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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

IBC arrays: Present and future prospects

The development of arrays which operate at wavelengths longer than 8 micrometers has opened up new possibilities for imaging and spectroscopy but offers challenges not present at shorter wavelengths. Impurity Band Conduction (IBC) or Blocked-Impurity-Band (BIB) detectors can meet these challenges and offer numerous advantages over standard photoconductors. We review some of the general operating principles of these devices and discuss the current state of technology. We then discuss the requirements placed on mid-infrared arrays by groundbased, airborne and spacebased astronomy.

Herter, Terry↗
NASA NTRS1995

Effects of low earth orbit on the optical performance of multi-layer enhanced high reflectance mirrors

Two mirror designs developed for space applications were flown along with a standard mid-infrared design on the leading and trailing edges of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). Preliminary observations of induced changes in optical performance of ZnS-coated mirrors and impact-related microstructural and microchemical effects are described in the proceedings of the First LDEF Post-Retrieval Symposium. In this paper, effects of the induced environment and meteoroid/debris impacts on mirror performance are described in more detail. Also, an analysis of reflectance spectra using the results of Auger and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) profiling measurements are used to identify an optical-degradation mechanism for the ZnS-coated mirrors. Structural damage associated with a high-velocity impact on a (Si/Al2O3)-coated mirror was imaged optically and with scanning electron and atomic force microscopy (SEM and AFM). Scanning Auger and SIMS analysis provided chemical mapping of selected impact sites. The impact data suggest design and fabrication modifications for obtaining improved mechanical performance using a design variation identified in preflight laboratory simulations. Auger surface profile and SIMS imaging data verified the conclusion that secondary impacts are the source of contamination associated with the dendrites grown on the leading-edge ZnS-coated test samples. It was also found that dendrites can be grown in the laboratory by irradiating contaminated sites on a trailing-edge ZnS-coated sample with a rastered electron beam. These results suggest a mechanism for dendrite growth.

Donovan, Terence↗
NASA NTRS1990

Thermal emission spectroscopy of the middle atmosphere

The general objective of this research is to obtain, via remote sensing, simultaneous measurements of the vertical distributions of stratospheric temperature, ozone, and trace constituents that participate in the catalytic destruction of ozone (NO(sub y): NO, NO2, NO3, HNO3, ClONO2, N2O5, HNO4; Cl(sub x): HOCl), and the source gases for the catalytic cycles (H2O, CH4, N2O, CF2Cl2, CFCl3, CCl4, CH3Cl, CHF2Cl, etc.). Data are collected during a complete diurnal cycle in order to test our present understanding of ozone chemistry and its associate catalytic cycles. The instrumentation employed is an emission-mode, balloon-borne, liquid-nitrogen-cooled Michelson interferometer-spectrometer (SIRIS), covering the mid-infrared range with a spectral resolution of 0.020 cm(exp -1). Cryogenic cooling combined with the use of extrinsic silicon photoconductor detectors allows the detection of weak emission features of stratospheric gaseous species. Vertical distributions of these species are inferred from scans of the thermal emission of the limb in a sequence of elevation angles. The fourth SIRIS balloon flight was carried out from Palestine, Texas on September 15-16, 1986 with 9 hours of nighttime data (40 km). High quality data with spectral resolution 0.022 cm(exp -1), were obtained for numerous limb sequences. Fifteen stratospheric species have been identified to date from this flight: five species from the NO(sub y) family (HNO3, NO2, NO, ClONO2, N2O5), plus CO2, O3, H2O, N2O, CH4, CCl3F, CCl2F2, CHF2Cl, CF4, and CCl4. The nighttime values of N2O5, ClONO2, and total odd nitrogen have been measured for the first time, and compared to model results. Analysis of the diurnal variation of N2O5 within the 1984 and 1986 data sets, and of the 1984 ClONO2 measurements, were presented in the literature. The demonstrated ability of SIRIS to measure all the major NO(sub y) species, and therefore to determine the partitioning of the nitrogen family over a continuous diurnal cycle, is a powerful tool in the verification and improvement of photochemical modeling.

