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At least 145 records · Page 8

Study to improve the low frequency noise characteristics of (Hg,Cd)Te detectors

Efforts made to identify and reduce the sources of l/f noise in 15 micron n-type (Hg,Cd)Te detectors operating at 77 K are reported. The investigation covered: evaluation of the influence of material properties and detector processing techniques, determination of the relative importance of surfaces, volumes, regions, and contracts, and generation of theoretical models for guidance of the experimental work.

Broudy, R. M.↗

Reduced power processor requirements for the 30-cm diameter Hg ion thruster

An evaluation of simplifications for the thruster power processor interface for a 30 cm Hg ion thruster is presented. Tests on the engine, thruster control, and the power supplies are performed. Reduced power processors requirements are defined and the impact on thruster design, performance, and lifetime are assessed.

Rawlin, V. K.↗

Preliminary results of the mission profile life test of a 30 cm Hg bombardment thruster

Long term tests were performed on a 30 cm Hg bombardment thruster and a power processing unit to determine lifetime characteristics. The thruster performance data and other operational characteristics taken at various times during the test segment are presented and evaluated with the life limiting mechanisms: discharge chamber erosion, deposition and spalling, external erosion, cathode degradation, and propellant isolator leakage. The control algorithms for thruster start up, steady state operation, throttle, detection and correction of off normal conditions, and shutdown are discussed.

Bechtel, R. T.↗

Reduced power processor requirements for the 30-cm diameter HG ion thruster

The characteristics of power processors strongly impact the overall performance and cost of electric propulsion systems. A program was initiated to evaluate simplifications of the thruster-power processor interface requirements. The power processor requirements are mission dependent with major differences arising for those missions which require a nearly constant thruster operating point (typical of geocentric and some inbound planetary missions) and those requiring operation over a large range of input power (such as outbound planetary missions). This paper describes the results of tests which have indicated that as many as seven of the twelve power supplies may be eliminated from the present Functional Model Power Processor used with 30-cm diameter Hg ion thrusters.

Rawlin, V. K.↗

HG ion thruster component testing

Cathodes, isolators, and vaporizers are critical components in determining the performance and lifetime of mercury ion thrusters. The results of life tests of several of these components are reported. A 30-cm thruster CIV test in a bell jar has successfully accumulated over 26,000 hours. The cathode has undergone 65 restarts during the life test without requiring any appreciable increases in starting power. Recently, all restarts have been achieved with only the 44 volt keeper supply with no change required in the starting power. Another ongoing 30-cm Hg thruster cathode test has successfully passed the 10,000 hour mark. A solid-insert, 8-cm thruster cathode has accumulated over 4,000 hours of thruster operation. All starts have been achieved without the use of a high voltage ignitor. The results of this test indicate that the solid impregnated insert is a viable neutralizer cathode for the 8-cm thruster.

Mantenieks, M. A.↗

Transient and diffusion analysis of Hg Cd Te

The solution of the one dimensional planar interface solidification problem is presented. Numerical solutions are applied to experimental solute profiles to determine the effective diffusion constant for Hg Co Te. Progress on the design and construction of a high gradient furnace is reported.

Clayton, J. C.↗

Directional solidification and characterization of Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te alloys

A series of Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te alloy crystals was grown by high temperature gradient directional solidification at furnace translation rates ranging from 0.068 to 1.12 microns/s. For several ingots, the measured longitudinal compositional profiles were fitted to theoretical profiles to estimate the magnitude of D, the liquid HgTe-CdTe interdiffusion coefficient. The best-fit value of D was about 550,000 sq cm/s. The majority of the ingots showed significant radial compositional variations along the growth axis. These variations are attributed, at least in part, to fluid flows ahead of the growth interface. The results are discussed in terms of the heat transfer characteristics of the alloy/ampule/furnace system, and on the effects of these characteristics on the shape and stability of the growth interface in a 1-g environment.

