Nasa Space Electronics Research
Guidance and control, communications, data processing, and instrumentation in space electronics
GUIDANCE AND CONTROL↗
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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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Electron time dispersion
Observations of electrons during a sounding rocket flight from Sondrestromfjord, Greenland, in 1985 showed numerous instances of electron time-of-flight dispersion, that is, a coherent structure in which fast electrons arrived before slow electrons. The instrumentation measured many pitch angles simultaneously with high time resolution, providing a detailed view of the temporal evolution of the electron signature at rocket altitudes which was indicative of an impulsive injection of electrons over a range of energies. A model utilizing an extended, quasi-static (static on a timescale of 1 s), parallel electric field was developed to investigate a possible mechanism for the injection of these electrons. The model is found to fit the data well only when a background is added which cannot be self-consistently generated by the model, although other parameters used in the model are in general agreement with previous reports. This leads to the conclusion that electron dispersion is more probably generated by a wave acceleration mechanism.
Kletzing, C. A.↗
KLASS: Kennedy Launch Academy Simulation System
Software provides access to many sophisticated scientific instrumentation (Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), a Light Microscope, a Scanning Probe Microscope (covering Scanning Tunneling, Atomic Force, and Magnetic Force microscopy), and an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer for the SEM). Flash animation videos explain how each of the instruments work. Videos on how they are used at NASA and the sample preparation. Measuring and labeling tools provided with each instrument. Hands on experience of controlling the virtual instrument to conduct investigations, much like the real scientists at NASA do. Very open architecture. Open source on SourceForge. Extensive use of XML Target audience is high school and entry-level college students. "Many beginning students never get closer to an electron microscope than the photos in their textbooks. But anyone can get a sense of what the instrument can do by downloading this simulator from NASA's Kennedy Space Center." Science Magazine, April 8th, 2005
Garner, Lesley C.↗
A measurement of the absolute flux of cosmic-ray electrons
A balloon-borne superconducting magnet spectrometer was used to measure the absolute flux of cosmic-ray electrons. The instrument consisted of a gas Cerenkov detector, a momentum spectrometer, and a lead-scintillator shower counter. In order to determine electron flux in the interstellar medium, observed fluxes for energy loss in the atmosphere and the payload were corrected, taking into account solar modulation effects and bremsstrahlung energy losses. Fluxes were measured at an average atmospheric depth of 5.8 g/sq cm, and the solar modulation was 300 MeV. A cosmic-ray electron flux of 367 E to the exp(3.15 + or -0.2) per sq m/sr s GeV was obtained in the energy range 4.5-63.5 GeV. The uncertainty of the absolute (electron-positron) flux was 10 percent. A summary of the electron data is given in a table.
Golden, R. L.↗
Grant Proposal for the Continuation of the Voyager Interstellar Mission: LECP Investigation
This proposal documents the plans of the Low Energy Charged Particle (LECP) investigation team for participation in NASA's Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM) as the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft explore the outer reaches of the heliosphere and search for the termination shock and the heliopause. The proposal covers the four year period from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2000. The LECP instruments on Voyager 1 and 2 measure in situ intensities of charged particles with energies from about 30 keV to 100 MeV for ions, and about 20 keV to greater than 10 MeV for electrons. The instruments provide detailed spectral, angular, and compositional information about the particles. Composition is available for greater than 200 keV/nuc using multi-parameter measurements. Angular information is obtained by a mechanically scanned platform that rotates at various commanded rates. Measurements of low energy ion and electron intensities versus time and spatial location within the heliosphere contain an abundance of information regarding various transport and acceleration processes on both local (approx. 1 hr, approx. 0.01 AU) and global (approx. 11 yrs, approx. 