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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Experimental observation of linear and nonlinear ion acoustic phenomena in a cylindrical geometry

Ion acoustic phenomena are studied in a cylindrical geometry for two distinct cases. A large amplitude compressive pulse is seen to evolve into solitons. The evolution of these solitons and their dependence on initial conditions show a similarity to previous work on one dimensional solitons. Dimensionless scaling arguments are used to distinguish the two cases. In the presence of a steady state uniform cylindrical beam, approximated by a ring in V sub r, V sub phi, an ion-ion beam instability is observed. This instability exists for a limited range of beam velocities and shows a marked similarity to the strictly one dimensional ion-ion beam instability. Solution of the appropriate dispersion relation shows agreement with the observed phenomenon.

Romesser, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Technical guidance and analytic services in support of SEASAT-A

The design of a high resolution radar for altimetry and ocean wave height estimation was studied. From basic principles, it is shown that a short pulse wide beam radar is the most appropriate and recommended technique for measuring both altitude and ocean wave height. To achieve a topographic resolution of + or - 10 cm RMS at 5.0 meter RMS wave heights, as required for SEASAT-A, it is recommended that the altimeter design include an onboard adaptive processor. The resulting design, which assumes a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) processor, is shown to satisfy all performance requirements. A design summary is given for the recommended radar altimeter, which includes a full deramp STRETCH pulse compression technique followed by an analog filter bank to separate range returns as well as the assumed MLE processor. The feedback loop implementation of the MLE on a digital computer was examined in detail, and computer size, estimation accuracies, and bias due to range sidelobes are given for the MLE with typical SEASAT-A parameters. The standard deviation of the altitude estimate was developed and evaluated for several adaptive and nonadaptive split-gate trackers. Split-gate tracker biases due to range sidelobes and transmitter noise are examined. An approximate closed form solution for the altimeter power return is derived and evaluated. The feasibility of utilizing the basic radar altimeter design for the measurement of ocean wave spectra was examined.

Brooks, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Seasat and polar ice

The instrument package for SEASAT-A possesses three tools that could give data greatly needed in ice cap research: the Compressed Pulse Radar Altimeter (CPRA), the Coherent Imaging Radar (CIR), and the Scanning Multifrequency Microwave Radiometer (SMMR). Certain problems that can be studied with each sensor are discussed.

Campbell, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Seasat and floating ice

Data collected by SEASAT would be useful in developing predictive physical models for the drift and deformation of sea ice, for estimating the heat budget of the polar seas, for the optimum routing of shipping through pack ice areas, for the design of both offshore structures and shipping capable of surviving in heavy pack ice, and for the tracking of large icebergs and ice islands. The instrument package for SEASAT-A is particularly useful for studying sea ice in that the Coherent Imaging Radar (CIR), the Scanning Multifrequency Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) and the Compressed Pulse Radar Altimeter (CPRA) are not limited by the presence of clouds.

Weeks, W. F.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Seasat-A - A product of user interests

The paper describes how user requirements were integrated into the development of the Seasat-A program and shows how user requirements influenced sensor selection, mission planning, satellite systems design, and the end-to-end data system. User requirements included the measurement of ocean topography, surface winds, gravity waves, surface temperature, sea ice, salinity, and surface pressure. Particular attention is paid to the selection of sensors: compressed pulse radar altimeter, synthetic aperture imaging radar, microwave wind scatterometer, visible/infrared radiometer, and multispectral microwave radiometer.

Mccandless, S. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Seasat-A - An ocean observation satellite

Mission details, onboard equipment, and measurements to be taken are described for the Seasat-A global ocean monitoring satellite. The satellite is designed for mapping the global ocean geoid, charting ice fields and leads, precision measurement of sea surface topography, global monitoring of wave height and wave directional spectra, surface winds and wind direction, current patterns, and ocean temperature. Data handling subsystems, a compressed pulse radar altimeter, coherent synthetic aperture imaging radar, microwave wind scatterometer, scanning visible/IR radiometer, scanning multispectral (5 freq) microwave radiometer mounted on the satellite are described briefly.