Kunde, V. G.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Infrared, Submillimeter, and RadioAstronomy Program Astophysics Division

The object of my research for the NASA grant NAGW-4769 was to observe infrared spectra of molecular ions with special astrophysical interest in plasmas both in the laboratory and in space. Progress made during the period from September 1995 to September 1996 is summarized in the following: 1. Detection of Interstellar H3(+) The discovery of interstellar H3(+) through its mid-infrared absorption spectrum was by far the most inspiring development during this fiscal year. H3(+), the simplest stable polyatomic system, has been postulated to play the central role in the ion-neutral reaction scheme of interstellar chemistry, but its presence had not been directly observed in spite of intensive searches by several groups. 2. Observation of High Revibrational States of H3(+). The initial discovery of H3(+) in the Jovian aurora region was made through the identification of the 2(nu)(sub 2)(sup 2) approaches O overtone band indicating the population of H3(+) in high revibration state. 3. Observation of Ortho-Para H3(+) selection rules in plasma chemistry. Celection rules that relate quantum states before and ufter various processes are fascinating subject based on the symmetry argument. 4. Spectroscopy of other ions. Spectroscopy of carbocations ch3(+), CH2(+), C2H3(+) and C2H2(+) has been continued.

Oka, Takeshi↗
NASA NTRS1995

Infrared spectroscopy of matrix-isolated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon cations. 2. The members of the thermodynamically most favorable series through coronene

Gaseous, ionized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are thought to be responsible for a very common family of interstellar infrared emission bands. Here the near- and mid-infrared spectra of the cations of the five most thermodynamically favored PAHs up to coronene:phenanthrene, pyrene, benzo[e]pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene, and coronene, are presented to test this hypothesis. For those molecules that have been studied previously (pyrene, pyrene-d10, and coronene), band positions and relative intensities are in agreement. In all of these cases we report additional features. Absolute integrated absorbance values are given for the phenanthrene, perdeuteriophenanthrene, pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene, and coronene cations. With the exception of coronene, the cation bands corresponding to the CC modes are typically 2-5 times more intense than those of the CH out-of-plane bending vibrations. For the cations, the CC stretching and CH in-plane bending modes give rise to bands that are an order of magnitude stronger than those of the neutral species, and the CH out-of-plane bends produce bands that are 5-20 times weaker than those of the neutral species. This behavior is similar to that found in most other PAH cations studied to date. The astronomical implications of these PAH cation spectra are also discussed.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS1988

Mid-infrared solid-state lasers and laser materials

An account is given of NASA-Langley's objectives for the development of advanced lasers and laser materials systems applicable to remote sensing in the mid-IR range. Prominent among current concerns are fiber-optic spectroscopy, eye-safe solid-state lasers for both Doppler sensing and mid-IR wavelength-generation laser pumping, and nonlinear optics generating tunable mid-IR radiation. Ho:YAG lasers are noted to exhibit intrinsic advantages for the desired applications, and are pumpable by GaAlAs laser diodes with a quantum efficiency approaching 2.

Barnes, Norman P.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Infrared reflectance spectra (2.2-15 microns) of plagioclase feldspars

Laboratory results show that (1) the Christiansen frequency (CF) feature in mid-infrared reflectance spectra of powders can be used to accurately distinguish plagioclase composition, and (2) the wavelength position of the CF is not affected by vitrification of the plagioclase. Although the CF position does not distinguish glass from crystalline forms of plagioclase, other features (combination-tone, overtone, restrahlen bands) in the mid-IR spectra of plagioclase can be used for that purpose. These results have important implications for application of thermal emission spectroscopy to mapping the surface composition of regolith-covered planetary bodies like the moon, Mars, and asteroids.

Nash, Douglas B.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Infrared spectroscopic remote sensing from the Cassini orbiter

An infrared spectroscopy instrument for infrared remote sensing from the Cassini orbiter is being breadboarded in the laboratory. The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) consists of a pair of Fourier Transform Spectrometers (FTS) which together cover the range from 10 - 1400/cm with a spectral resolution up to 0.5/cm. The far-infrared FTS is a polarizing interferometer covering the 10 - 300/cm range. The mid-infrared FTS is a conventional Michelson FTS covering 200 - 1400/cm in three spectral channels. CIRS will retrieve information on the atmospheres of Titan and Saturn with good vertical resolution, from deep in their tropospheres to high in their stratospheres, and into the upper few centimeters of the regoliths of icy objects. The science objectives and design of CIRS are discussed.

