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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Short-term frequency stability of the Rb-87 maser.

Measurements of the short-term stability of the Rb-87 maser as a function of the maser power output and the receiver cutoff frequency are reported. The experimental data are compared to theoretical results obtained from an approximate theory. In this theory the transfer function of the maser for thermal noise is derived, and the spectral density of the phase fluctuations is calculated. An analytical expression for the 'Allan variance' is also given. A comparison of the stability of the Rb-87 maser with existing frequency standards shows its superiority for averaging times less than 1 sec.

Tetu, M.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Characteristics of advanced hydrogen maser frequency standards

Measurements with several operational atomic hydrogen maser standards have been made which illustrate the fundamental characteristics of the maser as well as the analysability of the corrections which are made to relate the oscillation frequency to the free, unperturbed, hydrogen standard transition frequency. Sources of the most important perturbations, and the magnitude of the associated errors, are discussed. A variable volume storage bulb hydrogen maser is also illustrated which can provide on the order of 2 parts in 10 to the 14th power or better accuracy in evaluating the wall shift. Since the other basic error sources combined contribute no more than approximately 1 part in 10 to the 14th power uncertainty, the variable volume storage bulb hydrogen maser will have net intrinsic accuracy capability of the order of 2 parts in 10 to the 14th power or better. This is an order of magnitude less error than anticipated with cesium standards and is comparable to the basic limit expected for a free atom hydrogen beam resonance standard.

Peters, H. E.↗
NASA NTRS1972

NASA hydrogen maser accuracy and stability in relation to world standards

Frequency comparisons were made among five NASA hydrogen masers to a precision of one part in 10 to the 13th power. Frequency comparisons were also made between these masers and the cesium-beam ensembles of several international standards laboratories. The hydrogen maser frequency stabilities as related to the international time scale (IAT) were comparable to the frequency stabilities of individual time scales with respect to IAT. The relative frequency variations among the NASA masers were 2 plus or minus 2 parts in 10 to the 13th power after a three year interval. Charts are developed to show the results of the accuracy tests.

Peters, H. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Vibrationally excited SiO - A new type of maser source in the millimeter wavelength region

The recently discovered strong emission lines at 86.24 GHz from the J = 2-1 rotational transition of SiO in its first excited vibrational state have been found to be a maser source associated with infrared stars. Twelve maser sources have been detected, and almost all are late M-type Mira or semiregular variables. Many of the known OH/H2O/IR sources are also SiO maser sources, and good velocity correlations between SiO and H2O emission profiles were found. Characteristics of these new SiO maser sources are discussed.

Kaifu, N.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Reflected-wave maser

A number of traveling-wave, slow-wave maser structures, containing active maser material but absent the typical ferrite isolators, are immersed in a nonuniform magnetic field. The microwave signal to be amplified is inserted at a circulator which directs the signal to a slow-wave structure. The signal travels through the slow-wave structure, being amplified according to the distance traveled. The end of the slow-wave structure farthest from the circulator is arranged to be a point of maximum reflection of the signal traveling through the slow-wave structure. As a consequence, the signal to be amplified traverses the slow-wave structure again, in the opposite direction (towards the circulator) experiencing amplification equivalent to that achieved by a conventional traveling-wave maser having twice the length. The circulator directs the amplified signal to following like stages of amplification. Isolators are used in between stages to prevent signals from traveling in the wrong direction, between the stages. Reduced signal loss is experienced at each stage. The high gain produced by each slow-wave structure is reduced to a moderate value by use of a nonuniform magnetic field which also broadens the line width of the maser material. The resulting bandwidth can be exceptionally wide. Cascaded stages provide high gain, exceptionally wide bandwith and very low noise temperature.

Clauss, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Is there a maser in the silicon monoxide ground state

Observations are reported of weak emission from the ground vibrational state of SiO in the Orion molecular cloud. It is shown that this emission has a rather smooth low-intensity profile extending over a large velocity range and is present at velocities where maser emissions from the first and second vibrational states are absent. Based on this difference, the present emission is interpreted as thermal emission in the ground state in regions where there is insufficient excitation to produce the vibrationally excited masers. Possible origins are considered for the Orion SiO maser, and it is noted that only VY CMa shows a profile that could be interpreted as ground-state maser emission.

