Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “propagation delay”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Comparison of ISEE-1 and -3 interplanetary magnetic field observations

Three hourly correlation coefficients and the lag at maximum correlation are computed using one minute averages of ISEE-1 and -3 magnetometer data during the period in which ISEE-3 moved from the earth to its halo orbit around the libration point. The maximum correlation coefficients are highly variable ranging from close to zero to almost unity. The lags, while on the average approximating the expected corotation delay, have very large departures from this value. These results suggest that the normals to the planes separating fields of differing orientation often make large angles to the ecliptic plane and/or that the interplanetary magnetic field has a significant amount of bending on a scale length the order of 200 earth radii. Furthermore, there often appears to be a significant amount of propagating structure in the IMF. Thus, ISEE-3 magnetic field measurements should be used with caution if precise timing of arrival at the earth or precise directions of the field upon arrival are important.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Transmission ultrasonography

Review of the results of the application of an advanced signal-processing technique, called time delay spectrometry, in obtaining soft tissue transmission images by transmission ultrasonography, both in vivo and in vitro. The presented results include amplitude ultrasound pictures and phase ultrasound pictures obtained by this technique. While amplitude ultrasonographs of tissue are closely analogous to X-ray pictures in that differential absorption is imaged, phase ultrasonographs represent an entirely new source of information based on differential time of propagation. Thus, a new source of information is made available for detailed analysis.

Heyser, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Ultrasonic correlator versus signal averager as a signal to noise enhancement instrument

Ultrasonic inspection of thick and attenuating materials is hampered by the reduce amplitudes of the propagated waves to a degree that the noise is too high to enable meaningful interpretation of the data. In order to overcome the low signal to noise ratio (S/N), a correlation technique has been developed. In this method, a continuous pseudo-random pattern generated digitally is transmitted and detected by piezoelectric transducers. A correlation is performed in the instrument between the received signal and a variable delayed image of the transmitted one. The result is shown to be proportional to the impulse response of the investigated material, analogous to a signal received from a pulsed system, with an improved S/N ratio. The degree of S/N enhancement depends on the sweep rate. The correlator is described, and it is compared to the method of enhancing S/N ratio by averaging the signals. The similarities and differences between the two are highlighted and the potential advantage of the correlator system is explained.

Kishoni, Doron↗
NASA NTRS1989

Ultrasonic correlator versus signal averager as a signal to noise enhancement instrument

Ultrasonic inspection of thick and attenuating materials is hampered by the reduced amplitudes of the propagated waves to a degree that the noise is too high to enable meaningful interpretation of the data. In order to overcome the low Signal to Noise (S/N) ratio, a correlation technique has been developed. In this method, a continuous pseudo-random pattern generated digitally is transmitted and detected by piezoelectric transducers. A correlation is performed in the instrument between the received signal and a variable delayed image of the transmitted one. The result is shown to be proportional to the impulse response of the investigated material, analogous to a signal received from a pulsed system, with an improved S/N ratio. The degree of S/N enhancement depends on the sweep rate. This paper describes the correlator, and compares it to the method of enhancing S/N ratio by averaging the signals. The similarities and differences between the two are highlighted and the potential advantage of the correlator system is explained.

Kishoni, Doron↗
NASA NTRS1975

Experimental test of general relativity using time-delay data from Mariner 6 and Mariner 7

Range and Doppler data from Mariner 6 and Mariner 7 have been analyzed for purposes of measuring the effect of the sun's gravity field on S-band radio transmissions to the spacecraft. The prediction of general relativity, that the round-trip time delays between the station and the spacecraft will be increased by about 200 microsec near superior conjunction, has been verified with an uncertainty of 3 per cent or less. The dominant error source on the experiment is the stochastic nongravitational forces which act on the spacecraft and which limit the accuracy of the determination of the Mariner orbits. Effects of free coronal electrons on the round-trip propagation also make the measurement difficult, but the coronal contribution to the error is only about 1 per cent. Separate analyses of data from Mariner 6 and Mariner 7 yield two values near unity for the parameter gamma* which differ by about 0.3 per cent from each other. This and other considerations suggest that the error in the experiment is perhaps less than 3 per cent.

