Enhanced Light-Harvesting Capacity by Micellar Assembly of Free Accessory Chromophores and LH1-like Antennas
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solar (fuels), photosynthesis (natural and artific↗
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Feasibility of antenna-to-antenna isolation measurements at S-band in the Facility for Antenna and Radar-cross-section Measurements (FARM)
Frequency-domain antenna-coupling measurements performed in the compact-range room of the FARM, will actually be dominated by reflected components from the ceiling, floor, walls, etc., not the direct freespace coupling. Consequently, signal processing must be applied to the frequency-domain data to extract the direct free-space coupling. The analysis presented above demonstrates that it is possible to do so successfully.
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
Magnetic antenna excitation of whistler modes. IV. Receiving antennas and reciprocity
Antenna radiation patterns are an important property of antennas. Reciprocity holds in free space and the radiation patterns for exciting and receiving antennas are the same. In anisotropic plasmas, radiation patterns are complicated by the fact that group and phase velocities differ and certain wave properties like helicity depend on the direction of wave propagation with respect to the background magnetic field B{sub 0}. Interference and wave focusing effects are different than in free space. Reciprocity does not necessarily hold in a magnetized plasma. The present work considers the properties of various magnetic antennas used for receiving whistler modes. It is based on experimental data from exciting low frequency whistler modes in a large uniform laboratory plasma. By superposition of linear waves from different antennas, the radiation patterns of antenna arrays are derived. Plane waves are generated and used to determine receiving radiation patterns of different receiving antennas. Antenna arrays have radiation patterns with narrow lobes, whose angular position can be varied by physical rotation or electronic phase shifting. Reciprocity applies to broadside antenna arrays but not to end fire arrays which can have asymmetric lobes with respect to B{sub 0}. The effect of a relative motion between an antenna and the plasma has been modeled by the propagation of a short wave packet moving along a linear antenna array. An antenna moving across B{sub 0} has a radiation pattern characterized by an oscillatory “whistler wing.” A receiving antenna in motion can detect any plane wave within the group velocity resonance cone. The radiation pattern also depends on loop size relative to the wavelength. Motional effects prevent reciprocity. The concept of the radiation pattern loses its significance for wave packets since the received signal does not only depend on the antenna but also on the properties of the wave packet. The present results are of fundamental interest and of relevance to loop antennas in space.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
X-Antenna: A graphical interface for antenna analysis codes
This report serves as the user's manual for the X-Antenna code. X-Antenna is intended to simplify the analysis of antennas by giving the user graphical interfaces in which to enter all relevant antenna and analysis code data. Essentially, X-Antenna creates a Motif interface to the user's antenna analysis codes. A command-file allows new antennas and codes to be added to the application. The menu system and graphical interface screens are created dynamically to conform to the data in the command-file. Antenna data can be saved and retrieved from disk. X-Antenna checks all antenna and code values to ensure they are of the correct type, writes an output file, and runs the appropriate antenna analysis code. Volumetric pattern data may be viewed in 3D space with an external viewer run directly from the application. Currently, X-Antenna includes analysis codes for thin wire antennas (dipoles, loops, and helices), rectangular microstrip antennas, and thin slot antennas.
Goldstein, B. L.↗
Improvements to the internal and external antenna H{sup −} ion sources at the Spallation Neutron Source
The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), a large scale neutron production facility, routinely operates with 30–40 mA peak current in the linac. Recent measurements have shown that our RF-driven internal antenna, Cs-enhanced, multi-cusp ion sources injects ∼55 mA of H{sup −} beam current (∼1 ms, 60 Hz) at 65-kV into a Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) accelerator through a closely coupled electrostatic Low-Energy Beam Transport system. Over the last several years a decrease in RFQ transmission and issues with internal antennas has stimulated source development at the SNS both for the internal and external antenna ion sources. This report discusses progress in improving internal antenna reliability, H{sup −} yield improvements which resulted from modifications to the outlet aperture assembly (applicable to both internal and external antenna sources) and studies made of the long standing problem of beam persistence with the external antenna source. The current status of the external antenna ion source will also be presented.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
High-performance finite-difference time-domain simulations of C-Mod and ITER RF antennas