Buhl, D.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The concertina hydrogen maser

A description is presented of a promising approach for measuring the wall shift in a hydrogen maser with a net uncertainty of one or two parts in 100 trillion. The hydrogen maser principles are briefly examined and the wall shift is discussed, taking into account the interaction of the atom with the wall, the wall shift relationship, and previous wall shift measurement techniques. The essential principles of a 'concertina' variable volume bulb maser are considered along with variable volume maser wall shift errors, design details, and the fabrication of the storage bulb.

Peters, H. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Performance evaluation of the SAO VLG-11 atomic hydrogen masers

A new generation of frequency standards, the VLG-11 hydrogen maser, has been designed and built at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). A comprehensive series of environmental and short-term stability tests on three VLG-11 masers has been completed and evaluated. The test results reported here show substantial improvements over previous hydrogen masers in measured sensitivity to variations in ambient temperature, barometric pressure, and magnetic fields. The maser frequency stability, as represented by the two-sample (Allan) variance, has been measured for averaging times ranging from 1 to 100,00 seconds. The variance is lower than 1 x 10 to the -15th for averaging intervals between 1400 and 20,000 seconds. For times shorter than 4000 seconds, the measured stability data agree remarkably well with theoretical values calculated from thermal noise mechanisms and the 'noise within the linewidth' regime is clearly discernable in the data.

Levine, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A history and analysis of hydrogen maser reliability

Hydrogen masers an integral part of the Deep Space Network, provide extremely accurate navigation about the outer planets, as well as precise location of tracking stations. Reliability of equipment over extended periods of time was considered. The Deep Space Network has a number of hydrogen masers deployed and in the test cycle, which enabled an analysis of reliability of several generations and breeds of construction. A history and analysis of hydrogen maser reliability over a three-year period was compiled several types of masers.

Curtright, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Hot-gas cold-dust pumping for water masers associated with H II regions

A collisional pump with an internal sink is proposed for the water masers associated with H II regions, where the population inversion occurs due to the absorption by cold ice-mantle grains in a highly dusty cloud of the far-infrared line radiation of hot water vapor. A new escape probability method is developed to calculate the transfer of line radiation in dusty medium. The pump mechanism explains the power of usual maser sources associated with H II regions and the enormous power of the sources associated with W49 N and external galaxies. Models of maser clouds have a radius of 5 x 10 to the 15th-10 to the 16th cm, an H2 number density of 4 x 10 to the 9th/cu cm, an expansion velocity of 10-30 km/s, a kinetic temperature of 350 K, and a grain temperature of 100 K. Giant maser sources require grains of the size about 1 micron. The apparent size of the emission spots (approximately 10 to the 13th cm) observed by VLBI is interpreted as due to a fluctuation in the cloud, and the assembly of the spots is spread within a size of 10 to the 16th cm. The temperature difference between the dust and gas is due to a relaxation process after an infrared burst accompanying protostar formation.

Deguchi, S.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A different type of maser star

A systematic survey of short-period, semiregular variable stars has been made resulting in the detection of six new water masers. Of the 14 short-period maser stars now known, nine are classified as SRb variables. All are very late spectral type SRb's, typically M7, while the overwhelming majority of normal SRb stars is M4 to M6. Their 2.2-11 micron color indices are among the lowest of any known maser stars. They are presumably less dusty as well. Four of the SRb stars and two of the remainder do not obey the correlation between period and velocity spread of the emission features that is found for the Mira and long-period, semiregular variables. Finally, high galactic latitudes dominate; 13 of the 14 are in excess of 13 deg, and nine of these are greater than 25 deg. These facts suggest that the short-period semiregular variables - particularly in SRb stars - may be a very different type of maser star than the Mira and long-period semiregular variables.

Dickinson, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Electron-cyclotron masers as the source of certain solar and stellar radio bursts

The theory of electron-cyclotron masers as they might apply in the astrophysical context is developed, and it is suggested that such masers provide an explanation for the very bright emission known to be associated with certain kinds of radio bursts observed on the Sun and other stars. Some of the observed properties of solar and stellar radio bursts that seem to require amplification of the radiation are summarized, including millisecond solar spikes, RS CVn binaries, and flares on M dwarf stars. Recent developments in the theory of electron-cyclotron masers are summarized and the current theory is applied to electrons with a loss cone anisotropy, estimating the growth rate and saturation levels. In the interpretation of solar microwave spikes and RS CVn binaries, the mechanisms of gyromagnetic absorption, maser at the second harmonic, polarization, and angular distribution are examined in the light of the theory.

