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At least 631 records · Page 35

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NASA NTRS1984

Inelastic tunnel diodes

Power is extracted from plasmons, photons, or other guided electromagnetic waves at infrared to midultraviolet frequencies by inelastic tunneling in metal-insulator-semiconductor-metal diodes. Inelastic tunneling produces power by absorbing plasmons to pump electrons to higher potential. Specifically, an electron from a semiconductor layer absorbs a plasmon and simultaneously tunnels across an insulator into metal layer which is at higher potential. The diode voltage determines the fraction of energy extracted from the plasmons; any excess is lost to heat.

Anderson, L. M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Some recent developments in the interpretation of MST radar returns from clear air (keynote paper), part 2

Mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere (MST) radar returns from clear air come about through the interaction of electromagnetic waves with the inhomogeneous structures of refractive index in the atmosphere. In order to interpret the data correctly to obtain information concerning the dynamics of the atmosphere, one must first know how the various refractive index structures can affect the propagation and scattering of the radio waves. This can be achieved through theoretical and model studies. On the other hand, in order to carry out realistic theoretical studies, realistic models of the inhomogeneous structures of the atmospheric refractive index are needed. These are available only through observational data. Therefore the close interplays between theoretical and observational investigations are essential in making progress in this area. Some results on certain aspects of the problem are presented with emphasis on those aspects that may lead to new developments.

Liu, C. H.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Recoverable Plasma Diagnostics Package (RPDP)

The recoverable plasma diagnostics package (RPDP) is an ejectable and recoverable satellite with flight and ground support systems so that it can be utilized in three modes: attached to an remote manipulator system; tethered; or as a subsatellite. The satellite is well instrumented with particle and field diagnostic as well as optical sensors to: investigate the dynamics of the natural environment or ejected perturbations from particle beams; measure the characteristics and propagation of electrostatic and electromagnetic waves; study wave particle interactions; and study natural properties of the magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere.

Roberts, W. T.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Whistler damping at oblique propagation - Laminar shock precursors

This paper addresses the collisionless damping of whistlers observed as precursors standing upstream of oblique, low-Mach number terrestrial bow shocks. The linear theory of electromagnetic waves in a homogeneous Vlasov plasma with Maxwellian distribution functions and a magnetic field is considered. Numerical solutions of the full dispersion equation are presented for whistlers propagating at an arbitrary angle with respect to the magnetic field. It is demonstrated that electron Landau damping attenuates oblique whistlers and that the parameter which determines this damping is beta-e. In a well-defined range of parameters, this theory provides damping lengths which are the same order of magnitude as those observed. Thus electron Landau damping is a plausible process in the dissipation of upstream whistlers. Nonlinear plasma processes which may contribute to precursor damping are also discussed, and criteria for distinguishing among these are described.

Gary, S. P.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Dyadic Green's functions for layered anisotropic medium

The dyadic Green's functions (DGF) for unbounded and layered anisotropic media have been obtained. The anisotropic medium is assumed to be tilted uniaxial. With the availability of the DGF's, many problems involving radiation and scattering of electromagnetic waves can readily be solved.

Lee, J. K.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Four-dimensional modulation and coding - An alternate to frequency-reuse

Four dimensional modulation as a means of improving communication efficiency on the band-limited Gaussian channel, with the four dimensions of signal space constituted by phase orthogonal carriers (cos omega sub c t and sin omega sub c t) simultaneously on space orthogonal electromagnetic waves are discussed. 'Frequency reuse' techniques use such polarization orthogonality to reuse the same frequency slot, but the modulation is not treated as four dimensional, rather a product of two-D modulations, e.g., QPSK. It is well known that, higher dimensionality signalling affords possible improvements in the power bandwidth sense. Four-D modulations based upon subsets of lattice-packings in four-D, which afford simplification of encoding and decoding are described. Sets of up to 1024 signals are constructed in four-D, providing a (Nyquist) spectral efficiency of up to 10 bps/Hz. Energy gains over the reuse technique are in the one to three dB range t equal bandwidth.