Lehoczky, S. L.↗

Electrical characterization of Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te alloys

Theoretical models are described for calculations of charge-carrier concentrations, Fermi energy, and conduction electron mobility as functions of x, temperature, and ionized and neutral defect concentrations of Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te alloys. Measurements are reported of electron concentration and electron mobility from 5-300 K for alloys with x values of between 0.17 and 0.30. The electrical data are in reasonable agreement with theory, and were analyzed to obtain estimates of donor and acceptor state concentrations. The electron mobilities are calculated in terms of a microscopic theory of electrical conduction derived from the solution of the Boltzmann equation for the perturbed steady-state electron distribution function, and they show that longitudinal optical-phonon and charged and neutral defect scattering are the dominant mobility-limiting mechanisms.

Lehoczky, S. L.↗

Measured thermal diffusivity of Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te solids and melts

The thermal diffusivity of Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te melts is found to rise rapidly with temperature to values characteristic of metals. Solid and melt diffusivities for values of x from 0 to 0.3 and over a temperature range from 150 to 900 C have been determined by the laser flash method of Parker, Taylor, and Cowan. The diffusivity decreases from a maximum at x = 0 in both the solid and the liquid, with the values observed at x = 0.3 being about 40 percent of those for x = 0. The solid diffusivity for x = 0 is 1.7 sq mm/s at 150 C, decreasing to 0.7 sq mm/s at the melting point. The x = 0 liquid diffusivity increases from 0.7 sq mm/s at the melting point to 3.5 sq mm/s at 900 C.

Holland, L. R.↗

Further comments on segregation during Bridgman growth of Cd(x)Hg(1-x)Te

The authors comment on recent papers published by Capper et al. (1983) and Jones et al. (1983) which report and discuss the variation of composition with axial position in Bridgman-grown Cd(x)Hg(1-x)Te alloys. The validity of a diffusion-controlled model for non-mixing growth conditions is particularly noted.

Lehoczky, S. L.↗

Heat capacity, enthalpy of mixing, and thermal conductivity of Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te pseudobinary melts

Heat capacity and enthalpy of mixing of Hg(1-x)Cd(x)Te pseudobinary melts were calculated assuming an associated solution model for the liquid phase. The thermal conductivity of the pseudobinary melts for x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 was then calculated from the heat capacity values and the experimental values of thermal diffusivity and density for these melts. The thermal conductivity for the pseudobinary solid solution is also discussed.

Su, Ching-Hua↗

Experimental and theoretical investigations of the optogalvanic effect in a Hg-Ar discharge

The optogalvanic effect induced in a Hg-Ar discharge by light at 546.1 nm is studied experimentally and theoretically. The plasma and its response to a disturbance in the atomic-level populations are described entirely in terms of electron collision cross sections and other fundamental parameters. In a detailed description of the laser interaction with the atomic system, it was necessary to take into account velocity-changing collisions (VCC). These collisions (VCC) strongly modify the interaction between the Doppler-broadened system and the optical field. In some Doppler-free optogalvanic spectra the dramatic influence of VCC on the velocity distribution of atomic-level population is evident. Measurements of the magnitude of the optogalvanic signal confirm most of the theoretical results. Some anomalous features of the impedance change due to a weak beam were observed when a strong counterpropagating beam was introduced.

Richardson, W. H.↗

Mass flux and crystal composition in the Hg(0.8)Cd(0.2)Te-HgI2 vapor transport system

Chemical vapor transport (CVT) studies of the Hg(0.8)Cd(0.2)Te-HgI2 system were performed to further test and extend the transport model developed earlier in this laboratory for this system. Experimental results in terms of mass transport rates and composition of the grown crystals as a function of growth temperature and of transport agent (HgI2) pressure, for a fixed source temperature (590 C), are compared with theoretically predicted data. The good agreement between experimental and theoretical results confirms the validity of the model applied to the CVT process of this system.

Wiedemeier, Heribert↗