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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Radio interference in the near-earth environment

Natural and man-made radio frequency interference (RFI) are potentially serious obstacles to the successful operation of an array of spacecraft used for low frequency (1 to 30 MHz) radio interferometry in the near-earth environment. Several satellites and planetary probes have carried radio astronomy experiments, and the moderate data base that they provide are examined to help understand the near-earth RFI environment. The general conclusion is that the region of space within 100 earth-radii of the earth is a hostile environment for any radio astronomy experiment. If a low frequency array in earth orbit is to yield useful astronomical results, severe interference problems must be anticipated and overcome. A number of recommendations are made to further examine the feasibility of such an array.

Erickson, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Summary of interference measurements at selected radio observatories

Results are presented from a series of RF interference (RFI) observations conducted during 1989 and 1990 at selected radio astronomy observatories in order to choose a site for the SETI, where the local and orbital RFI would be as benign as possible for observations of weak electromagnetic signals. These observatories included the DSS13 at Goldstone (California), the Arecibo Observatory (Puerto Rico), the Algonquin Radio Observatory in Ottawa (Canada), the Ohio State University Radio Observatory in Columbus (Ohio), and the NRAO in Green Bank (West Virginia). The observations characterize the RFI environment at these sites from 1 to 10 GHz, using radio astronomy antennas, feeds, and receivers; SETI signal processors; and stand-alone equipment built specifically for this purpose. The results served as part of the basis for the selection (by the NASA SETI Microwave Observing Project) of NRAO as the site of choice for SETI observations.

Tarter, Jill C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Technique to determine location of radio sources from measurements taken on spinning spacecraft

The procedure developed to extract average source direction and average source size from spin-modulated radio astronomy data measured on the IMP-6 spacecraft is described. Because all measurements are used, rather than just finding maxima or minima in the data, the method is very sensitive, even in the presence of large amounts of noise. The technique is applicable to all experiments with directivity characteristics. It is suitable for onboard processing on satellites to reduce the data flow to Earth. The application to spin-modulated nonpolarized radio astronomy data is made and includes the effects of noise, background, and second source interference. The analysis was tested with computer simulated data and the results agree with analytic predictions. Applications of this method with IMP-6 radio data have led to: (1) determination of source positions of traveling solar radio bursts at large distances from the Sun; (2) mapping of magnetospheric radio emissions by radio triangulation; and (3) detection of low frequency radio emissions from Jupiter and Saturn.

Fainberg, J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A search for Saturn electrostatic discharges in the Voyager plasma wave data

A search of Voyager spacecraft plasma wave data for evidence of Saturn electrostatic discharges, whose detection was suggested to be likely on the basis of radio astronomy observations, has yielded no evidence of this phenomenon. The statistical significance of this null result is analyzed, and its ramifications are commented upon. The explanations entertained for the lack of plasma wave observations of electrostatic discharges include the possibility that many events are of much shorter duration than previously reported, or that there may be a nonlinear distortion in the radio astronomy receiver employed which may have artificially broadened the spectrum of the discharges.

Kurth, W. S.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The SERENDIP piggyback SETI project

The SERENDIP project is an ongoing program of monitoring and processing broadband radio signals acquired by existing radio astronomy observatories. SERENDIP operates in a piggyback mode: it makes use of whatever observing plan (sequence of frequencies, sky coordinates, and polarizations) is under way at its host observatory. Moreover, the SERENDIP data acquisition system, once installed, operates autonomously. This approach makes it possible to obtain large amounts of high quality observing time in a manner that is economical and that does not adversely affect ongoing radio astronomy survey work. The SERENDIP II system has been installed at the NRAO 300-foot telescope at Green Bank, West Virginia, and has operated there for several thousand hours. In this report, we summarize our findings from these observations and describe the present status of the project. Two key elements of SERENDIP are the automated data acquisition system that uses adaptive thresholds and logs only statistically significant peaks in the real-time power spectra, and the subsequent off-line analysis programs that identify and reject a variety of interference signals. Several specific correlations have been identified that offer promise. At present, the development and testing of these interference rejection algorithms is the main thrust of our work.

NASA Discipline Number 52-60↗
NASA NTRS1980

A technology development program for large space antennas

Recent studies sponsored by NASA and United States industry indicate a need for technology to handle large space-based antenna systems. These systems will require apertures of up to 100 m and more in order to be capable of radio frequency operation up to Ku-band for communications, earth observations, and radio astronomy applications. They must also be cost-effective and compatible with the Space Transportation System. Selection criteria for the antennas which include such considerations as surface precision in the intended service environment and mechanical packaging efficiency, are enumerated. Space testing of the antennas will be carried out as part of NASA's Large Space Systems Technology (LSST) Program, which will be continued through fiscal year 1984. Deployable antennas have been selected for development by the LSST Program. The maturity of this class of antennas is such that a significant number of near-term space based applications will be satisfied (mobile communications, submillimeter radio astronomy, orbiting deep space relay station ODSRS, orbiting VLBI, earth-looking radiometry). Two antenna concepts selected for development are the offset wrap-rib configuration and the maypole (hoop/column) configuration with details for these concepts presented.

