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At least 37 records · Page 2

Microscopic optical model calculations of 4He, 12C-nucleus absorption cross sections

Calculations of absorption cross sections using a microscopic first-order optical potential for heavy-ion scattering are compared with experiments. In-medium nucleon-nucleon (NN) cross sections were used to calculate the two-body scattering amplitude. A medium-modified first-order optical potential was obtained for heavy-ion scattering using the in-medium two-body scattering amplitude. A partial wave expansion of the Lippmann-Schwinger equation in momentum space was used to calculate the absorption cross sections for various systems. The results are presented for the absorption cross sections for 4He-nucleus and 12C-nucleus scattering systems and are compared with the experimental values in the energy range 18-83A MeV. The use of the in-medium NN cross sections is found to result in significant reduction of the free space absorption cross sections in agreement with experiment.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

Thermally Stable Heterocyclic Imines as New Potential Nonlinear Optical Materials

In the course of a search for new thermostable acentric nonlinear optical crystalline materials, several heterocyclic imine derivatives were designed, with the general structure D-pi-A(D'). Introduction of a donor amino group (D') into the acceptor moiety was expected to bring H-bonds into their crystal structures, and so to elevate their melting points and assist in an acentric molecular packing. Six heterocycle-containing compounds of this type were prepared, single crystals were grown for five of them, and these crystals were characterized by X-ray analysis. A significant melting temperature elevation was found for all of the synthesized compounds. Three of the compounds were also found to crystallize in acentric space groups. One of the acentric compounds is built as a three-dimensional H-bonded molecular network. In the other two compounds, with very similar molecular structure, the molecules form one-dimensional H-bonded head-to-head associates (chains). These chains are parallel in two different crystallographic directions and form very unusual interpenetrating chain patterns in an acentric crystal. Two of the compounds crystallized with centrosymmetric molecular packing.

Nesterov, Volodymyr V.↗

Electron-Hydrogen Elastic Scattering

Scattering by single-electron systems is always of interest because the wave function of the target is known exactly. Various approximations have been employed to take into account distortion produced in the target. Among them are the method of polarized orbitals and the close coupling approximation. Recently, e-H and e-He+ S-wave scattering in the elastic region has been studied using the Feshbach projection operator formalism. In this approach, the usual Hartree-Fock and exchange potentials are augmented by an optical potential and the resulting phase shifts have rigorous lower bounds. Now this method is being applied to the e-H P-wave scattering in the elastic region. The number of terms in the Hylleraas-type wave function for the 1,3 P phase shifts is 84 and the resulting phase shifts (preliminary) are given. The results have been given up to five digits because to that accuracy they are rigorous lower bounds. They are in general agreement with the variational (VAR) results of Armstead, and those obtained from the intermediate energy R-matrix method (RM) of Scholz et al., and the finite element method (FEM) of Botero and Shertzer. The later two methods do not provide any bounds on phase shifts.

Bhatia, A. K.↗

P-Wave Electron-Hydrogen Scattering

A variational wave function incorporating short range correlations via Hylleraas type functions plus long-range polarization terms of the polarized orbital type but with smooth cut-off factors has been used to calculate P-wave phase shifts for electron-hydrogen scattering. This approach gives the direct r(exp -4) potential and a non-local optical potential which is definite. The resulting phase shifts have rigorous lower bounds and the convergence is much faster than those obtained without the modification of the target function. Final results will be presented at the conference.

Bhtia, Anand↗

Si 1-X Ge X /Si Heterojunction Internal Photoemission Long Wavelength Infrared Detector

Long wavelength Si 1-X Ge X /Si heterojunction internal photoemission (HIP) infrared detectors have been successfully demonstrated utilizing the growth of degenerately boron doped Si 1-X Ge X layers on Si. Recently, Si 0.7 GE 0.3 /SI HIP detectors with either a Si 1-X Ge X single layer or a Si 1-X Ge X /Si multilayer have been demonstrated with cutoff wavelengths out to 23 µm. Near-ideal thermionic emission dark current characteristics were measured and the electrical potential barriers were determined by the Richardson plot. A photoresponse model, similar to the modified Fowler Equation has been developed for the Si 1-X Ge X /Si heterojunction internal photoemission infrared detector at wavelengths corresponding to photon energies less than the Fermi energy. The optical potential barriers, the corresponding cutoff wavelengths, and the emission coefficients, C 1 , for the HIP detectors have been determined from the measured spectral responses using the photoresponse model. Similar optical and thermal potential barriers were obtained.