Anderson, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Coherence bandwidth loss in transionospheric radio propagation

In this report a theoretical model is developed that predicts the single-point, two-frequency coherence function for transionospheric radio waves. The theoretical model is compared to measured complex frequency correlation coefficients using data from the seven equispaced, phase-coherent UHF signals transmitted by the Wideband satellite. The theory and data are in excellent agreement. The theory is critically dependent upon the power-law index, and the frequency coherence data clearly favor the comparatively small spectral indices that have been consistently measured from the wideband satellite phase data. A model for estimating the pulse delay jitter induced by the coherence bandwidth loss is also developed and compared with the actual delay jitter observed on synthesized pulses obtained from the Wideband UFH comb. The results are in good agreement with the theory. The results presented in this report, which are based on an asymptotic theory, are compared with the more commonly used quadratic theory. The model developed and validated in this report can be used to predict the effects of coherence bandwidth loss in disturbed nuclear environments. Simple formulas for the resultant pulse delay jitter are derived that can be used in predictive codes.

Rino, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1969

Identification of atmospheric structure by coherent microwave sounding

Two atmospheric probing experiments involving beyond-the-horizon propagation of microwave signals are reported. In the first experiment, Doppler-shift caused by the cross path wind is measured by a phase lock receiver with the common volume displaced in azimuth from the great circle. Variations in the measured Doppler shift values are explained in terms of variations in atmospheric structure. The second experiment makes use of the pseudorandom sounding signal used in a RAKE communication system. Both multipath delay and Doppler shift are provided by the receiver, permitting the cross section of the atmospheric layer structure to be deduced.

Birkemeier, W. P.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The galactic cosmic ray intensity minimum in the inner and outer heliosphere in solar cycle 21

The occurrence of the cosmic ray intensity minimum during solar cycle 21 at widely separated locations in the heliosphere is investigated. The data include in situ measurements by cosmic-ray detectors on the earth-orbiting satellite IMP 8, on the Voyagers 1 and 2 spacecraft, and on the Pioneers 10 and 11 spacecraft, located at distances from 1 to 27 AU. It is noted that Pioneer 10 and the other three spacecraft (Pioneer 11 and Voyagers 1 and 2) are on the opposite sides of the sun, with the latter moving toward the tail of the heliosphere. The data used in the study have been suitably corrected by removing solar flare particle contributions, Forbush decreases, and contamination by the radioisotope thermoelectric generator. It is evident that there exists a time delay in the occurrence of the cosmic ray intensity minimum registered by the IMP 8 and Pioneer 10 detectors, the latter being located at approximately 27 AU. It is shown that the data from the four spacecraft in deep space are on an average consistent with the IMP 8 data at 1 AU when suitably corrected, using 3 percent/AU for the radial gradient and 500 km/s for the average speed of propagation. An overview of the intensity profiles reveals reasonable agreement among them. However, specific intensity features appear at times to propagate with speeds in excess of the average value of about 500 km/s.

Venkatesan, D.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Cyber-Threat Assessment for the Air Traffic Management System: A Network Controls Approach

Air transportation networks are being disrupted with increasing frequency by failures in their cyber- (computing, communication, control) systems. Whether these cyber- failures arise due to deliberate attacks or incidental errors, they can have far-reaching impact on the performance of the air traffic control and management systems. For instance, a computer failure in the Washington DC Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZDC) on August 15, 2015, caused nearly complete closure of the Centers airspace for several hours. This closure had a propagative impact across the United States National Airspace System, causing changed congestion patterns and requiring placement of a suite of traffic management initiatives to address the capacity reduction and congestion. A snapshot of traffic on that day clearly shows the closure of the ZDC airspace and the resulting congestion at its boundary, which required augmented traffic management at multiple locations. Cyber- events also have important ramifications for private stakeholders, particularly the airlines. During the last few months, computer-system issues have caused several airlines fleets to be grounded for significant periods of time: these include United Airlines (twice), LOT Polish Airlines, and American Airlines. Delays and regional stoppages due to cyber- events are even more common, and may have myriad causes (e.g., failure of the Department of Homeland Security systems needed for security check of passengers, see [3]). The growing frequency of cyber- disruptions in the air transportation system reflects a much broader trend in the modern society: cyber- failures and threats are becoming increasingly pervasive, varied, and impactful. In consequence, an intense effort is underway to develop secure and resilient cyber- systems that can protect against, detect, and remove threats, see e.g. and its many citations. The outcomes of this wide effort on cyber- security are applicable to the air transportation infrastructure, and indeed security solutions are being implemented in the current system. While these security solutions are important, they only provide a piecemeal solution. Particular computers or communication channels are protected from particular attacks, without a holistic view of the air transportation infrastructure. On the other hand, the above-listed incidents highlight that a holistic approach is needed, for several reasons. First, the air transportation infrastructure is a large scale cyber-physical system with multiple stakeholders and diverse legacy assets. It is impractical to protect every cyber- asset from known and unknown disruptions, and instead a strategic view of security is needed. Second, disruptions to the cyber- system can incur complex propagative impacts across the air transportation network, including its physical and human assets. Also, these implications of cyber- events are exacerbated or modulated by other disruptions and operational specifics, e.g. severe weather, operator fatigue or error, etc. These characteristics motivate a holistic and strategic perspective on protecting the air transportation infrastructure from cyber- events. The analysis of cyber- threats to the air traffic system is also inextricably tied to the integration of new autonomy into the airspace. The replacement of human operators with cyber functions leaves the network open to new cyber threats, which must be modeled and managed. Paradoxically, the mitigation of cyber events in the airspace will also likely require additional autonomy, given the fast time scale and myriad pathways of cyber-attacks which must be managed. The assessment of new vulnerabilities upon integration of new autonomy is also a key motivation for a holistic perspective on cyber threats.