Kunde, V.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Infrared reflectance spectra (4-12 microns) of typical lunar samples

A laboratory study of the mid-infrared spectral reflectance properties of typical Apollo lunar rock and soil samples was conducted using a modern interferometric spectrometer. The results show that characteristic spectral features exist in the 4-12 micrometer range that are diagnostic of rock composition and mineralogy, especially for the plagioclase-rich rocks and soils. This is the first phase of a comprehensive infrared reflectance study under way to better understand the use of infrared emission spectroscopy for mapping the surface composition of the moon and other silicate bodies.

Nash, Douglas B.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Conceptual thermal design and analysis of a far-infrared/mid-infrared remote sensing instrument

This paper presents the conceptual thermal design and analysis results for the Spectroscopy of the Atmosphere using Far-Infrared Emission (SAFIRE) instrument. SAFIRE has been proposed for Mission to Planet Earth to study ozone chemistry in the middle atmosphere using remote sensing of the atmosphere in the far-infrared (21-87 microns) and mid-infrared (9-16 microns) spectra. SAFIRE requires that far-IR detectors be cooled to 3-4 K and mid-IR detectors to 80 K for the expected mission lifetime of five years. A superfluid helium dewar and Stirling-cycle cryocoolers provide the cryogenic temperatures required by the infrared detectors. The proposed instrument thermal design uses passive thermal control techniques to reject 465 watts of waste heat from the instrument.

Roettker, William A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

EUVE spectroscopy of epsilon Canis Majoris (B2 II) from 70 to 730 A

We present spectra of the brightest stellar source of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation longward of 400 A, the B2 II star, epsilon CMa. These data were taken with the three spectrometers aboard the NASA Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer satellite (EUVE) during the first cycle of pointed observations. We report on our initial studies of the continuum and line spectrum of the stellar photosphere in the 320 to 730 A region, and on the wind emission lines observed in the 170-375 A region. This is the first EUV spectrum of an early-type star, and thus makes epsilon CMa the most comprehensively observed B star from the X-ray to infrared regimes. The radiation in both the H Lyman continuum and He I continuum (shortward of 504 A) are found to be significantly greater than predicted by both Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE model atmospheres. Since epsilon CMa also exhibits a mid-infrared excess, this points to the outer layers being warmer than the models indicate. The anomalously large Lyman continuum flux, combined with the very low column density measured in the direction toward this star implies that it is the dominant source of hydrogen ionization of the local interstellar medium in the immediate vicinity of the sun. All of the lines predicted to be strong from model atmospheres are present and several wind absorption features are also identified. We have detected emission lines from highly ionized iron that are consistent with the ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) observations if a multi-temperature emission model is used, and the assumption is made that there is significant absorption beyond that of the neutral phase of the ISM. The spectrum shows strong O III 374 A line emission produced by the Bowen flourescence mechanism, which has not previously been observed in the spectra of hot stars.

Cassinelli, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Near-surface thermal gradients and their effects on mid-infrared emission spectra of planetary surfaces

We model the heat transfer by radiation and conduction in the top few millimeters of a planetary surface to determine the magnitude of near-surface (approximately 100 micrometers) thermal gradients and their effects on mid-infrared emission spectra for a number of planetary environments. The model is one-dimensional and uses a finite difference scheme for approximately 10 micrometers layers. Calculations are peformed for samples heated at the base and from above by sunlight. Our results indicate that near-surface radiative cooling creates significant thermal gradients in the top few hundred microns of surfaces in which radiation is an importamnt heat transfer mechanism. The effect is maximized in evacuated, underdense particulate media with sufficiently high temperatures. Near-surface thermal gradients will be significant in fine-grained particulate surfaces on the Moon (40-60 K/100 micrometers) and Mercury (approximately 80 K/100 micrometers), increasing spectral contrast and creating emission maxima in the transparent regions of the spectra. They will be of lesser importance on the surface of Mars, with a maximum value of around 5 k/100 micrometers in areas of low thermal inertia, and will be negligible on planets with more substantial atmospheres (less than 1 K/100 micrometers). We conclude that the effects that thermal gradients have on mid-IR emission spectra are predictable and do not negate the utility of emission spectroscopy for remote determination of planetary surface composition.