infrared↗

Software for Optical (Laser) Ground Station Monitor and Control ​

Previous NASA laser communication missions have been supported by ground terminals specific to the mission. The Low-Cost Optical Terminal project (LCOT) aims to serve as a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), reusable, and modular optical ground terminal prototype, provide a blueprint for future optical ground terminals, and enable optical communication experiments with a variety of spacecraft from Low Earth Orbit to lunar orbit. The goal of the internship was the development of LCOT’s Gimbal Monitor and Control (GMC) application, within the LCOT Monitor and Control Subsystem (MCS). Mount control software PWI4 was provided by mount and gimbal vendor Planewave Instruments; developed in Python, GMC integrates and interfaces with PWI4 using third party libraries such as Protobuf and RabbitMQ. As a stand in for the Monitor and Control Subsystem (MCS), a test Graphical User Interface (GUI) was created to send commands to and receive telemetry from the GMC application; these commands and telemetry are sent through the RabbitMQ message bus as Protobuf encoded messages. GMC then interfaces with PWI4 which passes along desired commands and telemetry to and from a vendor provided mount and gimbal simulator. The GMC software developed allows LCOT’s Monitor and Control Subsystem (MCS) to take advantage of the existing mount control software, advancing LCOT’s efforts in the development of the MCS. The MCS and GMC software developed will contribute to LCOT’s goal as a flexible and modular optical ground terminal prototype and blueprint, which supports development towards a potential optical ground terminal network.

space communications↗

Eikonal solutions to optical model coupled-channel equations

Methods of solution are presented for the Eikonal form of the nucleus-nucleus coupled-channel scattering amplitudes. Analytic solutions are obtained for the second-order optical potential for elastic scattering. A numerical comparison is made between the first and second order optical model solutions for elastic and inelastic scattering of H-1 and He-4 on C-12. The effects of bound-state excitations on total and reaction cross sections are also estimated.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗

Impact of shorter wavelengths on optical quality for laws

This study explores parametrically as a function of wavelength the degrading effects of several common optical aberrations (defocus, astigmatism, wavefronttilts, etc.), using the heterodyne mixing efficiency factor as the merit function. A 60 cm diameter aperture beam expander with an expansion ratio of 15:1 and a primary mirror focal ratio of f/2 was designed for the study. An HDOS copyrighted analysis program determined the value of merit function for various optical misalignments. With sensitivities provided by the analysis, preliminary error budget and tolerance allocations were made for potential optical wavefront errors and boresight errors during laser shot transit time. These were compared with the baseline 1.5 m CO2 laws and the optical fabrication state of the art (SOA) as characterized by the Hubble Space Telescope. Reducing wavelength and changing optical design resulted in optical quality tolerances within the SOA both at 2 and 1 micrometer. However, advanced sensing and control devices would be necessary to be tightened by a factory of 1.8 for a 2 micrometer system and by 3.6 for a 1 micrometer system relative to the baseline CO2 LAWS. Available SOA components could be used for operation at 2 micrometers but operation at 1 micrometer does not appear feasible.

Wissinger, Alan B.↗

Impact of shorter wavelengths on optical quality for laws

This study explores parametrically as a function of wavelength the degrading effects of several common optical aberrations (defocus, astigmatism, wavefront tilts, etc.), using the heterodyne mixing efficiency factor as the merit function. A 60 cm diameter aperture beam expander with an expansion ratio of 15:1 and a primary mirror focal ratio of f/2 was designed for the study. An HDOS copyrighted analysis program determined the value of merit function for various optical misalignments. With sensitivities provided by the analysis, preliminary error budget and tolerance allocations were made for potential optical wavefront errors and boresight errors during laser shot transit time. These were compared with the baseline l.5 m CO2 LAWS and the optical fabrication state of the art (SOA) as characterized by the Hubble Space Telescope. Reducing wavelength and changing optical design resulted in optical quality tolerances within the SOA both at 2 and 1 micrometers. However, advanced sensing and control devices would be necessary to maintain on-orbit alignment. Optical tolerance for maintaining boresight stability would have to be tightened by a factor of 1.8 for a 2 micrometers system and by 3.6 for a 1 micrometers system relative to the baseline CO2 LAWS. Available SOA components could be used for operation at 2 micrometers but operation at 1 micrometers does not appear feasible.