100 AU) scales. The LECP instruments provide unique observations of such dynamical processes, and we anticipate that it will return critical information regarding the boundaries of the heliosphere. Several recent and exciting discoveries based on LECP measurements emphasize the important role that low energy charged particle distributions play in physical processes in the interplanetary medium. Yet, at the same time, these discoveries also underscore the fact that our understanding of processes in the outer heliosphere is, in most cases, incomplete, and in others, only rudimentary at best. Among the discoveries referred to above are the following: (1) Shocks: Examination of greater than 30 keV ion intensities have revealed: (a) a total absence of acceleration beyond only -100-200 keV at a strong transient shock in May 1991 at 35 AU, despite an enhanced level of seed particles; (b) a large transient shock in September 1991 of global scale, with intensities of shock-accelerated ions greater than or equal to 30 keV to approx. 30 MeV showing complex, highly energy-dependent spatial evolution, and small-scale (approx. few gyroradii), often anisotropic, micro-structures; (c) recurrent intensity increases in greater than or equal to 30 keV to -few MeV ions, with structures that, in some cases, show no correlation with the associated corotating shock. (2) Superthermal ion pressure: A global merged interaction region with a leading shock, downstream of which the superthermal ion (greater than or equal to 30 keV to approx. 4 MeV) pressure is comparable to that of the thermal plasma, and the total particle pressure yields a plasma beta of order unity. (3) Pickup ions: Measurements of the C/O ratio within transient structures at 35-45 AU showing the first clear evidence that transient shocks can pre-accelerate interstellar pickup ions from approx. 1 keV/nuc to at least 1 MeV/nuc. (4) Seed particles: Injection of ions for acceleration to high energies at the termination shock is unlikely to be a problem, since interplanetary transient and recurrent shocks are continually accelerating ions, of solar wind or interstellar origin, to highly superthermal energies. (5) Precursor electrons: Ambient solar electrons (greater than or equal to few tens of keV) that exist in the outer heliosphere ca form a broad precursor, several days wide, that is upstream of the termination shock and potentially observable a few months prior to the shock crossing. (6) Solar wind velocity at Voyager 1: We can use LECP ion data to obtain the solar wind velocity at Voyager 1, enabling us to provide critical measurement of the plasma flow as we approach and encounter the termination shock and other regions (necessary due to the partial failure of the Voyager 1 PLS experiment). The work of the LECP investigator team during the VIM will include: (1) Continuing operations with regard to the receipt, processing, verification, cataloging, display, and distribution of the data from the LECP instruments on Voyager 1 and 2, (2) Monitoring the health and performance of the LECP instruments, and evaluating and characterizing the response of the LECP instruments to various energetic particle and plasma environments, (3) Participating in, and supporting Voyager Project planning exercises and other coordinated activities relevant to exploration of the outer heliosphere, (4) Developing analysis techniques and operational procedures suitable for searching for and characterizing the boundaries and unique regions of the outher heliosphere, (5) Continuing the preparation of data sets appropriate for submission to the National Space Sciences Data Center (NSSDC) and, where appropriate, the Planetary Data System (PDS), (6) Maintaining direct Web access to online LECP data through the JHU/APL Voyager LECP home page, (7) Performing scientific evaluations of the Voyager 1 and 2 LECP data sets in conjunction with other data sets and other investigators, with particular focus on the outer regions of the heliosphere, and (8) Publishing the results of these evaluations in the scientific literature and presenting the results in scientific conferences.
Krimigis, Stamatios M.↗
Space Radiation Shielding Studies for Astronaut and Electronic Component Risk Assessment
The dosimetry component of the Center for Radiation Engineering and Science for Space Exploration (CRESSE) will design, develop and characterize the response of a suite of radiation detectors and supporting instrumentation and electronics with three primary goals that will: (1) Use established space radiation detection systems to characterize the primary and secondary radiation fields existing in the experimental test-bed zones during exposures at particle accelerator facilities. (2) Characterize the responses of newly developed space radiation detection systems in the experimental test-bed zones during exposures at particle accelerator facilities, and (3) Provide CRESSE collaborators with detailed dosimetry information in experimental test-bed zones.
