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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

Vertical Roughness of the Polar Regions of Mars from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter Pulse-Width Measurements

The sub-kilometer scale vertical roughness of the martian surface in the polar regions can be investigated using calibrated, optical pulse width data provided by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). Garvin and others have previously discussed initial observations of what we have called "total vertical roughness" or TVR, as derived from MOLA optical pulse width observations acquired during the pre-mapping phases of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission. Here we present the first assessment of the Mars polar region properties of the TVR parameter from more than nine months of continuous mapping by MOLA as part of the MGS mapping mission. Other than meter-scale surface properties directly inferred from Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images, MOLA measurements of footprint-scale TVR represent the only direct measurements of the local vertical structure of the martian surface at approx. 150 m length scales. These types of data have previously been shown to correlate with geologic process histories for terrestrial desert surfaces on the basis of Shuttle Laser Altimeter (SLA) observations. Additional information is obtained in the original extended abstract.

Garvin, J. B.↗

Fizeau wavemeter for pulsed laser wavelength measurement

A Fizeau wavelength meter optimized for use with pulsed laser sources has been developed and characterized which demonstrates a CW resolution better than 2 parts in 10 to the 7th and a pulsed resolution better than 1 part in 10 to the 6th. The static optical design is based on a Fizeau wedge interferometer, which together with spatial filtering and collimating optics is used to produce a pattern of parallel fringes which is imaged on a linear photodiode array and analyzed by a minicomputer. A series of CW and pulsed measurements of various narrowband laser sources are described, and particular difficulties involved in pulsed laser measurements with the wavemeter are examined.

Morris, M. B.↗

Temporal correlation measurements of pulsed dual CO2 lidar returns

A pulsed dual-laser direct-detection differential-absorption lidar DIAL system, operating near 10.6 microns, is used to measure the temporal correlation and statistical properties of backscattered returns from specular and diffuse topographic targets. Results show that atmospheric-turbulence fluctuations can effectively be frozen for pulse separation times on the order of 1-3 msec or less. The diffuse target returns, however, yielded a much lower correlation than that obtained with the specular targets; this being due to uncorrelated system noise effects and different statistics for the two types of target returns.

Menyuk, N.↗

Strong-field ionization of water: Nuclear dynamics revealed by varying the pulse duration

Polyatomic molecules in strong laser fields can undergo substantial nuclear motion within tens of femtoseconds. Ion imaging methods based on dissociation or Coulomb explosion therefore have difficulty faithfully recording the geometry dependence of the field ionization that initiates the dissociation process. Here we compare the strong-field double ionization and subsequent dissociation of water (both H 2 O and D 2 O) in 10-fs and 40-fs 800-nm laser pulses. We find that 10-fs pulses turn off before substantial internuclear motion occurs, whereas rapid internuclear motion can take place during the double ionization process for 40-fs pulses. The short-pulse measurements are consistent with a simple tunnel ionization picture whose predictions help interpret the motion observed in the long-pulse measurements.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Single pulse vibrational Raman scattering by a broadband KrF excimer laser in a hydrogen-air flame

Spontaneous vibrational Raman scattering (VRS) is produced by a broadband excimer laser at 248 nm (KrF) in a H2-air flame, and VRS spectra are recorded for lean, stoichiometric, and rich flames. Except at very lean flame conditions, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) processes interfere with VRS Stokes lines from H2, H2O, and O2. No interference is found for the N2 Stokes and N2 anti-Stokes lines. In a stoichiometric H2/air flame, single-pulse measurements of N2 concentration and temperature (by the VRS Stokes to anti-Stokes ratio) have a relative standard deviation of 7.7 and 10 percent, respectively. These single pulse measurement errors compare well with photon statistics calculations using measured Raman cross sections.

Pitz, Robert W.↗

Development and evaluation of a list mode neutron coincidence collar for spatial response measurements of fresh fuel assemblies

A traditional safeguards neutron coincidence counting system, the Neutron Coincidence Collar, has been modified to incorporate individual preamplifiers on each of its 18 3He tubes in active interrogation mode. When used with list mode data acquisition (LMDA) and analysis, a signal from each 3He tube can be recorded and analyzed to allow a spatial response measurement to be performed on an item based on count rate and 3He tube location within the system. The ultimate goal of this project is to demonstrate the capabilities of a list mode response matrix for the nondestructive assay of fresh nuclear fuel assemblies. To enable partial defect detection of fuel pin locations and absences within an assembly, the project aims to extend well-established correlated neutron analysis techniques on a preexisting Neutron Coincidence Collar by extracting a greater number of useful signatures from the system than are currently generated. LMDA, combined with the addition of multiple preamplifiers, facilitates this capability by increasing the number of simultaneous signals that can be measured; this allows an in-depth analysis of neutron coincidence events to determine a fissioning item’s location based on the measured doubles count rate in various channel logic coincidence combinations. All of this can be done from a single measurement pulse train in offline analysis, which is the major benefit provided by LMDA. Through various stages of development and testing, a Mirion Technologies model JCC-71 Neutron Coincidence Collar has been successfully retrofit with modern electronics designed in-house at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, matching preexisting JAB-01 electronics performance, while maintaining the original system footprint. This paper presents these various stages of development and experimental evaluation of the proof of concept system.

Moore, Angela S.↗

Short pulse radar measurements of layered ice and snow

Using a radar system with high range resolution, it was shown that measurements of snow and ice thickness are feasible with an accuracy of better than 3 inches. In addition, the water equivalent of the snowpack can be estimated, given a single surface measurement of the snow depth. Discontinuities in density were also detected and their location determined by inspection of the radar returns. The remote measurement of layer thickness is described. The system was designed for eventual incorporation into a light aircraft.

