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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 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Sun sensor boresight alignment testing for the Halogen Occultation Experiment

The boresight alignment testing for the sun sensor assembly on the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) is described. The sun sensor assembly consists of three sensors that provide feedback signals for controlling dual axes gimbals. Two energy balancing silicon detectors are operated as wideband sensors in the azimuth and elevation axes. The third sensor is a silicon photodiode array operated as a narrow-band sensor in the elevation axis. These sensors are mounted on a common Invar structure which is mounted to the HALOE telescope. A blackbody was used as the stimulating source to perform the initial boresight alignment and this was checked with a heliostat solar look and a direct solar look. These tests are explained with a comparison between each source used.

Moore, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Field-aligned electron flux oscillations that produce flickering aurora

Measurements of energetic electrons that produce flickering aurora were made by a pair of sounding rockets, launched during a slowly evolving auroral breakup. Both payloads passed through a broad inverted-V structure. A component of the electron distribution function was closely aligned with the magnetic field over a broad energy range that extended from low energies up to the inverted-V differential energy flux peak. Measurements of the field-aligned component showed the presence of order of magnitude coherent flux oscillations. Source altitudes between 4000 and 8000 km were derived from velocity dispersion of the flux oscillations.

Mcfadden, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A study of field-aligned currents observed at high and low altitudes in the nightside magnetosphere

Field-aligned current structures on auroral field lines observed at low and high altitudes using DE 1 and ISEE 2 magnetometer, and particle data observed when the spacecraft are in magnetic conjunction in the near-midnight magnetosphere, are investigated. To minimize latitudinal ambiguity, the plasma-sheet boundary layer observed with ISEE 2 and the discrete aurora at the poleward edge of the auroral oval with DE 1 are studied. The overall current observed at highest latitudes is flowing into the ionosphere, and is likely to be carried by ionospheric electrons flowing upward. There are, however, smaller-scale current structures within this region. The sense and magnitude of the field-aligned currents agree at the two sites. The ISEE 2 data suggests that the high-latitude downward current corresponds to the high-latitude boundary of the plasma-sheet boundary layer, and may be associated with the ion beams observed there.

Elphic, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Transmission X-ray diffraction grating alignment using a photoelastic modulator

A high-resolution alignment technique which utilizes the partial polarization property of fine period transmission gratings has been developed. It is especially useful when the grating period is sufficiently small so that there are no visible diffracted orders. This technique uses a photoelastic modulator (PEM) to produce an intensity signal that is proportional to the sine of twice the angle between the grating lines and the PEM crystal axis. The experimentally demonstrated resolution of this technique on 200-nm period gold transmission gratings is better than 1 arc sec. This technique was developed to align X-ray transmission gratings for spectroscopy and interferometry applications.

Anderson, Erik H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Self-Aligning Robotic End Effector And Receptacle

Industrial-robot hand (end effector) and mating receptacle include congruent male and female conical and V-shaped surfaces for positive alignment. Surfaces of end effector and receptacle keyed to each other for automatic alignment. Lifting pins inserted in receptacle to lock end effector and receptacle together. Tool turns mounting screw, and end effector lifts object.

Vansant, Glen J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Segment alignment control system

The segmented primary mirror for the LDR will require a special segment alignment control system to precisely control the orientation of each of the segments so that the resulting composite reflector behaves like a monolith. The W.M. Keck Ten Meter Telescope will utilize a primary mirror made up of 36 actively controlled segments. Thus the primary mirror and its segment alignment control system are directly analogous to the LDR. The problems of controlling the segments in the face of disturbances and control/structures interaction, as analyzed for the TMT, are virtually identical to those for the LDR. The two systems are briefly compared.