Wissinger, Alan B.↗

Investigation of a Moire Based Crack Detection Technique for Propulsion Health Monitoring

The development of techniques for the health monitoring of the rotating components in gas turbine engines is of major interest to NASA s Aviation Safety Program. As part of this on-going effort several experiments utilizing a novel optical Moir based concept along with external blade tip clearance and shaft displacement instrumentation were conducted on a simulated turbine engine disk as a means of demonstrating a potential optical crack detection technique. A Moir pattern results from the overlap of two repetitive patterns with slightly different periods. With this technique, it is possible to detect very small differences in spacing and hence radial growth in a rotating disk due to a flaw such as a crack. The experiment involved etching a circular reference pattern on a subscale engine disk that had a 50.8 mm (2 in.) long notch machined into it to simulate a crack. The disk was operated at speeds up to 12 000 rpm and the Moir pattern due to the shift with respect to the reference pattern was monitored as a means of detecting the radial growth of the disk due to the defect. In addition, blade displacement data were acquired using external blade tip clearance and shaft displacement sensors as a means of confirming the data obtained from the optical technique. The results of the crack detection experiments and its associated analysis are presented in this paper.

Woike, Mark R.↗

Asymptotic effective potentials for electron-hydrogen scattering

The asymptotic effective potential for electron- or positron-hydrogen elastic scattering is derived, correct to order x to the -7th, where x is the positron projectile coordinate, using the Feshbach optical potential as a starting point in the manner of Kleinman et al (1968). To order x to the -6th the potential agrees with the close-coupling results of Seaton and Steenman-Clark (1977) but not to order x to the -7th, where the present calculation gives the result + or - 213/2(x to the 7th) for electron and positron respectively. This coefficient differs considerably from the approximate value of Seaton and Steenman-Clark, and the discrepancy is traced to the omission of d states in their calculation.

Drachman, R. J.↗

Polarizabilities of two-electron positive ions and Rydberg levels of lithium

Second-order sums are computed for the two-electron positive ions Li(+), Be(2+), and B(3+) by representing the intermediate states as discrete pseudostates. The Hamiltonian for the system is given and translated to semi-Jacobi variables for its derivation in reduced Rydberg units. The interaction potential is developed in its multipole form and employed in second-order perturbation theory. The perturbation is always a multipole-potential term, and the initial and intermediate states are constructed from two-particle Hylleraas basis sets. The resulting pseudostates are shown to represent the continuum with good convergence, and the asymptotic-optical-potential method is applied to the two-body quantities to determine the energy levels of three-electron systems in high Rydberg states. The method is shown to give accurate values for the polarizabilities of the two-electron isoelectronic systems.

Bhatia, A. K.↗

Site selection criteria for the optical atmospheric visibility monitoring telescopes

A description of each of the criteria used to decide where to locate the Atmospheric Visibility Monitoring (AVM) telescope systems is given, along with a weighting factor for each of them. These criteria include low probability of clouds, fog, smog, haze, low scattering, low turbulence, availability of security and maintenance, and suitability of a site for a potential optical reception station. They will be used to determine which three of several sites under consideration will be used for monitoring visibility through the atmosphere as it applies to an optical ground-based receiving network as may be used in NASA space missions in decades to come.

Cowles, K.↗

Scientific programming

Scientific programming of transformations of direction fields and autonomous systems of ordinary differential equations - Optimization of electron-optical potential for star tracker

STAR TRACKER↗

On singlet s-wave electron-hydrogen scattering.

Discussion of various zeroth-order approximations to s-wave scattering of electrons by hydrogen atoms below the first excitation threshold. The formalism previously developed by the author (1967, 1968) is applied to Feshbach operators to derive integro-differential equations, with the optical-potential set equal to zero, for the singlet and triplet cases. Phase shifts of s-wave scattering are computed in the zeroth-order approximation of the Feshbach operator method and in the static-exchange approximation. It is found that the convergence of numerical computations is faster in the former approximation than in the latter.

Madan, R. N.↗

Quasi-projection-operator calculation of autoionization states of Li

Calculations of positions of the first three 2S, 2P autoionization states of lithium are reported. The results agree with experimental values (available in four of the six cases) to almost four-place accuracy. A comment is included concerning the current status of quasi-projection optical-potential scattering calculations for nonresonant e-He phase shifts.

Bhatia, A. K.↗

Precision calculation of the lowest 1S resonance in e-H scattering

The position and width of the lowest resonance in electron-hydrogen scattering have been calculated using a Hylleraas correlation function with up to 95 terms in the optical potential formalism. The results should be useful as calibration points for experimental electron scattering purposes. A formula relating the conventional (Breit-Wigner) width with the Feschbach formalism is derived.

Ho, Y. K.↗