Complex Networks↗
NASA NTRS2012

Radiative Transfer Through Clouds and Its Applications in Support of the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) Mission

The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, which contain enough ice to raise sea level by about 7 and 60 m, respectively, are losing mass at an increasing rate. To acquire continuous information of the cryosphere, after the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) (2003-2010), NASA is actively planning for the ICESat-2 mission. Both ICESat and ICESat-2 are space-borne lidar altimetry systems. The systems measure the time of flight of the arriving photons that are reflected by the surface to deduce the elevation of the underlying terrain. As one of NASA's top priority missions, ICESat-2 is scheduled to launch in 2016. One of the major science goals of ICESat-2 is to quantify the ice sheet mass balance to determine its contributions to the sea level change and its impacts on ocean circulation (Abdalati et al. 2010). Compared to ICESat, which operates at 40 Hz and records the reflected laser energy as a waveform, the significantly improved ICESat-2 lidar employs a 532 nm micro-pulse photon counting system that operates at a high frequency of 10kHz with single photon detectability (Yang et al. 2012). To achieve its science goals, ICESat-2 requires the ability of detecting the elevation change with an accuracy of 0.2 cm/year over the entire ice sheet. Since every photon emitted by the lidar system will travel through the atmosphere, clouds can certainly affect the flight time of the arriving photons. Forward scattering by cloud particles increases the photon path length, thus resulting in biases in ice sheet elevation measurements known as atmospheric path delay (Duta et al. 2001, Yang et al. 2010, 2011). To ensure the accuracy of ICESat-2 surface elevation measurements, it is critical to understand how clouds would affect the travel time of arriving photons. In this talk, we will first present a framework that simulates the behavior of a space-borne 532 mn micro-pulse photon counting lidar in cloudy and clear atmospheres. To investigate the process of laser propagation through clouds, a 3-D Monte Carlo radiative transfer model is used to simulate the photon path distribution and the Poisson distribution is adopted for the number of photon returns. Since the photon counting system only registers the time of the first arriving photon within the detector "dead time", the retrieved average surface elevation tends to bias towards higher values. This is known as the first photon bias. With the scenarios simulated here, the first photon bias for clear sky is about 6.5 cm. Clouds affect surface altimetry in two ways: (1) cloud attenuation lowers the average number of arriving photons and hence reduces the first photon bias; (2) cloud forward scattering increases the photon path length and makes the surface appear further away from the satellite. Compared to clear sky, the average surface elevation detected by the photon counting system for cloudy sky with optical depth 1.0 is 4.0 to 6.0 cm lower for the simulations conducted. The effect of surface roughness on the accuracy of elevation retrievals will also discussed.