Finite-difference time-domain methods have, in recent years, developed powerful capabilities for modeling realistic ICRF behavior in fusion plasmas [1, 2, 3, 4]. When coupled with the power of modern high-performance computing platforms, such techniques allow the behavior of antenna near and far fields, and the flow of RF power, to be studied in realistic experimental scenarios at previously inaccessible levels of resolution. In this talk, we present results and 3D animations from high-performance FDTD simulations on the Titan Cray XK7 supercomputer, modeling both Alcator C-Mod’s field-aligned ICRF antenna and the ITER antenna module. Much of this work focuses on scans over edge density, and tailored edge density profiles, to study dispersion and the physics of slow wave excitation in the immediate vicinity of the antenna hardware and SOL. An understanding of the role of the lower-hybrid resonance in low-density scenarios is emerging, and possible implications of this for the NSTX launcher and power balance are also discussed. In addition, we discuss ongoing work centered on using these simulations to estimate sputtering and impurity production, as driven by the self-consistent sheath potentials at antenna surfaces.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Structural design of a vertical antenna boresight 18.3 by 18.3-m planar near-field antenna measurement system
A large very precise near-field planar scanner was proposed for NASA Lewis Research Center. This scanner would permit near-field measurements over a horizontal scan plane measuring 18.3 m by 18.3 m. Large aperture antennas mounted with antenna boresight vertical could be tested up to 60 GHz. When such a large near field scanner is used for pattern testing, the antenna or antenna system under test does not have to be moved. Hence, such antennas and antenna systems can be positioned and supported to simulate configuration in zero g. Thus, very large and heavy machinery that would be needed to accurately move the antennas are avoided. A preliminary investigation was undertaken to address the mechanical design of such a challenging near-field antenna scanner. The configuration, structural design and results of a parametric NASTRAN structural optimization analysis are contained. Further, the resulting design was dynamically analyzed in order to provide resonant frequency information to the scanner mechanical drive system designers. If other large near field scanners of comparable dimensions are to be constructed, the information can be used for design optimization of these also.
Sharp, G. R.↗
Optical antenna gain. I - Transmitting antennas
The gain of centrally obscured optical transmitting antennas is analyzed in detail. The calculations, resulting in near- and far-field antenna gain patterns, assume a circular antenna illuminated by a laser operating in the TEM-00 mode. A simple polynomial equation is derived for matching the incident source distribution to a general antenna configuration for maximum on-axis gain. An interpretation of the resultant gain curves allows a number of auxiliary design curves to be drawn that display the losses in antenna gain due to pointing errors and the cone angle of the beam in the far field as a function of antenna aperture size and its central obscuration. The results are presented in a series of graphs that allow the rapid and accurate evaluation of the antenna gain which may then be substituted into the conventional range equation.
Klein, B. J.↗
Antenna assemblies and antenna systems
Antenna assemblies and antenna systems are described. According to one aspect, a printed circuit board antenna system includes a dielectric substrate comprising first and second surfaces that are opposite to one another, first electrically conductive material of an antenna element adjacent to the first surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the antenna element is configured to emit electromagnetic energy, and second electrically conductive material of a ground plane adjacent to the second surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the ground plane is aligned with the antenna element and configured to reflect some of the electromagnetic energy in a direction towards the antenna element.
Grando, Maurio B.↗
Intensity Dependence of the Excited State Lifetimes and Triplet Conversion Yield in the Fenna–Matthews–Olson Antenna Protein
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solar (fuels), photosynthesis (natural and artific↗
Reversible switching between non-quenched and quenched states in nanoscale linear arrays of plant light harvesting antenna (LHCII) complexes
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solar (fuels), photosynthesis (natural and artific↗
Benchmark between antenna code TOPICA, RAPLICASOL and Petra-M for the ICRH ITER antenna
ITER will be equipped with three plasma heating systems: neutral beam (NB), electron cyclotron (EC), and ion cy-clotron resonance heating (ICRH). The latter consists of two identical ICRH antennas to deliver 20 MW to the plasma (baseline, upgradable to 40 MW). ICRH will play a crucial role in the ignition and sustainment of burning plasmas in ITER. A high fidelity and robust modeling effort to understand the interaction of the IC waves with the scrape-off-layer (SOL) plasma is a very important aspect. Among the main important research topics, we have the assessment of the antenna loading for different plasma scenarios, the role of the lower hybrid resonance in front of the antenna and how to include it in our models, and the RF sheath boundary conditions to evaluate the antenna impurity generation. In this work, we tackle the first of these by reporting on ICRF simulations employing the Petra-M code, which is an electromagnetic simulation tool for modeling RF wave propagation based on MFEM [http://mfem.org] for the ITER ICRH antenna. Moreover, a benchmark between the well tested antenna codes TOPICA, RAPLI-CASOL, which is based on COMSOL [www.comsol.com], and the Petra-M code is also presented. In conclusion, S- and Z-matrices and wave electric field are compared showing an excellent agreement among these codes.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Magnetic antenna excitation of whistler modes. II. Antenna arrays