Fuchs, Jordan Robert↗
Rocket engine vibration accurately measured by photography
High speed instrumentation camera focused on a partially masked light bulb which is securely mounted to the test fixture permits measurement of engine performance parameters when usual electronic vibration instrumentation is unavailable. Vibration is recorded as a light trace deviating from the light rays photographed in the static hardware condition.
Craig, K. A.↗
Robotic Technology for Exploration of Venus
Venus, the "greenhouse planet", is a scientifically fascinating place. A huge number of important scientific questions remain to be answered. Venus is sometimes called Earth's "sister planet" due to the fact that it is closest to the Earth in distance and similar to Earth in size. Despite its similarity to Earth, however, the climate of Venus is vastly different from Earth's. Understanding the atmosphere, climate, geology, and history of Venus could shed considerable light on our understanding of our own home planet. The surface of Venus is a hostile environment, with an atmosperic pressure of over 90 bar of carbon dioxide, temperature of 450 C, and shrouded in sulphuric-acid clouds. Venus has been explored by a number of missions from Earth, including the Russian Venera missions which landed probes on the surface, the American Pioneer missions which flew both orbiters and atmospheric probes to Venus, the Russian "Vega" mission, which floated balloons in the atmosphere of Venus, and most recently the American Magellan mission which mapped the surface by radar imaging. While these missions have answered basic questions about Venus, telling us the surface temperature and pressure, the elevations and topography of the continents, and the composition of the atmosphere and clouds, scientific mysteries still abound. Venus is of considerable interest to terrestrial atmospheric science, since of all the planets in the solar system, it is the closest analogue to the Earth in terms of atmosphere. Yet Venus' atmosphere is an example of "runaway greenhouse effect." Understanding the history and the dynamics of Venus' atmosphere could tell us considerable insight about the workings of the atmosphere of the Earth. It also has some interest to astrobiology-- could life have existed on Venus in an earlier, pre-greenhouse-effect phase? Could life still be possible in the temperate middle-atmosphere of Venus? The geology of Venus also has interest in the study of Earth. surface robot will require new technologies; specifically, it will require electronics, scientific instruments, power supplies, and mechanical linkages designed to operate at a temperature above 450 C-hot enough to melt the solder on a standard electronic circuit board. This will require devices made from advanced semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide, or even new approaches, such as micro-vacuum tube electronics. Such materials are now being developed in the laboratory.
Landis, Geoffrey A.↗
Analytical Instrument
BEEM (Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy) was invented at Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Center for Microelectronics Technology. It is a significant research instrument for microelectronics research because it is able to image underlying layers or interfaces of surface structures. A tiny current is injected into a metal layer and the electrons travel ballistically through the metal allowing the researcher to study the operation and performance of a structure. Other advantages include nondestructive imaging of barrier heights and electronic characterization of devices, as well as the potential to observe processes like molecular beam epitaxy (crystal growth) in situ.
Source record↗
Coordinated Radio, Electron, and Waves Experiment (CREWE) for the NASA Comet Rendezvous and Asteroid Flyby (CRAF) instrument
The Coordinated Radio, Electron, and Waves Experiment (CREWE) was designed to determine density, bulk velocity and temperature of the electrons for the NASA Comet Rendezvous and Asteroid Flyby Spacecraft, to define the MHD-SW IMF flow configuration; to clarify the role of impact ionization processes, to comment on the importance of anomalous ionization phenomena (via wave particle processes), to quantify the importance of wave turbulence in the cometary interaction, to establish the importance of photoionization via the presence of characteristic lines in a structured energy spectrum, to infer the presence and grain size of significant ambient dust column density, to search for the theoretically suggested 'impenetrable' contact surface, and to quantify the flow of heat (in the likelihood that no surface exists) that will penetrate very deep into the atmosphere supplying a good deal of heat via impact and charge exchange ionization. This final report provides an instrument description, instrument test plans, list of deliverables/schedule, flight and support equipment and software schedule, CREWE accommodation issues, resource requirements, status of major contracts, an explanation of the non-NASA funded efforts, status of EIP and IM plan, descope options, and Brinton questions.
