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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 181 records · Page 10

Fabrication of ultra-low-noise amplifier

Three construction techniques reduce noise temperature of microwave parametric amplifier. Techniques include electroformed idler cavity, screw-tuned idler, and low-loss matching section.

Kraemer, E.↗

High-Performance Solid-State W-Band Power Amplifiers

The figure shows one of four solid-state power amplifiers, each capable of generating an output power greater than or equal to 240 mW over one of four overlapping frequency bands from 71 to 106 GHz. (The bands are 71 to 84, 80 to 92, 88 to 99, and 89 to 106 GHz.) The amplifiers are designed for optimum performance at a temperature of 130 K. These amplifiers were developed specifically for incorporation into frequency-multiplier chains in local oscillators in a low-noise, far-infrared receiving instrument to be launched into outer space to make astrophysical observations. The designs of these amplifiers may also be of interest to designers and manufacturers of terrestrial W-band communication and radar systems. Each amplifier includes a set of six high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) GaAs monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) chips, microstrip cavities, and other components packaged in a housing made from A-40 silicon-aluminum alloy. This alloy was chosen because, for the original intended spacecraft application, it offers an acceptable compromise among the partially competing requirements for high thermal conductivity, low mass, and low thermal expansion. Problems that were solved in designing the amplifiers included designing connectors and packages to fit the available space; designing microstrip signal-power splitters and combiners; matching of impedances across the frequency bands; matching of the electrical characteristics of those chips installed in parallel power-combining arms; control and levelling of output power across the bands; and designing the MMICs, microstrips, and microstrip cavities to suppress tendencies toward oscillation in several modes, both inside and outside the desired frequency bands.

Gaier, Todd↗

Transient Temperature Behavior of a Sphere Heated by Microwaves

We have developed a model for microwave heating of a sphere in a rectangular resonant cavity. The model calculates transient temperature distributions within a sphere during the approach to steady state conditions or on the path to thermal runaway.

microwave heating microwave absorption↗

Microwave Resonators Containing Diamond Disks

Synthetic diamond dielectric bodies proposed for use in cylindrical resonators helping to stabilize frequencies of some microwave oscillators. Acting in conjunction with metal resonator cavities in which mounted, such dielectric bodies support "whispering-gallery" waveguide modes characterized by desired frequencies of resonance and by electro-magnetic-field configurations limiting dissipation of power on metal surfaces outside dielectric bodies. Performances at room temperature might exceed those of liquid-nitrogen-cooled sapphire-based resonators.

Dick, G. John↗

Fundamental design problems and properties of microwave plasma/ion sources

Design problems and procedures associated with microwave plasma sources are applied to cylindrical plasmas inside coaxial and cylindrical cavities. The experimental performance of these cavities is presented. Measurements of electron density and electron temperature for several inert gases, and different tube diameters and pressures are presented and compared with microwave and positive column discharge theories. Results show that plasmas with electron densities in excess of 10 to the 12th/cu cm are easily produced from microwave S band energy. The potential for these sources for ion engines is evaluated.

Root, J.↗

Experiments with a microwave electrothermal thruster concept

The design and test of two microwave electrothermal thrusters is described. The coaxial and cylindrical cavity concepts are tested in nitrogen gas with 200-2,000 W of 2.45 GHz input power. Experimental measurements and calculations of thrust, specific impulse and energy efficiency are presented for different gas flow rates and discharge pressures. Measured energy efficiencies varied between 10-60 percent and the performance compared favorably with other electrothermal thrusters operating in nitrogen gas. The experimental performance demonstrated the feasibility of the concept.

Asmussen, J.↗

94 GHz integrated horn monopulse antennas

A monolithic azimuthal monopulse antenna for 94 GHz applications has been developed. The structure consists of a single dipole suspended in one plane of an integrated horn cavity to obtain the sum pattern, and an antiparallel pair of dipoles suspended in a different plane of the same horn cavity to achieve the difference pattern. Pattern measurements of microwave models and on the millimeter-wave antennas show good agreement with theory and exhibit symmetry with a sharp -30 dB null at broadside for the difference antenna. Microwave model measurements show input impedances close to 50 Ohms, with greater than -25 dB isolation between sum and difference antennas across a 10 percent bandwidth.

Ling, Curtis C.↗

Ultra-Low Noise Laser and Optical Frequency Comb-Based Timing System for the Event Horizon Explorer (EHE) Mission

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) requires a highly stable time reference and synchronization system to maintain coherence between observations recorded independently at multiple stations – for example, the array of ground-based radio telescopes that comprise the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). Instability in the time reference or inaccuracy in the synchronization impacts phase conference and reduces the performance of the VLBI system. For space-based telescopes like the Event Horizon Explorer (EHE) mission, the precision timing system must meet the size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints of the spacecraft platform and be capable of operating in the space environment. The EHE mission is a proposed extension to the EHT that can improve the angular and time resolution of observations by enabling longer interferometric baselines than are possible on the Earth and sampling a wide range of Fourier spatial frequencies throughout the orbital motion. In this effort, we demonstrate the performance of one option for the EHE mission: the use of a space-qualified, ultra-low noise laser developed as part of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission as the timing reference, and an optical frequency comb to transfer the stability of this laser to the microwave regime for instrumentation use. We describe the implementation of the microwave down-conversion, in which the LISA cavity-stabilized laser is locked to a self-referenced optical frequency comb to divide the optical frequency down to 100 MHz. The phase noise of the 100 MHz signal is measured and validated using a phase noise analyzer that is referenced to a separate laboratory ultra-stable laser system. We present the results of this experiment, which demonstrates that the performance of this system meets the EHE requirement: a relative frequency error of 1e-14 from 1 to 30 seconds.