Melrose, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Hydrogen Masers as Time and Frequency Standards

Track each other with 100 times more precision than cesium standards. Geographically separated hydrogen masers tracked each other for more than year to within few parts in 10 to the 15th power. Frequency offset of hydrogen-maser output from hyperfine line frequency is function of ambient magnetic field, cavity mistuning, thermal motion of atoms in cavity and collisions of atoms with walls of the cavity. If maser remains at one location some of small offsets in frequency will remain constant throughout life of maser.

Ward, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

First experiences with the H-maser EFOS 1

The results are given on the performance measurements, on the dependence on external temperature, and on external magnetic field of a hydrogen maser. It is compared with another hydrogen maser. Details of the transportation and installation of the maser are given. The hydrogen maser frequency is compared with cesium oscillators to derive long-term behavior.

Schlueter, W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The NASA/GSFC hydrogen maser program: A review of recent data

Data is presented on the phase and frequency stability, over time periods extending to one week, of the new NR field operable hydrogen masers developed by the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the older NX and NP field operable hydrogen masers developed by Goddard Space Flight Center and maintained and upgraded by Bendix Field Engineering Corporation (BFEC). Data is presented on the NR masers in the laboratory showing frequency stabilities well into the 10 to the -15th power range and phase stabilities well into the 100 ps range for periods of up to one day. Data is presented on upgraded NP masers in the laboratory showing that the frequency stability has been improved substantially to virtually the NR level. VLBI data is presented on the phase difference between NX-2 at Owens Valley, California and NR-2 at Fort Davis, Texas for a one week period showing, after removal of a constant frequency drift, a 350 ps RMS phase stability.

Chiu, M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

New auto-tuning technique for the hydrogen maser

Auto-tuning of the maser cavity compensates for cavity pulling effect, and other sources of contribution to the long term frequency drift. Schemes previously proposed for the maser cavity auto-tuning can have adverse effects on the performance of the maser. A new scheme is proposed based on the phase relationship between the electric and the magnetic fields inside the cavity. This technique has the desired feature of auto-tuning the cavity with a very high sensitivity and without disturbing the maser performance. Some approaches for the implementation of this scheme and possible areas of difficulty are examined.

Sydnor, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A compact hydrogen maser with exceptional long-term stability

A passive hydrogen maser employing a smaller microwave cavity than previous masers is described. The volume of the entire resonator package, including a conventional source, hexapole state selector, and four magnetic shields, is estimated at 20 liters. The techniques for constructing the ceramic cavity, coating it with FEP, and attaching the endcaps to achieve a stable container (to allow its use as a single vacuum system) are described in detail. Frequency stability measurements were made of four such masers, against an NBS-4 cesium primary standard, against each other, and against eight commercial cesium clocks; frequency stability level is reported as 1.7 x 10 to the -12th tau exp -1/2 from 1 to 100,000 sec, and no drift above 1 x 10 to the -15th/day was found. Pressure and temperature effects on frequency stability were found at the 1 x 10 to the -14th level. Noise behavior beyond 200,000 sec is characterized as random walk. The potential use of a compact stable maser as a clock is suggested.

Howe, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The superconducting cavity stability ruby maser oscillator

Analysis of an application of the rudy maser to a superconducting Cavity Stabilized oscillator shows many attractive features. These derive from the mechancial stability inherent in an all-cryogenic design and from the properties of the ruby maser itself. A multiple-cavity design has been developed to allow physical separation of the high-Q superconducting cavity and the ruby element with its requried applied magnetic field. Mode selection is accomplished in this design by tuning the ruby by means of the applied field. We conclude that such an oscillator would perform well, even with cavity Q's as low as 10 to the 8th power allowing the use of a superconductor-on-sapphire resonator with its greater rigidity and lower thermal expansion. A first test of the Superconducting Cavity Stabilized Maser Oscillator (SCSMO) confirms the efficacy of the multiple-cavity design and the applicability of the ruby maser. Frequency variation less than 4x10 to the minus 11th power was measured in the stabilized mode and is attributed to the reference oscillator and to instabilities in the pump source. Variation of 10 to the minus 10th power was observed in the low-Q unstabilized mode, again attributable to pump fluctuations. Even so, direct scaling to a Q of 10 the 9th power predicts a stability better than 10 to the minus 15th power. Together with results showing the lowest losses to date in sapphire at microwave frequencies, and preliminary experiments on superconductor-on-sapphire resonators, frequency stability, levels as low as 10 to the minus 17th power are indicated.

Dick, G. J.↗