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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

A Multi-Band Far-Infrared Survey with a Balloon-Borne Telescope

Nine additional radiation sources, above a 3-sigma confidence level of 1300 Jy, were identified at 100 microns by far infrared photometry of the galactic plane using a 0.4 meter aperture, liquid helium cooled, multichannel far infrared balloon-borne telescope. The instrument is described, including its electronics, pointing and suspension systems, and ground support equipment. Testing procedures and flight staging are discussed along with the reduction and analysis of the data acquired. The history of infrared astronomy is reviewed. General infrared techniques and the concerns of balloon astronomers are explored.

Jacobson, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Infrared Astronomical Satellite

The objective of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite is to produce an unbiased all-sky survey in the wavelength region between 8 and 120 microns. Using a 60 cm diameter helium cooled telescope and detector arrays which are essentially zodiacal light background photon noise limited, heretofore unprecedented sensitivity can be achieved. The optical design, the focal plane layout and expected performance of the current design concept are discussed.

Aumann, H. H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A re-entrant groove hydrogen heat pipe

This paper extends the development of reentrant groove technology to hydrogen heat pipes. Parametric analyses are presented which optimize the theoretical design while considering the limitations of state-of-the-art extrusion technology. Acceptable production-type runs of extruded lengths (over 300 m) could only be achieved at the expense of a wider nominal groove opening than specified (0.33 mm vs. 0.20 mm). However, dimensional variations of other critical dimensions were within 0.05 mm, which exceeded expectations. The 6063-T6 aluminum extrusion is 14.6 mm OD with a wall thickness of 1.66 mm and contains 20 axial grooves which surround a central 9.3-mm-diam vapor core. Each axial groove is 0.775-mm-diam with a 0.33 mm opening. An excess vapor reservoir is provided at the evaporator to minimize the pressure containment hazard during ambient storage. Details of the instrumentation and helium-cooled test installation are also presented.

Alario, J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Preliminary results from the University of Denver infrared spectrometer - 1977 intertropical convergence zone experiment

The Denver University Infrared Spectrometer (DUIRS) is a liquid-helium-cooled emission radiometer designed to study minor atmospheric constituents. DUIRS flew on 12 data flights during the 1977 Intertropical Convergence Zone experiment. No data were obtained on the flight from Wallops Island to Panama because of a power failure or on the return flight to Wallops Island because of a cryogen line freeze-up. The data coverage on the nine vertical profile flights that were flown before the freeze-up are shown. Typical spectra and variations as a function of U-2 (research aircraft) altitude are also shown. Radio metric data and rawinsonde temperature data were used to perform band model calculations to obtain molecular number densities in the column above the aircraft at each altitude.

Barker, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Spectrum of the cosmic background radiation

Measurements of the emission spectrum of the night sky have been made in the frequency range from 1.7 to 40 kaysers by using a fully calibrated liquid-helium-cooled balloon-borne spectrophotometer. The results show that the spectrum of the cosmic background radiation peaks at 6 kaysers and is approximately that of a 3-K blackbody out to several times that frequency. However, the data show deviations from a simple blackbody curve.

Woody, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A 1.2 meter balloon-borne telescope for a submillimeter wave sky survey

A balloon-borne, 1.2 meter Cassegrain telescope designed for diffraction-limited imagery at 100 microns is being developed for a survey of the Galactic plane at submillimeter wavelengths. The telescope pointing system is servocontrolled using a gyroscope for the primary stabilization reference. Extensive use is made of microprocessors for flight sequencing, pointing control and stabilization, and telemetry formatting. A description of the telescope, helium-cooled detectors, and the orientation subsystems are presented together with a brief discussion of the proposed astronomical observations.

Silverberg, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Heat-Exchanger Method of Crystal Growth

Large crystals of silicon are grown from melt, in either vacuum or pressurized atmosphere, without moving crucible, furnace, or anything else. Seed crystal is mounted on helium-cooled heat exchanger, which prevents seed from melting when furnace melts rest of silicon material in crucible; heat exchanger draws off heat from melt so that a solid ingot grows outward from seed in a regular crystal structure. Bottom of crucible is insulated so that heat exchanger cools only seed.

Khattak, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Test results of Spacelab 2 infrared telescope focal plane

The small helium cooled infrared telescope for Spacelab 2 is designed for sensitive mapping of extended, low-surface-brightness celestial sources as well as highly sensitive investigations of the shuttle contamination environment (FPA) for this mission is described as well as the design for a thermally isolated, self-heated J-FET transimpedance amplifier. This amplifier is Johnson noise limited for feedback resistances from less than 10 to the 8th power Omega to greater than 2 x 10 to the 10th power Omega at T = 4.2K. Work on the focal plane array is complete. Performance testing for qualification of the flight hardware is discussed, and results are presented. All infrared data channels are measured to be background limited by the expected level of zodiacal emission.