Aubrun, JEAN-N.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Real-time sensing of optical alignment

The Large Deployable Reflector and other future segmented optical systems may require autonomous, real-time alignment of their optical surfaces. Researchers have developed gratings located directly on a mirror surface to provide interferometric sensing of the location and figure of the mirror. The grating diffracts a small portion of the incident beam to a diffractive focus where the designed diagnostics can be performed. Mirrors with diffraction gratings were fabricated in two separate ways. The formation of a holographic grating over the entire surface of a mirror, thereby forming a Zone Plate Mirror (ZPM) is described. Researchers have also used computer-generated hologram (CGH) patches for alignment and figure sensing of mirrors. When appropriately illuminated, a grid of patches spread over a mirror segment will yield a grid of point images at a wavefront sensor, with the relative location of the points providing information on the figure and location of the mirror. A particular advantage of using the CGH approach is that the holographic patches can be computed, fabricated, and replicated on a mirror segment in a mass production 1-g clean room environment.

Stier, Mark T.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Segmented mirror, manufacturing and alignment tolerances (SMMAT)

An attempt is made to define surface errors, and hence wavelength aberrations or optical path differences, due to fabrication and alignment errors of mirror segments. A FORTRAN routine is written to help to understand the relationship between system performance (Strehl ratio, etc.) and manufacturing and alignment errors for Precision Segmented Reflectors and Large Deployable Reflector. The power of having compensation parameters such as piston and tilt responding to errors in position or figure is demonstrated. Compensation can improve performance by two orders of magnitude.

Manhart, P. K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Alignment Tool For Inertia Welding

Compact, easy-to-use tool aligns drive bar of inertia welder over hole in stub. Ensures drive bar concentric to hole within 0.002 in. (0.051 mm.). Holds two batteries and light bulb. Electrical circuit completed, providing current to bulb when pin in contact with post. When pin centered in post hole, it does not touch post, and lamp turns off. Built for use in making repair welds on liquid-oxygen-injector posts in Space Shuttle main engine. Version having suitably modified dimensions used to facilitate alignment in other forests of post.

Snyder, Gary L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

New results in the theory of dust grain alignment

Two complementary approaches are used in an attempt to propose an appropriate formulation of the solution to the problem of magnetic alignment of grains in the diffuse and/or the more denser clouds, whatever the mechanism of rotational excitation can be. The interest of such a unified formulation is mainly that the same theoretical expression for polarization can be used everywhere, allowing for easier comparisons between regions where the physical conditions are highly different. The first consists in applying a Monte-Carlo method to a limited number of representative cases, for which all the torques acting on the grain are taken into account: impulsive random torques due to direct collisions with gas atoms, to evaporation of atoms from the surface, and to exo-energetic recombinations forming hydrogen molecules, followed by violent ejections from peculiar sites; magnetic torques. Three characteristic times are associated with these torques: the collisional damping time, the time necessary to change completely the actual sites configuration narrowly bound to the correlation time of the suprathermal torque; and the magnetic damping time. The second approach starts from a heuristic point of view. It consists in a generalization of results (Cugnon, 1983; see also Purcell and Spitzer, 1971; Greenberg, 1978) obtained for thermal alignment to the suprathermal case. It appears indeed that in two extreme cases, the thermal formulation may be used after redefinition of involved times and temperatures.

Cugnon, Pierre↗
NASA NTRS1990

Alignment of cD-galaxies with their surroundings

For a sample of 122 rich Abell clusters the authors find a strong correlation of the position angle (orientation) of the first-ranked galaxy and its parent cluster. This alignment effect is strongest for cD-galaxies. Formation scenarios for cD galaxies, like the merging scenario, must produce such a strong alignment effect. The authors show some N-body simulations done for this purpose.

Vankampen, Eelco↗
NASA NTRS1990

A self-consistent two-dimensional resistive fluid theory of field-aligned potential structures including charge separation and magnetic and velocity shear

A self-consistent two-fluid theory that includes the magnetic field and shear patterns is developed to model stationary electrostatic structures with field-aligned potential drops. Shear flow is also included in the theory since this seems to be a prominent feature of the structures of interest. In addition, Ohmic dissipation, a Hall term, and pressure gradients in a generalized Ohm's law, modified for cases without quasi-neutrality, are included. In the analytic theory, the electrostatic force is balanced by field-aligned pressure gradients (i.e., thermal effects in the direction of the magnetic field) and by pressure gradients and magnetic stresses in the perpendicular direction. Within this theory, simple examples of applications are presented to demonstrate the kind of solutions resulting from the model. The results show how the effects of charge separation and shear in the magnetic field and the velocity can be combined to form self-consistent structures such as are found to exist above the aurora, suggested also in association with solar flares.

