Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Brown, W. E..
Polarimetric synthetic aperture radars, operating at L-, C- and P-band, were designed to replace and upgrade a system destroyed in an aircraft accident. Ground and flight tests were conducted, and the radar was flown over a calibration site in a sequence of experiments designed to calibrate the system. The radar also took part in science campaigns.
A brief overview is given of the hardware and software utilized to generate the CV-990 synthetic aperture radar's image products. The on-board hardware is described, then the operational processing software, and finally the image products that are routinely available.
The Shuttle imaging radar (SIR-A) acquired images of a variety of the earth's geologic areas covering about 10 million square kilometers. Structural and geomorphic features such as faults, folds, outcrops, and dunes are clearly visible in both tropical and arid regions. The combination of SIR-A and Seasat images provides additional information about the surface physical properties: topography and roughness. Ocean features were also observed, including large internal waves in the Andaman Sea.
Three large Venus surface features, identified previously in images obtained from earth-based radar observations, are shown by the Pioneer Venus radar mapper to be elevated 5 to 10 km above the surrounding terrain. Two of these features, one bright and the other dark, lie adjacent to each other astride the 65 N parallel between longitudes 310 E and 10 E. The combined region forms a huge tectonically uplifted plateau, surmounted by radar-bright ridges that may have either a volcanic or tectonic origin. The third feature, located at 30 N, 283 E, is radar-bright and may consist of volcanic material extruded along a fault zone. A first radar-scattering image, compiled from data obtained by the mapper in its imaging mode, shows a region north of the equator; several circular depressions seen in this area may result from meteoritic impact.
A preliminary assessment has been made of the capability of the Seasat synthetic aperture radar to detect ocean waves. Comparison with surface and aircraft measurements from five passes of the satellite over the Gulf of Alaska indicates agreement to within about 15 percent in wavelength and about 25 deg in wave direction. These results apply to waves 100 to 250 meters in length, propagating in a direction predominantly across the satellite track, in sea states with significant wave height in a range of 2 to 3.5 meters.
Altimetry and radar scattering data for Venus, obtained from 10 of the first 13 orbits of the Pioneer Venus orbiter, have disclosed what appears to be a rift valley having vertical relief of up to 7 kilometers, as well as a neighboring, gently rolling plain. Planetary oblateness appears unlikely to exceed 1/2500 and may be substantially smaller.
Simultaneous airglow and electron content measurements made at Hawaii are used to infer the number of 6300 and 6364 A quanta produced per electron lost in the nighttime F layer of the ionosphere. The equation of continuity of electrons is then solved numerically to obtain the electron density profile, and the amount of quenching is estimated. This leads to the number of excitations of O(super-1 D) per O2(+) recombination (epsilon). We find, for an exospheric temperature of 1100 K, epsilon is equal to 1.1 plus or minus 0.6, in good agreement with Zipf's laboratory measurement at 300 K.
Clear air turbulence detection in troposphere by multifrequency radiometric sensor, noting multibeam system for supersonic aircraft
Multiplicative feed system for monopulse angle tracking antennas, discussing influence of sidelobe and backlobe responses on control function slope determining antenna bearing angle
Tropical night F layer maintenance mechanism, noting airglow enhancement and ionization source association with plasma drifts
Lunar data and results of Surveyor 1 lunar probe
Radar backscattering from earth investigated by aircraft and rocket flights, discussing echo vs altitude and penetration of wave into surface
Surveyor III radar data evaluation for electrical properties of lunar surface
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Radar instrumentation on Surveyor I spacecraft and use in determining electrical properties of lunar surface
Mission planning and experiment design for future Mariner-type Venus space probes
Mapping 6300 angstrom airglow isophotes from observations of scanning photometer at Haleakala, Hawaii
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