already used for data processing and storage and the infrastructure that supports silicon circuit fabrication is very large, it is sensible to develop communication circuits on silicon so that all the system functions can be integrated onto a single wafer. Until recently, silicon integrated circuits did not function well at the frequencies required for wireless or microwave communications, but with the introduction of small amounts of germanium into the silicon to make silicon-germanium (SiGe) transistors, silicon-based communication circuits are possible. Although microwavefrequency SiGe circuits have been demonstrated, there has been difficulty in obtaining the high power from their transistors that is required for the amplifiers of a transmitter, and many researchers have thought that this could not be done. The NASA Glenn Research Center and collaborators at the University of Michigan have developed SiGe transistors and amplifiers with state-of-the-art output power at microwave frequencies from 8 to 20 GHz. These transistors are fabricated using standard silicon processing and may be integrated with CMOS integrated circuits on a single chip. A scanning electron microscope image of a typical SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor is shown in the preceding photomicrograph. This transistor achieved a record output power of 550 mW and an associated power-added efficiency of 33 percent at 8.4 GHz, as shown. Record performance was also demonstrated at 12.6 and 18 GHz. Developers have combined these state-of-the-art transistors with transmission lines and micromachined passive circuit components, such as inductors and capacitors, to build multistage amplifiers. Currently, a 1-W, 8.4-GHz power amplifier is being built for NASA deep space communication architectures.

Ponchak, George E.↗

High Power High Efficiency Ka-Band Power Combiners for Solid-State Devices

Wide-band power combining units for Ka-band are simulated for use as MMIC amplifier applications. Short-slot couplers as well as magic-tees are the basic elements for the combiners. Wide bandwidth (5 GHz) and low insertion (approx.0.2 dB) and high combining efficiencies (approx.90 percent) are obtained.

Freeman, Jon C.↗

Evaluation of Perfluoropolyether Lubricant Lifetime in the High Stress and High Stress-Cycle Regime for Mars Applications

The successful operation of long-life, highly loaded mechanisms used for planetary exploration or autonomous structures assembly will depend upon the ability to effectively lubricate rolling-element bearings. As new tools are developed (i.e., drill, abraders, robotic manipulators, etc.) that interact with their environment in a more direct manner, lubricants will be pushed past the bounds that current scientific literature has published. This paper details results from bearing lubrication lifetime testing performed in support of Honeybee Robotics development of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Surface Removal Tool (SRT). This testing was done due to the lack of available data in research literature that is applicable to the lubrication regime the SRT bearings are being designed for. Based on the test results, the chosen bearing arrangement can be used for the SRT Grind Shaft bearings with the use of a Braycote Micronic 601EF grease-plate with a 10 vol% grease slurry fill (50/50 wt% Braycote Micronic 601EF and Brayco 815Z). This arrangement showed no signs of detrimental degradation over the course of the 3x life test. The purely grease-plated bearing ran at a consistently higher torque and showed signs of failure beginning at approximately 2.2 x 10(exp 7) revs (approximately 6.3 x 10(exp 7) stress-cycles) with a torque over-limit failure at approximately 4.5 x 10(exp 7) revs (approximately 1.3 x 10(exp 8) stress-cycles). Barring cold-start torque margin limitations, it is recommended that any long-life bearing application include some vol% grease-pack in addition to a standard grease-plate to reduce parasitic torque and increase bearing life. While these results are specific to a particular environment and loading condition, they demonstrate the extended capabilities of a commonly used flight lubricant outside of the range that is published in current research literature.

Herman, Jason↗

Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Detector with High Efficiency, Broad Bandwidth, and Highly Symmetric Coupling to Transition Edge Sensor Bolometers

Four probe antennas transfer signals from waveguide to microstrip lines. The probes not only provide broadband impedance matching, but also thermally isolate waveguide and detector. In addition, we developed a new photonic waveguide choke joint design, with four-fold symmetry, to suppress power leakage at the interface. We have developed facilities to test superconducting circuit elements using a cryogenic microwave probe station, and more complete systems in waveguide. We used the ring resonator shown below to measure a dielectric loss tangent < 7x10(exp -4) over 10 - 45 GHz. We have combined component simulations to predict the overall coupling from waveguide modes to bolometers. The result below shows the planar circuit and waveguide interface can utilize the high beam symmetry of HE11 circular feedhorns with > 99% coupling efficiency over 30% fractional bandwidth.

Wollack, E.↗

High-Efficiency K-Band Space Traveling-Wave Tube Amplifier for Near-Earth High Data Rate Communications

The RF performance of a new K-Band helix conduction cooled traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA) is presented in this paper. A total of three such units were manufactured, tested and delivered. The first unit is currently flying onboard NASA s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft and has flawlessly completed over 2000 orbits around the Moon. The second unit is a proto-flight model. The third unit will fly onboard NASA s International Space Station (ISS) as a very compact and lightweight transmitter package for the Communications, Navigation and Networking Reconfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT), which is scheduled for launch in 2011. These TWTAs were characterized over the frequencies 25.5 to 25.8 GHz. The saturated RF output power is >40 W and the saturated RF gain is >46 dB. The saturated AM-to- PM conversion is 3.5 /dB and the small signal gain ripple is 0.46 dB peak-to-peak. The overall efficiency of the TWTA, including that of the electronic power conditioner (EPC) is as high as 45 percent.

Simons, Rainee N.↗

High-Efficiency K-Band Space Traveling-Wave Tube Amplifier for Near-Earth High Data Rate Communications

The RF performance of a new K-Band helix conduction cooled traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA), is presented in this paper. A total of three such units were manufactured, tested and delivered. The first unit is currently flying onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft and has flawlessly completed over 2000 orbits around the Moon. The second unit is a proto-flight model. The third unit will fly onboard NASA's International Space Station (ISS) as a very compact and lightweight transmitter package for the Communications, Navigation and Networking Reconfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT), which is scheduled for launch in 2011. These TWTAs were characterized over the frequencies 25.5 to 25.8 GHz. The saturated RF output power is greater than 40 W and the saturated RF gain is greater than 46 dB. The saturated AM-to-PM conversion is 3.5 /dB and the small signal gain ripple is 0.46 dB peak-to-peak. The overall efficiency of the TWTA, including that of the electronic power conditioner (EPC) is as high as 45%.

Simons, Rainee N.↗