Hesse, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1989

Precision alignment of an infrared imaging system

The optical hardware design and methods of alignment for the GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) imaging instrument are discussed. The instrument is a multi-channel space-borne meteorological system. Included will be the results of a tolerance and sensitivity analysis for the optics and their adjustment mechanisms. A brief summary of the sequence of system alignment steps taken to achieve the final configuration of the instrument will conclude the discussion.

Kohrman, Richard J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Optical alignment of a pupil imaging spectrometer

The GOES Sounder is a 19-channel discrete filter spectrometer with an additional channel for star sensing. This paper presents the GOES Sounder's instrument optics and compensations, alignment rationale, and alignment mechanism and sensitivities. The results of a line of sight tolerance analysis of the instrument are described, and the prealignment and instrument coregistration are addressed.

Horchem, Stephen D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Millimeter wave surface resistance of grain-aligned Y1Ba2Cu3O(x) bulk material

Measurements of the millimeter wave surface resistance of grain-aligned YBa2Cu3O(x) bulk material grown by a liquid phase process are reported. The measurements were performed by replacing the endplate of a TE011 cylindrical copper cavity with the superconducting sample. Surface resistance was measured for samples with surfaces oriented perpendicular and parallel to the c-axis of the grains. It is shown that, for the parallel configuration, the surface resistance at 77 K and 80 GHz is typically near 100 milliohms. For a very well-aligned sample with a very low density of Y2BaCuO(y) precipitates, measured in the perpendicular configuration, the transition width (10-90 percent) is about 2 K, and the surface resistance is less than 50 milliohms at 88 K. The effect of microstructure on surface resistance is discussed.

Wosik, J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The substorm current wedge and field-aligned currents in MHD simulations of magnetotail reconnection

Results are reported from a three-dimensional MHD simulation of magnetotail reconnection, which, in contrast to earlier ones, starts from an equilibrium configuration that contains a region 1 type field-aligned current system at the plasma sheet/lobe boundary. This current system is found from equilibrium theory as the consequence of boundary conditions, which require that field lines at large distances from the earth become aligned-with the tail axis, consistent with observations and the expected consequences of the interaction with the solar wind. As in earlier simulations, the dynamic evolution develops from a slow diffusion to the fast growth of a three-dimensional tearing mode, initiated by the sudden occurrence or increase of resistivity, leading again to the formation and subsequent tailward ejection of a plasmoid, associated with fast plasma flows. In addition there are changes of the electric current system which are consistent with the substorm current wedge picture inferred from observations.

Birn, J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Millimeter wave surface resistance of grain-aligned Y1Ba2Cu3O(x) bulk material

Measurements are reported of the millimeter-wave surface resistance of grain-aligned YBa2Cu3O(x) bulk material grown by a liquid-phase process. The measurements were performed by replacing the endplate of a TE(011) cylindrical copper cavity with the superconducting sample. Surface resistance was measured for samples with surfaces oriented perpendicular and parallel to the c-axis of the grains. For the parallel configuration, the surface resistance at 77 K and 80 GHz is given. For a very well-aligned sample with a very low density of Y2BaCuO(y) precipitates, measured in the perpendicular configuration, the transition width (10-90 percent) is about 2 K and the surface resistance is derived at 88 K. The effect of microstructure on surface resistance is discussed.

Wosik, J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Self-Aligning Mechanical And Electrical Coupling

Two mating assemblies of mechanical and electrical coupling designed to align itself and so easy to use that robot can operate it. Rollers and v-grooves enforce required alignment when upper and lower assemblies brought into firm contact. Mechanism inside lower assembly provides spring preload between two assemblies plus mating of electrical connectors, all actuated by rotation of driver engaged with bolt via splines.

Vranish, John M.↗