Young, E. T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The galactic center - 16-30 micron observations and the 18 micron extinction

Within the galactic center, ionized gas, stars, and heated dust are in close proximity to each other. Observations of the galactic center were made during two flight series on NASA aircraft flying at altitudes of more than 12 km. In both series the instrument used was a 10-channel liquid helium cooled grating spectrometer. Three 16-30 micrometers continuum spectra are presented along with two-color scans of the galactic center. No 18.71 micrometers line emission has been detected from Sgr A West. This is consistent with large dust extinction and normal S III/H II abundances. All three 16-30 micrometers continuum spectra show a broad depression centered at about 18 micrometers. This observation is attributed to absorption by cold silicate dust grains. The characteristics of a silicate model are discussed.

Mccarthy, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Near-millimeter spectrum of the microwave background

A description is given of a method for the measurement of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) spectrum. A helium-cooled, balloon-borne spectrophotometer was used to measure the emission spectrum of the night sky over the frequency range 1.7-40/cm. The apparatus was calibrated using a blackbody source at a variety of temperatures both before and after the flight. It is shown that the spectrum of the CMB peaks at 6/cm and is approximately that of a blackbody out to several times that frequency. The measured flux is also found to be equivalent to that from a blackbody in the temperature range from 2.88 to 3.09 K. The data set resulting from the combination of these measurements with previous observations of the CMB covers three decades in frequency, and is compared with various CMB models.

Woody, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Definition phase effort of the Spacelab-2 Infrared Telescope Experiment (IRT)

Activities associated with a proposal for the reflight of the small helium cooled infrared telescope scheduled to make its maiden voyage on Spacelab-2 are reported. The experiments requirements document was revised and updated and an investigation development plan was prepared for the refurbishment and reflight of the telescope. The summary of a briefing held to discuss Spacelab interfaces for the proposal is included.

Fazio, G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Recent spectroscopic measurements of NOx in the lower stratosphere

High resolution (0.02 and 0.06 per cm) Fourier transform airborne systems were used for measurements of long path atmospheric absorption spectra, covering many of the NOx infrared bands. Atmospheric emission measurements with liquid helium cooled grating spectrometer systems at 0.5 per cm resolution were also carried out from different altitudes in the NOx bands region. Analysis of the absorption and emission spectra provides quantification of NOx in the lower stratosphere at different latitudes and seasons, as well as diurnal variability.

Goldman, A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Fused silica mirror development for SIRTF

An advanced design, lightweight, fuse-quartz mirror of sandwich construction was evaluated for optical figure performance at cryogenic temperatures. A low temperature shroud was constructed with an integral mirror mount and interface to a cryostat for use in a vacuum chamber. The mirror was tested to 13 K. Cryogenic distortion of the mirror was measured interferometrically. Separate interferometry of the chamber window during the test permitted subtraction of the small window distortions from the data. Results indicate that the imaging performance of helium cooled, infrared telescopes will be improved using this type of mirror without correction of cryogenic distortion of the primary mirror.

Barnes, W. P., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Observations of the infrared fine-structure lines of S III at 18.71 and 33.47 microns in four H II regions

Infrared fine-structure lines provide a particularly useful probe of ionized nebulae. The present investigation is concerned with measurements of the forbidden S III lines at 18.71 and 33.47 micrometers for four H II regions, S158A, S158G, G75.84+0.4, and W3 IRS 1. These lines are used to estimate densities, and comparisons are made with rms densities determined from radio observations to evaluate the importance of clumping. For the case of the optical H II region S158A, comparisons are made with both optical and forbidden O III line determinations of the density. The reported observations were made using a dual-grating, liquid-helium-cooled spectrometer containing a three-element Si:Sb detector array and a three-element Ge:Ga detector array. It is found that clumping is important in the cases of G75.84+0.4, W3 IRS 1, and M42. These three H II regions have filling factors of 0.024, 0.09, and 0.03, respectively.

Herter, T.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Far-infrared spectrophotometer for astronomical observations

A liquid-helium-cooled far infrared spectrophotometer was built and used to make low resolution observations of the continua of several kinds of astronomical objects using the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. This instrument fills a gap in both sensitivity to continuum sources and spectral resolution between the broadband photometers with lambda/Delta lambda approximately 1 and spectrometers with lambda/Delta lambda greater than 50. While designed primarily to study planetary nebulae, the instrument permits study of the shape of the continua of many weak sources which cannot easily be observed with high resolution systems.

Moseley, H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A large aperture balloon-borne telescope for a submillimeter wavelength survey of the galactic plane

A balloon-borne, 1.2 meter Cassegrain telescope with a servo-controlled chopping secondary mirror has been developed and used to survey the Galactic Plane at submillimeter wavelengths. The telescope pointing system uses a gyroscope as the primary stabilization reference and makes use of microprocessors for pointing control, on-board data collection, and telemetry formatting. A description of the telescope, multi-channel liquid-helium-cooled focal plane and the aspect and orientation subsystems are presented.

Silverberg, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1983

New black paint for cryogenic infrared applications

A black paint has been developed and tested for cryogenic applications involving wavelengths beyond 10 microns. The paint has been used extensively for liquid helium cooled applications in a variety of instruments operating between 10 and 120 microns. The material is applied by brush over a spray or brush applied primer coat. A final covering is applied by either brush or spray. The composition and preparation of the paint are described, as are data about its outgassing properties. Infrared reflection and scattering data obtained by other groups which compare this material to other commercially available surface preparations are presented.

Houck, J. R.↗