Hannah Tomio↗

Microwave Surface Resistivity of Several Materials at Ambient Temperature

Microwave surface resistivity of a number of metal and other sample materials was measured at X-band, approximately 8400 MHz. The method of measurement uses a TE sub 011 mode circular waveguide cavity resonator wherein the sample is used as one end of the cavity. This method has been used previously in JPL work with good results. Microwave reflection loss and noise arising from the dissipative loss are given, for materials having negligible transmission leakage.

H. F. Reilly↗

Filamentation instability of a large amplitude whistler wave

Experiments performed in a pulsed afterglow plasma column with specified parameters revealed a filamentation instability of a large-amplitude whistler wave launched from antennas which produce a diverging energy flow in the linear regime. The difficult problem of diagnosing local density perturbations in a magnetized plasma in the presence of large-amplitude RF signals and nonuniform anisotropic electron distributions is discussed. Since Langmuir probes are too unreliable under these conditions, a microwave probe is developed based on the principle of the cavity shift method. The temporal and spatial evolution of the duct formation and wave propagation are shown. The role of the observed electron heating in the filamentation process is examined. The observed self-focusing process appears to be the result of the reinforcing interaction between the wave-induced density depression and the density-induced wave refraction. Interesting applications are noted.

Stenzel, R. L.↗

Maser Oscillator With Dielectric Resonators

Two-resonator design yields low phase noise. Oscillator exhibits phase noise intermediate between phase noises of unstablized microwave oscillators and stabilized ruby-maser oscillators with superconducting cavities. Contains two total-internal-reflection dielectric resonators in normally-conductive copper cavity. Two-resonator maser design provides phase stability, isolation between pump and output channels, and variable maser coupling.

Dick, G. John↗

Superconducting Microwave Electronics at Lewis Research Center

Over the last three years, NASA Lewis Research Center has investigated the application of newly discovered high temperature superconductors to microwave electronics. Using thin films of YBa2Cu3O7-delta and Tl2Ca2Ba2Cu3Ox deposited on a variety of substrates, including strontium titanate, lanthanum gallate, lanthanum aluminate and magnesium oxide, a number of microwave circuits have been fabricated and evaluated. These include a cavity resonator at 60 GHz, microstrip resonators at 35 GHz, a superconducting antenna array at 35 GHz, a dielectric resonator at 9 GHz, and a microstrip filter at 5 GHz. Performance of some of these circuits as well as suggestions for other applications are reported.

Warner, Joseph D.↗

Performance characteristics of a microwave plasma disk ion source

The development, design, and preliminary performance characteristics of a microwave plasma disk ion source are presented. Several important design concepts indigenous to microwave plasmas have been utilized in the development of this ion source: generation of a resonantly sustained microwave discharge inside a microwave/plasma coupler, probe and length tuning of the microwave/plasma coupler, and minimization of plasma volume. The experimental results for a 2.45 GHz, eight cm ion source excited in the TE(211) and TM(011) modes are described. Results are presented for electromagnetic mode excitation, electron density, coupling efficiency and loaded cavity Q, and I-V characteristics and efficiencies. It is preliminarily shown that a microwave disk-like plasma can be sustained adjacent to the grids with either TE or TM cavity modes at pressures below 2 x 10 to the -4th torr. Over 80% of the power absorbed in the cavity is coupled into the plasma.

Asmussen, J.↗

Laboratory measurements and modeling of microwave absorption by ammonia in gas mixtures applicable to giant planet atmospheres

Accurate knowledge of the microwave absorption behavior of ammonia is critical to the correct interpretation of radio astronomical and radio occultation data from the giant planets. New cavity resonator techniques developed at the Stanford Center for Radar Astronomy have allowed accurate laboratory measurements of the microwave absorptivity and refractivity spectra of gas mixtures containing trace amounts of ammonia. A parameterized version of the modified Ben-Reuven formalism of Berge and Bulkis was optimized to fit the new data. The new formalism produced by this method predicts ammonia absorptivity much more accurately than previous formalism over a significant range of conditions.

Spilker, T. R.↗

Designing A Microwave Band-Stop Filter

Lumped-circuit design techniques applied to iris-coupled cavities. Waveguide/cavity filter imitates lumped series and parallel combinations of inductance and capacitance over narrow stopband centered at 7.190 GHz. Filter made of standard WR125 waveguide stock.

Manshadi, F.↗

Microwave properties of high transition temperature superconducting thin films

Extensive studies of the interaction of microwaves with YBa2Cu3O(7-delta), Bi-based, and Tl-based superconducting thin films deposited in several microwave substrates were performed. The data were obtained by measuring the microwave power transmitted through the film in the normal and the superconducting state and by resonant cavity techniques. The main motives were to qualify and understand the physical parameters such as the magnetic penetration depth, the complex conductivity, and the surface impedance, of high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials at microwave frequencies. Based on these parameters, the suitability of these HTS thin films is discussed for microwave applications.

Gordon, W. L.↗