Russell, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Wide-bandwidth high-resolution search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Research was accomplished during the third year of the grant on: BETA architecture, an FFT array, a feature extractor, the Pentium array and workstation, and a radio astronomy spectrometer. The BETA (this SETI project) system architecture has been evolving generally in the direction of greater robustness against terrestrial interference. The new design adds a powerful state-memory feature, multiple simultaneous thresholds, and the ability to integrate multiple spectra in a flexible state-machine architecture. The FFT array is reported with regards to its hardware verification, array production, and control. The feature extractor is responsible for maintaining a moving baseline, recognizing large spectral peaks, following the progress of previously identified interesting spectral regions, and blocking signals from regions previously identified as containing interference. The Pentium array consists of 21 Pentium-based PC motherboards, each with 16 MByte of RAM and an Ethernet interface. Each motherboard receives and processes the data from a feature extractor/correlator board set, passing on the results of a first analysis to the central Unix workstation (through which each is also booted). The radio astronomy spectrometer is a technological spinoff from SETI work. It is proposed to be a combined spectrometer and power-accumulator, for use at Arecibo Observatory to search for neutral hydrogen emission from condensations of neutral hydrogen at high redshift (z = 5).

Horowitz, Paul↗
NASA NTRS1978

VLBI observations of 3C 345 and NRAO 512 in right and left circular polarization

In October 1975, the radio telescopes of the Haystack, National Radio Astronomy, and Owens Valley Radio Observatories were used as an interferometer to monitor, at 8 GHz, the right and left circularly polarized radiation emitted by the quasars 3C 345 and NRAO 512. The data for each polarization are used separately to estimate several parameters describing a model of the fine structure of the radio brightness of 3C 345 and, subsequently, the angular separation between 3C 345 and NRAO 512. The results for the two polarizations are in approximate agreement, indicating that to the limit of resolution about 0.5 milliarcsec), the fourth Stokes parameter, V, is not significantly different from zero within the compact components of these radio sources. The corresponding quantitative limits on the degree of circular polarization are 0.08 + or - 0.07 for 3C 345 and 0.01 + or - 0.08 for NRAO 512.

Menyuk, C. R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Search for molecules in Comet Halley at millimeter wavelengths

Data collected with the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory 13.7-m radio telescope are used to search for the possible CN parent molecules HNC, HC3N, and CH3CN in Comet Halley at millimeter wavelengths. Maximum relative abundances for HNC/HCN of 0.3, for HC3N/HCN of 0.4, and for CH3CN/HCN of 0.8 are obtained, showing that these three molecules are not a major source of the CN radical observed in optical and UV spectroscopy. Upper limits to the beam averaged column densities and production rates of these molecules are determined (in addition to an upper limit for the beam averaged column density for the formyl ion of less than 10 to the 11th/sq cm), providing important constraints for chemical models of the coma.

Swade, Daryl A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Deep Space Telecommunications

The increasing load on NASA's deep Space Network, the new capabilities for deep space missions inherent in a next-generation radio telescope, and the potential of new telescope technology for reducing construction and operation costs suggest a natural marriage between radio astronomy and deep space telecommunications in developing advanced radio telescope concepts.

Deep↗
NASA NTRS1982

Description of the Deep Space Network

The facilities, functions, and operations capabilities of the Deep Space Network are summarized. Network activities in support of planned future as well as ongoing deep space missions are described as are activities in support of radio astronomy experiments and the Astronomical Radio Interferometric Earth Surveying (ARIES) Network.

Renzetti, N. A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The Hubble Space Telescope Quasar Absorption Line Key Project. 10: Galactic H I 21 centimeter emission toward 143 quasars and active Galactic nuclei

Sensitive H I 21 cm emission line spectra have been measured for the directions to 143 quasars and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) chosen from the observing lists for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Quasar Absorption Line Key Project. Narrow-band and wide-band data were obtained with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) 43 m radio telescope for each object. The narrow-band data have a velocity resolution of 1 km/s, extend from -220 to +170 km/s, and are corrected for stray 21 cm radiation. The wide-band data have a resolution of 4 km/s and extend from -1000 to +1000 km/s. The data are important for the interpretation of ultraviolet absorption lines near zero redshift in Key Project spectra. Twenty-two percent of the quasars lie behind Galactic high-velocity H I clouds with absolute value of V(sub LSR) greater than 100 km/s whose presence can increase the equivalent width of interstellar absorption lines significantly. This paper contains the emission spectra and measures of the H I velocities and column densities along the sight line to each quasar. We discuss how the measurements can be used to estimate the visual and ultraviolet extinction toward each quasar and to predict the approximate strength of the strong ultraviolet resonance lines of neutral gas species in the HST Key Project spectra.

Lockman, Felix J.↗