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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 289 records · Page 16

Mineral equilibria and the high radar reflectivity of Venus mountaintops

The relationship between altitude and microwave emissivity in 10 highland regions of Venus is investigated on the basis of the Magellan data set. Highlands on Venus are found to display high radar reflectivity. The required change in surface electrical properties occurs abruptly at a 'critical altitude,' whose value varies from one highland area to another. Critical altitudes range from 4.75 km to 2.49 km. Differences in reflectivity are caused by differences in the surface mineral assemblage, which determines the dielectric constant of surface material. The mineral responsible for high radar reflectivity on mountaintops is pyrite, which occurs in weathered mineral assemblages at high altitudes. Conductive pyrite occurs dispersed in insulating materials, forming a loaded dielectric material.

Klose, K. B.↗

Dielectric properties measurement of substrate and support materials

In this paper a fast and straightforward waveguide measurement technique is described for the determination of the dielectric constant and loss tangent of many commercially available materials. These dielectric materials include Cuflon, Teflon, Arlon's polyimides, Lockheed's ceramic foams, and Rogers Duroid materials. The effective dielectric constant and loss tangent of Hexsel's honeycomb material is also measured by this method and is compared to the predicted data obtained using the volume averaging theory. The accuracy and other features of this measurement technique are also discussed.

Wu, Te-Kao↗

Effective area of the AXAF X-ray telescope - Dependence upon dielectric constants of coating materials

This study examines the dependence of the effective area of the AXAF X-ray telescope upon the complex dielectric constants of possible mirror coatings, over the energy range 0.1-10 keV. At energies near and above the astrophysically important iron-line complex near 6.7 keV, the effective area is very sensitive to the coating density on the three innermost of the telescope's six mirror pairs. Thus, it is desirable to achieve as high a density as feasible. The telescope's spectral response exhibits sharp features at absorption edges of the coating materials. In view of the exceptional energy resolution of the AXAF spectrometers and uncertainties in reflectivities (especially near absorption edges), the AXAF goal of 1-percent accuracy requires both the precise X-ray calibration of the telescope and improved modeling of the telescope and calibration sources. Presented here in the form of plots, the results are also available (on floppy disks) in tabular form.

Elsner, R. F.↗

Measurements of the dielectric properties of simulated comet material as part of the KOSI 10 experiment

The dielectric constant epsilon of the snow-mineral used for the comet simulation in the German KOSI 10 experiment was measured in the radio frequency range from 2 to 4 GHz. The traditional microwave bridge method was used, but instead of using a waveguide that contains the sample material small lambda/4 antennas were used as sensors. A change in the dielectric properties indicates a change in density and/or composition, respectively. The method is presented as an analytical tool for measuring such density or composition changes during alteration snow-dust materials. The KOSI (determined from the German: Kometen Simulation) experiments, performed in the Space simulator of the DLR/Institut for Raumsimulation, during the last years revealed many processes that presumably take place on comets. So far, modifications of the internal structure could be identified only during the post-experiment inspection via hardness tests. It was the aim of the KOSI 10 and KOSI 10a experiments to emphasize on a synoptic detection of events like particle emission or crust formation. The composition of the KOSI 10 sample material was an ice-mineral mixture with about 10 percent mineral (olivine) content. An excellent method to investigate the change of the density of the probe material during its exposure to the artificial sun in situ is to do it via the measurement of the dielectric constant. The traditional method to determine epsilon, by using a microwave-bridge to measure the transmission and the reflection factor of the sample material for electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency range, was modified, since the commonly used practice to fill the sample material into a waveguide was not compatible with the need for in situ measurements during the simulation experiment.

Ulamec, S.↗

Dielectric property measurements in the Electromagnetic Properties Measurement Laboratory

The capability to measure the dielectric properties of various materials has been developed in the Electromagnetic Properties Measurement Laboratory (EPML) of the Electromagnetics Research Branch (ERB). Two measurement techniques which have been implemented in the EPML to characterize materials are the dielectric probe and waveguide techniques. Several materials, including some for which the dielectric properties are well known, have been measured in an attempt to establish the capabilities of the EPML in determining dielectric properties. Brief descriptions of the two techniques are presented in this report, along with representative results obtained during these measurements.

Cravey, Robin L.↗

The Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme for Computational Electromagnetics

The upwind leapfrog or Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme (LBS) has previously been implemented and demonstrated on electromagnetic wave propagation problems. This paper extends the Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme for computational electromagnetics to treat lossy dielectric and magnetic materials and perfect electrical conductors. This is accomplished by proper implementation of the LBS for homogeneous lossy dielectric and magnetic media, and treatment of perfect electrical conductors (PECs) are shown to follow directly in the limit of high conductivity. Heterogeneous media are treated through implementation of surface boundary conditions and no special extrapolations or interpolations at dielectric material boundaries are required. Results are presented for one-dimensional model problems on both uniform and nonuniform grids, and the FDTD algorithm is chosen as a convenient reference algorithm for comparison. The results demonstrate that the explicit LBS is a dissipation-free, second-order accurate algorithm which uses a smaller stencil than the FDTD algorithm, yet it has approximately one-third the phase velocity error. The LBS is also more accurate on nonuniform grids.