The excitation of whistler modes from magnetic loop antennas has been investigated experimentally. The field topology of the excited wave driven by a single loop antenna has been measured for different loop orientations with respect to the uniform background field. The fields from two or more antennas at different locations are then created by superposition of the single-loop data. It is shown that an antenna array can produce nearly plane waves which cannot be achieved with single antennas. By applying a phase shift along the array, oblique wave propagation is obtained. This allows a meaningful comparison with plane wave theory. The Gendrin mode and oblique cyclotron resonance are demonstrated. Wave helicity and polarization in space and time are demonstrated and distinguished from the magnetic helicity of the wave field. The superposition of two oblique plane whistler modes produces in a “whistler waveguide” mode whose polarization and helicity properties are explained. The results show that single point measurements cannot properly establish the wave character of wave packets. The laboratory observations are relevant for excitation and detection of whistler modes in space plasmas.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
A Spatial-frequency Method for Analyzing Antenna-to-Probe Interactions in Near-field Antenna Measurements
The measurement of the radiation characteristics of an antenna on a near-field range requires that the antenna under test be located very close to the near-field probe. Although the direct coupling is utilized for characterizing the near field, this close proximity also presents the opportunity for significant undesired interactions (for example, reflections) to occur between the antenna and the near-field probe. When uncompensated, these additional interactions will introduce error into the measurement, increasing the uncertainty in the final gain pattern obtained through the near-field-to-far-field transformation. Quantifying this gain-uncertainty contribution requires quantifying the various additional interactions. A method incorporating spatial-frequency analysis is described which allows the dominant interaction contributions to be easily identified and quantified. In addition to identifying the additional antenna-to-probe interactions, the method also allows identification and quantification of interactions with other nearby objects within the measurement room. Because the method is a spatial-frequency method, wide-bandwidth data is not required, and it can be applied even when data is available at only a single temporal frequency. This feature ensures that the method can be applied to narrow-band antennas, where a similar time-domain analysis would not be possible.
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
L-band orthogonal-mode crossed-slot antenna and VHF crossed-loop antenna
A low gain, circularly polarized, L-band antenna; a low gain, linealy polarized, L-band antenna; and a low gain, circularly polarized, upper hemisphere, VHF satellite communications antenna intended for airborne applications are described. The text includes impedance and antenna radiation pattern data, along with physical description of the construction of the antennas.
Olsson, T.↗
A review of performance characteristics of satellite antennas and some observations on future directions in satellite antenna design
A general review of the state-of-the-art and new directions in research and development of spacecraft antennas is presented. Three general classes of antennas are discussed: phased arrays, lenses (dielectric and waveguide), and reflector antennas. Presently, the antenna with most applications is the reflector with considerable research being performed to improve its scan and multiple beam characteristics. Future applications for spacecraft antennas and research goals to meet these projected needs also are discussed.
Mittra, R.↗
A generalized method for determining radiation patterns of aperture antennas and its application to reflector antennas
The reflector antenna may be thought of as an aperture antenna. The classical solution for the radiation pattern of such an antenna is found by the aperture integration (AI) method. Success with this method depends on how accurately the aperture currents are known beforehand. In the past, geometrical optics (GO) has been employed to find the aperture currents. This approximation is suitable for calculating the main beam and possibly the first few sidelobes. A better approximation is to use aperture currents calculated from the geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD). Integration of the GTD currents over and extended aperture yields more accurate results for the radiation pattern. This approach is useful when conventional AI and GTD solutions have no common region of validity. This problem arises in reflector antennas. Two dimensional models of parabolic reflectors are studied; however, the techniques discussed can be applied to any aperture antenna.
Paknys, J. R.↗
A look ahead: Status of the SNS external antenna ion source and the new RFQ test stand
The U.S. Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) now operates with ∼1 MW of beam power to target with the near-term goal of delivering 1.4 MW. Plans are being considered to incorporate a second target station into the facility which will require ∼2.8 MW of beam power. Presently, H{sup −} beam pulses (∼1 ms, 60 Hz) are produced by an RF-driven, Cs-enhanced, multi-cusp ion source which injects beam into an RFQ (Radio Frequency Quadrupole) accelerator that, in turn, feeds the SNS Linac. Currently the source/RFQ system delivers ∼35 mA of pulsed current to the linac which is mostly sufficient for 1.4 MW operations while ∼50 mA are needed for the second target station upgrade. This paper provides a look forward for the SNS by providing (i) the present and future SNS source/RFQ beam requirements and our plans to achieve these, (ii) a description and status of the external antenna ion source being developed for the replacement of the current internal antenna ion source, and (iii) a description and status of the newly constructed RFQ test facility.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