Wilson, S. G.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Quiet Plasma Source

Synthesis of plasma from separate ion and electron emitters suppresses electromagnetic interference. Source employs separate emitters for electrons and ions. Plasma source used to simulate variety of astrophysical phenomena and space-plasma effects. For example, used in studies of propagation of electromagnetic waves in plasmas. Serves as interference-free charge neutralizer.

Leung, P. L.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Remote sensing of earth terrain

Progress on the investigation of the anisotropy of the terrain media, such as vegetation canopy and sea ice, and the study of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem in conjunction with the application of strong fluctuation theory for passive remote sensing of snowpacks is reported. The Feynman diagrammatic technique is used to derive the Dyson equation for the mean field and the Bethe-Salpeter equation for the correlation or the covariance of the field for electromagnetic wave propagation and scattering in an anisotropic random medium. With the random permittivity expressed in a general form, the bilocal and the nonlinear approximations are employed to solve the Dyson equation and the ladder approximation to the Bethe-Salpeter equation. The mean dyadic Green's function for a two layer anisotropic random medium with arbitrary three dimensional correlation function was investigated with the zeroth-order solutions to the Dyson equation under the four characteristic waves associated with the coherent vector fields propagating in an anisotropic random medium layer, which are the ordinary and extraordinary waves with upward and downward propagating vectors.

Kong, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Recoverable Plasma Diagnostics Package (RPDP)

Roberts, B.↗

NASA NTRS1985

On the electromagnetic scattering from infinite rectangular conducting grids

The study and development of two numerical techniques for the analysis of electromagnetic scattering from a rectangular wire mesh are described. Both techniques follow from one basic formulation and they are both solved in the spectral domain. These techniques were developed as a result of an investigation towards more efficient numerical computation for mesh scattering. These techniques are efficient for the following reasons: (a1) make use of the Fast Fourier Transform; (b2) they avoid any convolution problems by converting integrodifferential equations into algebraic equations; and (c3) they do not require inversions of any matrices. The first method, the SIT or Spectral Iteration Technique, is applied for regions where the spacing between wires is not less than two wavelengths. The second method, the SDCG or Spectral Domain Conjugate Gradient approach, can be used for any spacing between adjacent wires. A study of electromagnetic wave properties, such as reflection coefficient, induced currents and aperture fields, as functions of frequency, angle of incidence, polarization and thickness of wires is presented. Examples and comparisons or results with other methods are also included to support the validity of the new algorithms.

Christodoulou, C.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Pressure broadening of rotational bands. I - A statistical theory

Absorption of electromagnetic waves by rotational transitions of molecules is formulated for the case in which the wave frequency is displaced from resonance by an amount large compared to the reciprocal duration of a typical binary collision, and also large compared to the differences between frequencies of the strong resonances of the gas. In this far-wing limit, Fano's relaxation operator is reduced to a scalar parameter which depends on the frequency displacement. This relaxation parameter is not symmetric with respect to reflection about resonance, but becomes symmetric when multiplied by the factor exp (h/2pi) (omega sub d)/2kT where omega sub d is the frequency displacement. The theory applies to dipolar molecules of any shape, in collisions with either dipolar or quadrupolar molecules.

Rosenkranz, P. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Linear analysis of an axially grooved rectangular gyrotron for harmonic operation

In an axially grooved rectangular waveguide the linearized Vlasov equation is solved to find the perturbed distribution function resulting from the electromagnetic forces on the electrons. The resulting beam current and the propagating electromagnetic waves of the cold tube are used in the inhomogeneous Maxwell's equation to derive the general dispersion equation. This equation is then transformed into the electron beam frame and the resulting linear growth rate of amplification is calculated. By maximizing the linear growth rate, the operational parameters of the gyrotron are then optimized.

