Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Dick, G. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Dick, G. J..

At least 19 records

Progress Report for a New Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillator

We present design progress and subsystem test results for a new short-term frequency standard, the Voltage Controlled Sapphire Oscillator (VCSO). Included are sapphire resonator and coupling design, cryocooler environmental sensitivity tests, Q measurement results, and turnover temperature results. A previous report presented history of the design related to resonator frequency and frequency compensation [1]. Performance goals are a frequency stability of 1x10(exp -14) (1 second less than or equal to (tau) less than or equal to 100 seconds) and two years or more continuous operation. Long-term operation and small size are facilitated by use of a small Stirling cryo-cooler (160W wall power) with an expected 5 year life.

oscillator↗

A high performance frequency standard and distribution system for Cassini Ka-band experiment

This paper provides an overview and update of a specialized frequency reference system for the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) to support Ka-band radio science experiments with the Cassini spacecraft, currently orbiting Saturn. Three major components, a Hydrogen Maser, Stabilized Fiber-optic Distribution Assembly (SFODA), and 10 Kelvin Cryocooled Sapphire Oscillator (10K CSO) and frequency-lock-loop, are integrated to achieve the very high performance, ground based frequency reference at a remote antenna site located 16 km from the hydrogen maser. Typical measured Allan Deviation is 1.6 -14 1 0a't 1 second and 1.7 x 10 -15 at 1000 seconds averaging intervals. Recently two 10K CSOs have been compared in situ while operating at the remote DSN site DSS-25. The CSO references were used operationally to downconvert the Ka band downlink received from the Cassini spacecraft in a series of occultation measurements performed over a 78 day period from March to June 2005.

sapphire↗

Design concept for the microwave interrogation structure in PARCS

In this paper we will describe key aspects of the conceptual design of the microwave interrogation structure in the laser-cooled cesium frequency standard that is part of the Primary Atomic Reference Clock in Space (PARCS) experiment.

frequency standard phase shift microwave cavity↗