Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Stanton, P..
Finding very low loss waveguides in the millimeter/submillimeter wave range has been a problem of considerabel interest for many years. Starting from fundamentals, we have found a new way to design a waveguide structure which is capable of providing an attenuation coefficient of less than 10dB/km for the guided dominant mode.
The first Ka-Band Deep Space Network downlink demonstration was recently carried out by the Ka-Band Link Experiment (KABLE) in association with the Mars Observer spacecraft.
A wideband polarizer for the Deep Space Network (DSN) 34 meter beam waveguide antenna is needed for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project. The results of a computer analysis of a wideband polarizer are presented.
The results of an X/X/Ka-band feed design concept demonstration are presented. The purpose is to show the feasibility of adding a Ka-band beacon to the Mars Observer spacecraft. Scale model radiation patterns were made and analyzed.
A series of calculations that were carried out in order to determine the performance of the new dual-shaped 70 meter antenna for feeds that are displaced from the focal ring are summarized. Calculations were carried out at 1.68 GHz (L-band) and 5.0 GHz (C-band) for a number of feed/subreflector configurations. The effects of feed displacement, feed pointing angle, subreflector tilt, and lateral subreflector movement are summarized. Of specific interest are gain, beam squint, and spillover noise temperature for each of the feed/subreflector configurations described above.
The 64 m subnet is committed to support the International Sun Earth Explorer (ISEE-3) spacecraft. The uplink and one of the downlink frequencies will be respectively, 2090 and 2217 MHz. As these two frequencies fall outside the normal DSN transmit and receive bands, the 64-m antennas present new filter requirements, which are analyzed.
A study was performed to determine the effects of a mercury ion thruster plume on an S-band telecommunication carrier. Experiments were carried out on a 30 cm thruster in a JPL test chamber. Results from simple analytical models were compared with the above measurements and major discrepancies were discovered. Modifications to the electron density model provided a qualitative explanation, but further work is necessary for a quantitative answer. The results indicate the effects of the plume, on S and X Band telecommunications will be minor, with the possible exception of critical angle blockage.