Henderson, B. G.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Infrared Spectroscopy of Matrix-Isolated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations

Gaseous, ionized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are thought to be responsible for a very common family of interstellar infrared emission bands. Here the near- and mid-infrared spectra of the cations of the five most thermodynamically favored PAHs up to coronene: phenanthrene, pyrene, benzo(e)pyrene, benzo-(ghi)perylene, and coronene, are presented to test this hypothesis. For those molecules that have been studied previously (pyrene, pyrene-d(sub 10), and coronene), band positions and relative intensities are in agreement. In all of these cases we report additional features. Absolute integrated absorbance values are given for the phenanthrene, perdeuteriophenanthrene, pyrene, benzo(ghi]perylene, and coronene cations. With the exception of coronene, the cation bands corresponding to the CC modes are typically 2-5 times more intense than those of the CH out-of-plane bending vibrations. For the cations, the CC stretching and CH in-plane bending modes give rise to bands that are an order of magnitude stronger than those of the neutral species, and the CH out-of-plane bends produce bands that are 5-20 times weaker than those of the neutral species. This behavior is similar to that found in most other PAH cations studied to date. The astronomical implications of these PAH cation spectra are also discussed.

Hudgins, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Infrared Spectroscopy of Matrix-Isolated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations: The Polyacenes Anthracene, Tetracence, and Pentacene - 3

Gaseous, ionized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) are thought to be responsible for a very common family of interstellar infrared emission bands. Unfortunately, very little infrared spectroscopic data are available on ionized PAHS. Here we present the near- and mid-infrared spectra of the polyacene cations anthracene, tetracene, and pentacene. We also report the vibrational frequencies and relative intensities of the pentacene anion. The cation bands corresponding to the CC modes are typically about 10-20 times more intense than those of the CH out-of-plane bending vibrations. For the cations the CC stretching and CH in-plane bending modes give rise to bands which are an order of magnitude stronger than for the neutral species, and the CH out-of-plane bends produce bands which are 3-20 times weaker than in the neutral species. This behavior is similar to that found for most other PAH cations. The most intense PAH cation bands fall within the envelopes of the most intense interstellar features. The strongest absorptions in the polyacenes anthracene, tetracene, and pentacene tend to group around 1400/cm (between about 1340 and 1500/cm) and near 1180/cm, regions of only moderate interstellar emission. These very strong polyacene bands tend to fall in gaps in the spectra of the other PAH cations studied to date suggesting that while PAHs with polyacene structures may contribute to specific regions of the interstellar emission spectra, they are not dominant members of the interstellar PAH family.

Hudgins, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Infrared Spectroscopy of Matrix-Isolated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations. 3. The Polyacenes Anthracene, Tetracene, and Pentacene

Gaseous, ionized Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH's) are thought to be responsible for a very common family of interstellar infrared emission bands. Unfortunately, very little infrared spectroscopic data are available on ionized PAH's. Here we present the near- and mid-infrared spectra of the polyacene cations anthracene, tetracene, and pentacene. We also report the vibrational frequencies and relative intensities of the pentacene anion. The cation bands corresponding to the CC modes are typically about 10-20 times more intense than those of the CH out-of-plane bending vibrations. For the cations the CC stretching and CH in-plane bending modes give rise to bands which are an order of magnitude stronger than for the neutral species, and the CH out-of-plane bends produce bands which are 3-20 times weaker than in the neutral species. This behavior is similar to that found for most other PAH cations. The most intense PAH cation bands fall within the envelopes of the most intense interstellar features. The strongest absorptions in the polyacenes anthracene, tetracene, and pentacene tend to group around 1400 / cm (between about 1340 and 1500 / cm) and near 1180 /cm, regions of only moderate interstellar emission. These very strong polyacene bands tend to fall in gaps in the spectra of the other PAH cations studied to date suggesting that while PAHs with polyacene structures may contribute to specific regions of the interstellar emission spectra, they are not dominant members of the interstellar PAH family.