Scudder, Jack D.↗
Additive Manufacturing of Electronics for Space Applications
Additive manufacturing techniques for electronics will enable new detector and electronic assemblies that were not previously possible with traditional assembly processes. This technology has the potential to reduce mass and volume for fabrication and assembly of detector, instrument, and electronics concepts by printing fine feature sizes, printing on complex geometries, and allowing new concept production. This presentation summarizes efforts developing printing techniques to manufacture detectors and circuitry for two different space applications.
Additive Manufacturing↗
Polar 5 - An electron accelerator experiment within an aurora. I - Instrumentation and geophysical conditions
A mother-daughter rocket was launched over two auroral structures, which included a 10 keV electron accelerator and a series of diagnostic instruments for monitoring optical and wave effects generated through beam-atmospheric interactions and production of secondary electrons. The instrumentation, the ground and rocket background measurements obtained, and some of the beam effects on various geophysical parameters are presented. Attention is given to the rocket geometry, capacitance probe, particle counters, photometers, and the bremsstrahlung X-ray detector. Observations on the plasma environment, auroral particle precipitation, d.c. electric field, optical emissions, and auroral background HF and VLF emissions are also discussed.
Maehlum, B. N.↗
Direct-Write Printing on Three-Dimensional Geometries for Miniaturized Detector and Electronic Assemblies
Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) and other additive electronics technologies will enable new detector assemblies that were not previously possible with traditional assembly processes. This technology has the potential to reduce mass and volume for fabrication and assembly of detector, instrument and electronics concepts by reducing trace widths down to 10 microns, printing on complex geometries, and allowing new concept production. This poster summarizes development efforts of printed interconnects for space applications.
Printed Hybrid Electronics↗
Short wide angle, 1-1/2 inch electrostatic image dissector with parallel plate resistive strip electronic multiplier Final report, 22 Feb. 1963 - 1 Nov. 1965
Electron optical imaging system and combination anode-deflection cone for electrostatic image dissector tube - testing and calibration
ELECTROSTATIC INSTRUMENT↗
Electron emissive surface electric field meter.
Electron deflection instrument for measuring surface electric field strength
SURFACE PROPERTY↗
Voyager 2 plasma wave observations at Saturn
The first inbound Voyager 2 crossing of Saturn's bow shock (at 31.7 Saturn radii near local noon) and the last outbound crossing (at 87.4 Saturn radii near local dawn) had similar plasma wave signatures. However, many other aspects of the plasma wave measurements differed considerably during the inbound and outbound passes, suggesting the presence of effects associated with significant north-south or noon-dawn asymmetries, or temporal variations. Within Saturn's magnetosphere, the plasma wave instrument detected electron plasma oscillations, upper hybrid resonance emissions, half-gyrofrequency harmonics, hiss and chorus, narrowband electromagnetic emissions and broadband Saturn radio noise, and noise bursts with characteristics of static. At the ring plane crossing, the plasma wave instrument also detected a large number of intense impulses that were interpreted in terms of ring particle impacts on Voyager 2.
Scarf, F. L.↗
The Jovian relativistic electron distribution in interplanetary space from 1 to 11 AU - Evidence for a continuously emitting 'point' source
From observations of Jovian electrons with instrumentation on the Pioneer 10 spacecraft, it is concluded from both their spatial distribution and their modulation in interplanetary space by solar corotating interaction regions (CIRs) that, whatever the scale size of the Jovian magnetotail, the escape of relativistic electrons occurs within 1 AU of the planet. Thus, on the large scale of the heliosphere, Jupiter appears as a continuously emitting 'point source'. The close approach of the spacecraft at 9.6 AU to a possible extension of a magnetotail early in 1976 is discussed. From recurring intensity increases of approximately 1-MeV protons, it is concluded that CIRs have not dissipated even at about 11 AU.
Pyle, K. R.↗
Bibliography on Clean Rooms
Bibliography on contamination control, and air filtering for application to electronics and surgical instruments
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT↗