Ferendeci, A. M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Definition of the cusp

The history of the dayside or polar cusp is reviewed briefly, beginning with the work of Chapman and Ferraro, Axford and Hines, and Dungey. Solar wind plasma comes down the cusp to low altitudes; the remarkably broad area over which this penetration occurs prompted the use of the term cleft, apparently at the foot of the entry layer inside the magnetopause. The consensus of discussion at the workshop was that cusp should refer mainly to the narrow feature in the magnetic profile. Cleft would refer to the broader region defined by the solar wind plasma (perhaps somewhat modified by acceleration or retardation processes); distinctive features observable in the ionosphere or on the ground are photo-emission, enhanced plasma density and temperature, plasma convection, electromagnetic waves, and turbulence.

Heikkila, W. J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Strong scintillations during atmospheric occultations Theoretical intensity spectra

Each of the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977 has completed a reconnaissance of the Jovian and Saturnian systems. In connection with occultation experiments, strong scintillations were observed. Further theoretical work is required before these scintillations can be interpreted. The present study is, therefore, concerned with the derivation of a theory for strong scattering during atmospheric occultation experiments, taking into account as fundamental quantity of interest the spatial spectrum (or spectral density) of intensity fluctuations. Attention is given to a theory for intensity spectra, and numerical calculations. The new formula derived for Phi-i accounts for strong scattering of electromagnetic waves during atmospheric occultations.

Hinson, D. P.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Delta K measurements with synthetic aperture radar data

Delta K measurements are obtained from the interference of two electromagnetic waves of different frequencies. Constructive interference occurs when 2pi phase differences between the two frequencies correspond to a surface wavelength. Previous Delta K measurements have used two discrete frequencies for this purpose. Range pulses and Doppler signatures of a synthetic aperture radar system were filtered to obtain a sequence of Delta K values. Those Delta K values which correspond to the wavelengths of known surfaces show maximum constructive interference. SAR data can therefore be used for Delta K measurements, indicating the possibility of selective Delta K filtering during data gathering.

Larson, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Simulation of the solar wind interaction with the outer regions of the coma

Interaction of the solar wind with newly born cometary ions, O(+), is studied through hybrid simulations (particle ions, fluid electrons). The results show that depending on the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) with respect to the solar wind velocity, two kinds of interaction are possible. When IMF is exactly or nearly parallel to the solar wind velocity, momentum transfer between the protons and the O(+) ions takes place solely through the excitation of large amplitude electromagnetic waves. On the other hand, as IMF becomes more oblique to the solar wind velocity, momentum transfer occurs on a faster time scale through the motional electric field in the solar wind. This more rapid deceleration can lead to the formation of a shock.

Omidi, N.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Theoretical studies on rapid fluctuations in solar flares

Rapid fluctuations in the emission of solar bursts may have many different origins e.g., the acceleration process can have a pulsating structure, the propagation of energetic electrons and ions can be interrupted from plasma instabilities and finally the electromagnetic radiation produced by the interaction of electrostatic and electromagnetic waves may have a pulsating behavior in time. In two separate studies the conditions for rapid fluctuations in solar flare driven emission were analyzed.

Vlahos, Loukas↗

NASA NTRS1987

Electromagnetic scattering by impedance structures

The scattering of electromagnetic waves from impedance structures is investigated, and current work on antenna pattern calculation is presented. A general algorithm for determining radiation patterns from antennas mounted near or on polygonal plates is presented. These plates are assumed to be of a material which satisfies the Leontovich (or surface impedance) boundary condition. Calculated patterns including reflection and diffraction terms are presented for numerious geometries, and refinements are included for antennas mounted directly on impedance surfaces. For the case of a monopole mounted on a surface impedance ground plane, computed patterns are compared with experimental measurements. This work in antenna pattern prediction forms the basis of understanding of the complex scattering mechanisms from impedance surfaces. It provides the foundation for the analysis of backscattering patterns which, in general, are more problematic than calculation of antenna patterns. Further proposed study of related topics, including surface waves, corner diffractions, and multiple diffractions, is outlined.

Balanis, Constantine A.↗