Hudgins, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Real Time Quantitative 3-D Imaging of Diffusion Flame Species

A low-gravity environment, in space or ground-based facilities such as drop towers, provides a unique setting for study of combustion mechanisms. Understanding the physical phenomena controlling the ignition and spread of flames in microgravity has importance for space safety as well as better characterization of dynamical and chemical combustion processes which are normally masked by buoyancy and other gravity-related effects. Even the use of so-called 'limiting cases' or the construction of 1-D or 2-D models and experiments fail to make the analysis of combustion simultaneously simple and accurate. Ideally, to bridge the gap between chemistry and fluid mechanics in microgravity combustion, species concentrations and temperature profiles are needed throughout the flame. However, restrictions associated with performing measurements in reduced gravity, especially size and weight considerations, have generally limited microgravity combustion studies to the capture of flame emissions on film or video laser Schlieren imaging and (intrusive) temperature measurements using thermocouples. Given the development of detailed theoretical models, more sophisticated studies are needed to provide the kind of quantitative data necessary to characterize the properties of microgravity combustion processes as well as provide accurate feedback to improve the predictive capabilities of the computational models. While there have been a myriad of fluid mechanical visualization studies in microgravity combustion, little experimental work has been completed to obtain reactant and product concentrations within a microgravity flame. This is largely due to the fact that traditional sampling methods (quenching microprobes using GC and/or mass spec analysis) are too heavy, slow, and cumbersome for microgravity experiments. Non-intrusive optical spectroscopic techniques have - up until now - also required excessively bulky, power hungry equipment. However, with the advent of near-IR diode lasers, the possibility now exists to obtain reactant and product concentrations and temperatures non-intrusively in microgravity combustion studies. Over the past ten years, Southwest Sciences has focused its research on the high sensitivity, quantitative detection of gas phase species using diode lasers. Our research approach combines three innovations in an experimental system resulting in a new capability for nonintrusive measurement of major combustion species. FM spectroscopy or high frequency Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy (WMS) have recently been applied to sensitive absorption measurements at Southwest Sciences and in other laboratories using GaAlAs or InGaAsP diode lasers in the visible or near-infrared as well as lead-salt lasers in the mid-infrared spectral region. Because these lasers exhibit essentially no source noise at the high detection frequencies employed with this technique, the achievement of sensitivity approaching the detector shot noise limit is possible.

Kane, Daniel J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Infrared Spectroscopy of Matrix-Isolated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations: The Members of the Thermodynamically Most Favorable Series through Coronene - Part 2

Gaseous, ionized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) are thought to be responsible for a very common family of interstellar infrared emission bands. Here the near- and mid-infrared spectra of the cations of the five most thermodynamically favored PAHs up to coronene: phenanthrene, pyrene, benzo[e]pyrene, benzo-[ghi]perylene, and coronene, are presented to test this hypothesis. For those molecules that have been studied previously (pyrene, pyrene-d(sub 10), and coronene), band positions and relative intensities are in agreement. In all of these cases we report additional features. Absolute integrated absorbance values are given for the phenanthrene, perdeuteriophenanthrene, pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene, and coronene cations. With the exception of coronene, the cation bands corresponding to the CC modes are typically 2-5 times more intense than those of the CH out-of-plane bending vibrations. For the cations, the CC stretching and CH in-plane bending modes give rise to bands that are an order of magnitude stronger than those of the neutral species, and the CH out-of-plane bends produce bands that are 5-20 times weaker than those of the neutral species. This behavior is similar to that found in most other PAH cations studied to date. The astronomical implications of these PAH cation spectra are also discussed.

Hudgins, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Spectral Irradiance Calibration in the Infrared. 7. 5-14 microns Spectroscopy of the Asteroids Ceres, Vesta, and Pallas

We describe our efforts to seek "closure" in our infrared absolute calibration scheme by comparing spectra of asteroids, absolutely calibrated through reference stars, with "Standard Thermal Models" and "Thermophysical Models" for these bodies. Our use of continuous 5-14 microns airborne spectra provides complete sampling of the rise to, and peak, of the infrared spectral energy distribution and constrains these models. Such models currently support the absolute calibration of ISO-PHOT at far-infrared wave- lengths (as far as 300 microns), and contribute to that of the Mid-Infrared Spectrometer on the "Infrared Telescope in Space" in the 6-12 microns region. The best match to our observed spectra of Ceres and Vesta is a, standard thermal model using a beaming factor of unity. We also report the presence of three emissivity features in Ceres which may complicate the traditional model extrapolation to the far-infrared from contemporaneous ground-based N-band photometry that is used to support calibration of, for example, ISO-PHOT. While identification of specific materials that cause these features is not made, we discuss families of minerals that may be responsible.

Cohen, Martin↗