Williams, F. L.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Skylab S-193 radar altimeter experiment analyses and results

The design of optimum filtering procedures for geoid recovery is discussed. Statistical error bounds are obtained for pointing angle estimates using average waveform data. A correlation of tracking loop bandwidth with magnitude of pointing error is established. The impact of ocean currents and precipitation on the received power are shown to be measurable effects. For large sea state conditions, measurements of sigma 0 deg indicate a distinct saturation level of about 8 dB. Near-nadir less than 15 deg values of sigma 0 deg are also presented and compared with theoretical models. Examination of Great Salt Lake Desert scattering data leads to rejection of a previously hypothesized specularly reflecting surface. Pulse-to-pulse correlation results are in agreement with quasi-monochromatic optics theoretical predictions and indicate a means for estimating direction of pointing error. Pulse compression techniques for and results of estimating significant waveheight from waveform data are presented and are also shown to be in good agreement with surface truth data. A number of results pertaining to system performance are presented.

Brown, G. S.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Seasat-A oceanographic data system and users

The Seasat-A system is reviewed with emphasis on data retrieval, processing and dissemination plans. Attention is paid to the sensors of the Seasat satellite including the compressed pulse radar altimeter, the coherent synthetic aperture imaging radar, the microwave wind scatterometer, and the scanning visible/infrared radiometer. Particular emphasis is placed on a particular set of experiments: the Navy's Fleet Numerical Weather Control will receive Seasat data in real time and process the data into products that will be used in weather and sea condition forecasts.

Mccandless, S. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Waves in active and passive periodic structures - A review

The theory and recent applications of waves in periodic structures are reviewed. Both the Floquet and coupled waves approach are analyzed in some detail. The theoretical part of the paper includes wave propagation in unbounded and bounded active or passive periodic media, wave scattering from periodic boundaries, source radiation (dipole, Cerenkov, transition, and Smith-Purcell) in periodic media, and pulse transmission through a periodic slab. The applications part covers the recent development in a variety of fields: distributed feedback oscillators, filters, mode converters, couplers, second-harmonic generators, deflectors, modulators, and transducers in the fields of integrated optics and integrated surface acoustics. Work on insect compound eyes, mechanical structures, ocean waves, pulse compressions, temperature waves, and cholesteric liquid crystals, and particles interaction with crystals is briefly reviewed, especially in the case of zeolite crystals and superlattices. Recent advances in fabrication techniques for very fine gratings are also covered.

Elachi, C.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Effect of weighting on time sidelobe suppression

Weighting simulations in the time domain were considered to shape the time-compressed pulse waveform. The digital input radar data were 32 bit I,Q, and simulated data from a point target, imaged by a Seasat-A type system. Weighting functions tested include stepped-amplitude distributions, (with 1 through 5 steps), and the cosine-squared plus pedestal distribution. Effects treated include mainlobe ratio, signal to noise ratio, and nearest sidelobe suppression.

Dicenzo, A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Means to achieve wide swath widths in synthetic aperture satellite borne radars

The radar range equation including processing gains for pulse compression and synthetic aperture generation was the starting point. System geometry considerations were introduced. For simplicity, flat earth geometry was used, although it was realized that this was not a good model for satellite-borne radars. Next, the constraints were introduced. These included those needed to avoid ambiguities in both range and azimuth, those needed to acheive the desired resolution, and those needed to achieve the desired swath width.

Cutrona, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Microscale instabilities in stream interaction regions

The microstructure of solar wind stream interaction regions is considered theoretically with emphasis on the role of several electrostatic kinetic instabilities which may be important within the stream interface and the compression region. Inside of 1 AU, the interface is likely to be stable against the electrostatic streaming instabilities considered. Between 1 and 2 AU, the interface will excite the magnetized ion-ion instability. The compression region is also found to be unstable beyond 1 AU where the modified two-stream instability, beam-cyclotron instability, and ion-acoustic instability are important in determining the structure of the compressive pulses as they evolve into forward and reverse shocks. It is concluded that the modified two-stream instability and beam-cyclotron instability predominately play a role in heating the electrons to the threshold for the ion-acoustic instability. Various electrostatic plasma waves, ranging in frequency from the lower-hybrid to harmonics of the electron cyclotron frequency, would be produced by these instabilities. Their signature should also be seen by high time resolution measurements of the temperature of the various plasma species.