Vickers, R. S.↗

Field ionization device used for measuring the pulse height defect of He/+/ in silicon

A neutral particle detector using field ionization and liquid-nitrogen-cooled solid state detectors has been developed to investigate the pulse height defect of low energy He(+) ions in silicon. The field ionization tip is fabricated from a short length of tungsten wire; a typical detector is of the surface-barrier Si type with a thin Au window and low capacitance (about 15 pF); the assembly is mounted in a cylindrical vacuum chamber which is pumped to about 10 to the -6th torr. As an example, pulse height distributions for He(+) and H(+) taken at tip bias of 25.7 kV are presented. The detected energy of the H and He ions are studied as a function of the actual energies of accelerated ions, for a detector having a gold front conducting surface layer of 32 micrograms/sq cm.

Curtis, C. C.↗

Method and apparatus for measuring optical pulses

A pulse analysis system or method includes a frequency filter that receives an ultrafast pulse under test and disperses the pulse under test over a frequency range. The frequency filter separates the pulse under test into component frequency slices and provides the frequency slices to a detector coupled to a digitizer, which processes the digitized signal and collects a sonogram characteristic of the pulse under test. The frequency slices are arranged to overlap. Ptychography is performed on the sonogram to obtain characteristics of the pulse under test.

Kane, Daniel J.↗

Method and apparatus for measuring optical pulses

A pulse analysis system or method includes a frequency filter that receives an ultrafast pulse under test and disperses the pulse under test over a frequency range. The frequency filter separates the pulse under test into component frequency slices and provides the frequency slices to a detector coupled to a digitizer, which processes the digitized signal and collects a sonogram characteristic of the pulse under test. The frequency slices are arranged to overlap. Ptychography is performed on the sonogram to obtain characteristics of the pulse under test.

Kane, Daniel J.↗

Discovery of the Millisecond Pulsar PSR J2043+1711 in a Fermi Source with the Nancay Radio Telescope

We report the discovery of the millisecond pulsar PSR J2043+1711 in a search of a Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) source with no known associations, with the Nancay Radio Telescope. The new pulsar, confirmed with the Green Bank Telescope, has a spin period of 2.38 ms, is relatively nearby (d approx. < 2 kpc) and is in a 1.48-d orbit around a low-mass companion, probably an He-type white dwarf. Using an ephemeris based on Arecibo, Nancay and Westerbork timing measurements, pulsed gamma-ray emission was detected in the data recorded by the Fermi LAT. The gamma-ray light curve and spectral properties are typical of other gamma-ray millisecond pulsars seen with Fermi. X-ray observations of the pulsar with Suzaku and the Swift X-ray Telescope yielded no detection. At 1.4 GHz, we observe strong flux density variations because of interstellar diffractive scintillation; however, a sharp peak can be observed at this frequency during bright scintillation states. At 327 MHz, the pulsar is detected with a much higher signal-to-noise ratio and its flux density is far more steady. However, at that frequency the Arecibo instrumentation cannot yet fully resolve the pulse profile. Despite that, our pulse time-of-arrival measurements have a post-fit residual rms of 2 micro s. This and the expected stability of this system have made PSR J2043+1711 one of the first new Fermi-selected millisecond pulsars to be added to pulsar gravitational wave timing arrays. It has also allowed a significant measurement of relativistic delays in the times of arrival of the pulses due to the curvature of space-time near the companion, but not yet with enough precision to derive useful masses for the pulsar and the companion. Nevertheless, a mass for the pulsar between 1.7 and 2.0 solar Mass can be derived if a standard millisecond pulsar formation model is assumed. In this paper, we also present a comprehensive summary of pulsar searches in Fermi LAT sources with the Nancay Radio Telescope to date.

general aEuro" pulsars↗

Generation of sub-100-fs pulses from a CW mode-locked chromium-doped forsterite laser

Generation of femtosecond pulses from a continuous-wave mode-locked chromium-doped forsterite laser is reported. The forsterite laser was actively mode locked by using an acoustooptic modulator operating at 78 MHz with two Brewster high-dispersion glass prisms for intracavity chirp compensation. Transform-limited sub-100-fs pulses were routinely generated in the TEM(00) mode with 85 mW of continuous power (with 1 percent output coupler), tunable over 1230-1280 nm. The shortest pulses measured had a 60-fs pulse width.

Seas, A.↗

A self-referenced in-situ arrival time monitor for X-ray free-electron lasers

We present a novel, highly versatile, and self-referenced arrival time monitor for measuring the femtosecond time delay between a hard X-ray pulse from a free-electron laser and an optical laser pulse, measured directly on the same sample used for pump-probe experiments. Two chirped and picosecond long optical supercontinuum pulses traverse the sample with a mutually fixed time delay of 970 fs, while a femtosecond X-ray pulse arrives at an instant in between both pulses. Behind the sample the supercontinuum pulses are temporally overlapped to yield near-perfect destructive interference in the absence of the X-ray pulse. Stimulation of the sample with an X-ray pulse delivers non-zero contributions at certain optical wavelengths, which serve as a measure of the relative arrival time of the X-ray pulse with an accuracy of better than 25 fs. We find an excellent agreement of our monitor with the existing timing diagnostics at the SACLA XFEL with a Pearson correlation value of 0.98. We demonstrate a high sensitivity to measure X-ray pulses with pulse energies as low as 30 μJ. Using a free-flowing liquid jet as interaction sample ensures the full replacement of the sample volume for each X-ray/optical event, thus enabling its utility even at MHz repetition rate XFEL sources.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