Yang, Yuekui↗
NASA NTRS1995

GPS detection of ionospheric perturbations following the January 17, 1994, northridge earthquake

Sources such as atmospheric or buried explosions and shallow earthquakes producing strong vertical ground displacements produce pressure waves that propagate at infrasonic speeds in the atmosphere. At ionospheric altitudes low frequency acoustic waves are coupled to ionispheric gravity waves and induce variations in the ionoispheric electron density. Global Positioning System (GPS) data recorded in Southern California were used to compute ionospheric electron content time series for several days preceding and following the January 17, 1994, M(sub w) = 6.7 Northridge earthquake. An anomalous signal beginning several minutes after the earthquake with time delays that increase with distance from the epicenter was observed. The signal frequency and phase velocity are consistent with results from numerical models of atmospheric-ionospheric acoustic-gravity waves excited by seismic sources as well as previous electromagnetic sounding results. It is believed that these perturbations are caused by the ionospheric response to the strong ground displacement associated with the Northridge earthquake.

Calais, Eric↗
NASA NTRS1978

OSO 8 observations of wave propagation in the solar chromosphere and transition region

The University of Colorado instrument on OSO 8 has been used to observe relative phases of the 300-s intensity variation between the temperature-minimum region and several emission lines formed in the solar chromosphere and chromosphere-corona transition region. The lines used are due to Fe II, Si II, C II, Si IV, and C IV. The scattered light in the spectrograph, which originates almost entirely in the spectral region between 1700 and 1900 A, was used as a probe of the temperature-minimum region. The lines of Fe II, Si II, and C II show almost identical delays of approximately 30 s relative to the temperature minimum, while the intensity oscillations of the lines of Si IV and C IV appear to lead the temperature-minimum intensity oscillations by about 10 s.

Chipman, E. G.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Influence of convection on free growth of dendrite crystals from solution

The free growth of dendrites in a uniformly supercooled solution was examined using cine photography with a Schlieren optical system. Crystals were grown in the bulk of the solution from a centrally located capillary tube, nucleated at the interface with a liquid nitrogen cooled wire. Crystals propagated along the tube, the slower growing orientations eliminated, and emerged at the tip, usually growing parallel to the tube direction. For both sodium sulfate decahydrate from its solution and ice from sodium chloride solution, growth rate and fineness of dendrites increased with supercooling. In sodium sulfate, upward convection of the less dense depleted solution occurs; downward convection was observed for the rejected, more concentrated sodium chloride solution. In both cases, there was a spatial and temporal delay in the release of the convective plume from the moving dendrite tip. The role of this convection on the growth characteristics and the production of secondary crystals is examined. A proposed low-g experiment to examine differences in growth rate, crystal texture, and secondary nucleation in a reduced convective regime where molecular diffusion is the dominant transfer process is discussed.

Hallett, J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Computational Assessment of the Impact of Wave Count on Rotating Detonation Engine Performance

The impact of the number of azimuthally propagating waves on the performance of a Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) is investigated using a simplified two-dimensional computational fluid dynamic simulation. The basic RDE configuration examined has no exit throat. The inlet is assumed lossless and does not allow backflow. The adiabatic, inviscid, and premixed simulation utilizes a particularly simple finite rate reaction mechanism that allows user control over the relative amounts of deflagration and detonation that occur, the presence and extent of a reaction delay associated with fuel and oxidizer mixing, and the number of waves present in the domain. The simplifications and idealizations decouple the effect of wave count from other potential loss mechanisms. Performance is measured using exhaust flow total pressure gain relative to the inlet total pressure. One, two, and three wave solutions are computed under identical boundary conditions and grid resolution. For simulations with no mixing delay and minimal deflagration, the number of waves present has negligible impact on performance. With a mixing delay, performance decreases with increasing wave number. With increased deflagration, performance increases with increasing wave number. With both effects simulated it is found that the two wave solution performs better than either the one or three wave solutions. The causes of these trends are explored. They imply that for practical, RDE’s, the number of waves that are present can impact performance.

Detonation↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Computational Assessment of the Impact of Wave Count on Rotating Detonation Engine Performance

The impact of the number of azimuthally propagating waves on the performance of a Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) is investigated using a simplified two-dimensional computational fluid dynamic simulation. The basic RDE configuration examined has no exit throat. The inlet is assumed lossless and does not allow backflow. The adiabatic, inviscid, and premixed simulation utilizes a particularly simple finite rate reaction mechanism that allows user control over the relative amounts of deflagration and detonation that occur, the presence and extent of a reaction delay associated with fuel and oxidizer mixing, and the number of waves present in the domain. The simplifications and idealizations decouple the effect of wave count from other potential loss mechanisms. Performance is measured using exhaust flow total pressure gain relative to the inlet total pressure. One, two, and three wave solutions are computed under identical boundary conditions and grid resolution. For simulations with no mixing delay and minimal deflagration, the number of waves present has negligible impact on performance. With a mixing delay, performance decreases with increasing wave number. With increased deflagration, performance increases with increasing wave number. With both effects simulated it is found that the two wave solution performs better than either the one or three wave solutions. The causes of these trends are explored. They imply that for practical, RDE’s, the number of waves that are present can impact performance.