Beggs, John H.↗

The Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme for Electromagnetics

The upwind leapfrog or Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme (LBS) has previously been implemented and demonstrated on electromagnetic wave propagation problems. This paper extends the Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme for computational electromagnetics to model lossy dielectric and magnetic materials and perfect electrical conductors. This is accomplished by proper implementation of the LBS for homogeneous lossy dielectric and magnetic media and for perfect electrical conductors. Heterogeneous media are modeled through implementation of surface boundary conditions and no special extrapolations or interpolations at dielectric material boundaries are required. Results are presented for one-dimensional model problems on both uniform and nonuniform grids, and the FDTD algorithm is chosen as a convenient reference algorithm for comparison. The results demonstrate that the explicit LBS is a dissipation-free, second-order accurate algorithm which uses a smaller stencil than the FDTD algorithm, yet it has approximately one-third the phase velocity error. The LBS is also more accurate on nonuniform grids.

Beggs, John H.↗

A Two-Dimensional Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme for Electromagnetics

The upwind leapfrog or Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme (LBS) has previously been implemented and demonstrated on one-dimensional electromagnetic wave propagation problems. This memorandum extends the Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme for computational electromagnetics to model lossy dielectric and magnetic materials and perfect electrical conductors in two dimensions. This is accomplished by proper implementation of the LBS for homogeneous lossy dielectric and magnetic media and for perfect electrical conductors. Both the Transverse Electric and Transverse Magnetic polarizations are considered. Computational requirements and a Fourier analysis are also discussed. Heterogeneous media are modeled through implementation of surface boundary conditions and no special extrapolations or interpolations at dielectric material boundaries are required. Results are presented for two-dimensional model problems on uniform grids, and the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) algorithm is chosen as a convenient reference algorithm for comparison. The results demonstrate that the two-dimensional explicit LBS is a dissipation-free, second-order accurate algorithm which uses a smaller stencil than the FDTD algorithm, yet it has less phase velocity error.

Beggs, John H.↗

NASA-GRC Research Activities in High Voltage (HV) Electrical Insulation

This presentation gives an overview of recent research activities at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). The presentation covers research associated with materials for high voltage aerospace electrical insulation applications.

Aerospace Materials Aerospace electrical insulatio↗

Arcing in space structures in low Earth orbit

This report describes results of an experimental and theoretical program to investigate arcing of structures containing dielectric and conducting materials when they are biased negatively with respect to a plasma. An argon ion source generated Ar(+) ions of directed energy 20 to 40 eV and density approximately 10(exp 7) cm(exp -3) that impinged upon samples containing a dielectric material on top of a negatively biased Kovar plate. Arcing events were studied for bias voltages between -300 and -1000V with respect to the ion beam. The samples were Dow Corning 93-500 adhesive on Kovar, fused silica cover slips bonded on Kovar, and silicon solar cells mounted on Kovar. Measurements of discharge current, Kovar plate voltage, and radiation from the arc versus time were carried out. Microsecond duration exposure images and optical spectra in the 0.24 to 0.40 micron band were also acquired during arcing events. Arcing events were found to be associated with exposed adhesive and means were found to eliminate arcing altogether. The charging of a silica cover plate and the fields around the plate were calculated using a particle-in-cell code. Models were developed to explain the ignition of the arc and the physical processes occurring during the discharge.

Upschulte, B. L.↗

On the Treatment of Electric and Magnetic Loss in the Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme for Electromagnetics

The upwind leapfrog or Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme (LBS) has previously been extended to treat lossy dielectric and magnetic materials. This paper examines different methodologies for treatment of the electric loss term in the Linear Bicharacteristic Scheme for computational electromagnetics. Several different treatments of the electric loss term using the LBS are explored and compared on one-dimensional model problems involving reflection from lossy dielectric materials on both uniform and nonuniform grids. Results using these LBS implementations are also compared with the FDTD method for convenience.

Beggs, John H.↗

Photonic Bandgap (PBG) Shielding Technology

Photonic Bandgap (PBG) shielding technology is a new approach to designing electromagnetic shielding materials for mitigating Electromagnetic Interference (EM!) with small, light-weight shielding materials. It focuses on ground planes of printed wiring boards (PWBs), rather than on components. Modem PSG materials also are emerging based on planar materials, in place of earlier, bulkier, 3-dimensional PBG structures. Planar PBG designs especially show great promise in mitigating and suppressing EMI and crosstalk for aerospace designs, such as needed for NASA's Constellation Program, for returning humans to the moon and for use by our first human visitors traveling to and from Mars. Photonic Bandgap (PBG) materials are also known as artificial dielectrics, meta-materials, and photonic crystals. General PBG materials are fundamentally periodic slow-wave structures in I, 2, or 3 dimensions. By adjusting the choice of structure periodicities in terms of size and recurring structure spacings, multiple scatterings of surface waves can be created that act as a forbidden energy gap (i.e., a range of frequencies) over which nominally-conductive metallic conductors cease to be a conductor and become dielectrics. Equivalently, PBG materials can be regarded as giving rise to forbidden energy gaps in metals without chemical doping, analogous to electron bandgap properties that previously gave rise to the modem semiconductor industry 60 years ago. Electromagnetic waves cannot propagate over bandgap regions that are created with PBG materials, that is, over frequencies for which a bandgap is artificially created through introducing periodic defects

Bastin, Gary L.↗