Eviatar, A.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The Surface Contour Radar, a unique remote sensing instrument

A 36 GHz computer controlled airborne Surface Contour Radar (SCR) is described, which was developed by the Naval Research Laboratory and NASA. The system uses pulse-compression techniques and dual frequency carriers spaced far enough apart to be decorrelated on the sea surface. The continuous wave transmitter is biphase modulated, the return signal is autocorrelated, and the code length and clock rate are variable, providing selectable range resolutions of 0.15, 0.30, 0.61 and 1.52 m. The SCR generates a false-color coded elevation map of the sea surface below the aircraft in real time, and can routinely produce ocean directional wave spectra with off-line data processing.

Kenney, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Microscale instabilities in stream interaction regions

A theoretical investigation of the microstructure of solar wind stream interaction regions is presented. The role of several electrostatic kinetic instabilities is discussed which may be important within the stream interface and the compression region. Inside of 1 AU the interface is likely to be stable against the electrostatic streaming instabilities considered. Between 1 and 2 AU it is argued that the interface will excite the magnetized ion-ion instability. The compression region is also found to be unstable beyond 1 AU, where the modified two-stream instability, beam-cyclotron instability, and ion-acoustic instability will be important in determining the structure of the compressive pulses as they evolve into forward and reverse shocks. It is concluded that the modified two-stream instability and beam-cyclotron instability predominately play a role in heating the electrons to the threshold for the ion-acoustic instability.

Eviatar, A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Radar cross calibration investigation TAMU radar polarimeter calibration measurements

A short pulse, 20 MHz bandwidth, three frequency radar polarimeter system (RPS) operates at center frequencies of 10.003 GHz, 4.75 GHz, and 1.6 GHz and utilizes dual polarized transmit and receive antennas for each frequency. The basic lay-out of the RPS is different from other truck mounted systems in that it uses a pulse compression IF section common to all three RF heads. Separate transmit and receive antennas are used to improve the cross-polarization isolation at each particular frequency. The receive is a digitally controlled gain modulated subsystem and is interfaced directly with a microprocesser computer for control and data manipulation. Antenna focusing distance, focusing each antenna pair, rf head stability, and polarization characteristics of RPS antennas are discussed. Platform and data acquisition procedures are described.

Blanchard, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Overview of on-line data processing for MST radars (keynote paper), part 7

The most important aspects of the processing of MST radar data are discussed. The important points of on-line data processing for MST radar are reviewed. The goals of the on-line and now almost exclusively digital processing, procedures are to achieve good altitude resolution and coverage, good frequency (Doppler shift) resolution, and good time resolution, while avoiding, the problems of range and frequency ambiguity (aliasing), ground clutter, and interference. Achieving optimum results requires pulse compression and some coherent integration. The first allows full utilization of the average power capability of the transmitter and the second reduces the computing requirements.

Farley, D. T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

On-line data processing techniques for MST radars

The various techniques which are or could be used in the processing of mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere radar scattering data are outlined. The principles of pulse compression, frequency stepping, and coherent integration are reviewed in some detail. Coarse quantization and the calculation of spectral moments are treated very briefly.

Farley, D. T.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The Radar Ocean-Wave Spectrometer

The scanning-beam Radar Ocean-Wave Spectrometer (ROWS) technique is described. The derivation of a spectrum for the reflectivity modulation as a function of range is examined. The usefulness of the ROWS technique was initially validated using aircraft data obtained in 1978 with the GSFC Ku-band pulse-compression radar; additional examples of aircraft data which verify the effectiveness of the ROWS technique are presented. The development of a ROWS mode for Spectrasat is discussed. Consideration is given to the incidence angle, twin beam option for cross-section roll-off and wind vector determination, rotation rate, antenna and footprint dimensions, integration time, sphericity effects, and a processor configuration. A design for the ROWS-mode time-domain processor on Spectrasat is proposed. The performance of the system is evaluated, and it is determined that the system performs well.

Jackson, Frederick C.↗