Detonation↗
NASA NTRS1996

Downlink Probability Density Functions for EOS-McMurdo Sound

The visibility times and communication link dynamics for the Earth Observations Satellite (EOS)-McMurdo Sound direct downlinks have been studied. The 16 day EOS periodicity may be shown with the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) and the entire 16 day period should be simulated for representative link statistics. We desire many attributes of the downlink, however, and a faster orbital determination method is desirable. We use the method of osculating elements for speed and accuracy in simulating the EOS orbit. The accuracy of the method of osculating elements is demonstrated by closely reproducing the observed 16 day Landsat periodicity. An autocorrelation function method is used to show the correlation spike at 16 days. The entire 16 day record of passes over McMurdo Sound is then used to generate statistics for innage time, outage time, elevation angle, antenna angle rates, and propagation loss. The levation angle probability density function is compared with 1967 analytic approximation which has been used for medium to high altitude satellites. One practical result of this comparison is seen to be the rare occurrence of zenith passes. The new result is functionally different than the earlier result, with a heavy emphasis on low elevation angles. EOS is one of a large class of sun synchronous satellites which may be downlinked to McMurdo Sound. We examine delay statistics for an entire group of sun synchronous satellites ranging from 400 km to 1000 km altitude. Outage probability density function results are presented three dimensionally.

Christopher, P.↗
NASA NTRS2003

NASA Tech Briefs, May 2003

Topics covered include: Using Diffusion Bonding in Making Piezoelectric Actuators; Wireless Temperature-Monitoring System; Analog Binaural Circuits for Detecting and Locating Leaks; Mirrors Containing Biomimetic Shape-Control Actuators; Surface-Micromachined Planar Arrays of Thermopiles; Cascade Back-Propagation Learning in Neural Networks; Perovskite Superlattices as Tunable Microwave Devices; Rollable Thin-Shell Nanolaminate Mirrors; Flight Tests of a Ministick Controller in an F/A-18 Airplane; Piezoelectrically Actuated Shutter for High Vacuum; Bio-Inspired Engineering of Exploration Systems; Microscope Cells Containing Multiple Micromachined Wells; Electrophoretic Deposition for Fabricating Microbatteries; Integrated Arrays of Ion-Sensitive Electrodes; Model of Fluidized Bed Containing Reacting Solids and Gases; Membrane Mirrors With Bimorph Shape Actuators; Using Fractional Clock-Period Delays in Telemetry Arraying; Developing Generic Software for Spacecraft Avionics; Numerical Study of Pyrolysis of Biomass in Fluidized Beds; and Assessment of Models of Chemically Reacting Granular Flows.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2026

Optimization of a 10–Step Reduced CH₄/O₂ Combustion Mechanism for RDRE Applications

A 10-step, 9-species reduced mechanism for methane/oxygen combustion is evaluated and optimized for use in rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) simulations at an operating pressure of 10 bar. The mechanism is assessed against GRI-Mech 3.0 for ignition delay times, adiabatic equilibrium temperature and species, Chapman-Jouguet (CJ) detonation parameters, and laminar flame speed. A sequential Nelder–Mead optimization procedure is applied to the rate constants of reactions R1, R4, and R5, targeting ignition delay agreement over the equivalence ratio range φ = 1.0–1.4 and temperature range T = 1400–2000 K. The optimized mechanism achieves ignition delay agreement within 28% of GRI-Mech 3.0 for the temperature range relevant to RDRE operation (τ ≥ 5 μs). Adiabatic equilibrium temperatures and CJ detonation parameters are reproduced within 0.15% of GRI-Mech 3.0 values, confirming thermodynamic consistency of the mechanism. Laminar flame speed predictions deviate significantly from GRI-Mech 3.0, which is attributed to the absence of HO₂ chemistry in the reduced mechanism; this limitation does not affect RDRE simulation fidelity since laminar flame propagation is of secondary importance in RDREs.

Computational Fluid Dynamics↗