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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 91 records · Page 5

Development of improved pyroelectric detectors. Measurements of pyroelectric material characteristics and FET characteristics

Research was undertaken to improve the detectivity of the pyroelectric detector with the ultimate goal of operation at or near the temperature-noise limit. Two general areas of investigation were undertaken: (1) to improve responsivity through the use of new materials; and (2) to reduce noise through improved field effect transistor characteristics, and improved electroding of the pyroelectric material. FET's are being obtained from various manufacturers, evaulated, and selected units tested for evaluation of characteristics critical to their use as preamplifiers with pyroelectric detectors.

Weiner, S.↗

Operational testing of system for automatic sleep analysis

Tables on the performance, under operational conditions, of an automatic sleep monitoring system are presented. Data are recorded from patients who were undergoing heart and great vessel surgery. This study resulted in cap, electrode, and preamplifier improvements. Children were used to test the sleep analyzer and medical console write out units. From these data, an automatic voltage control circuit for the analyzer was developed. A special circuitry for obviating the possibility of incorrect sleep staging due to the presence of a movement artifact was also developed as a result of the study.

Kellaway, P.↗

Analysis of bioelectric records and fabrication of phototype sleep analysis equipment

A computer-analysis technique was used to evaluate the changes in the waking EEGs of 5 normal subjects which occurred during the oral administration of flurazepam hydrochloride (Dalmane). While the subjects were receiving the drug, there was an increase in the amount of beta (14-38 c/sec) activity in fronto-central EEG leads in all 5 subjects. This increase in beta activity was characterized by a highly consistent increase in the number of waves that occurred during an EEG recording interval of fixed duration and by a less consistent increase in average wave amplitude. There was no detectable change in mean EEG wavelength (frequency) within the beta frequency range. The EEG patterns reverted to their baseline condition during 2-3 weeks after withdrawal of the drug. Analysis of the alpha, theta and delta components of the EEG indicated no changes during or following administration of the drug. This study clearly illustrates the usefulness of specific computer-analysis techniques in the characterization and quantification of sleep-promoting drugs upon the EEG of the normal young adults in the waking state. Two preamplifiers and 150 EEG monitoring caps with electrodes were delivered to MSC.

Kellaway, P.↗

A low power X-ray diffractometer for soil analysis in remote locations employing a multiwire proportional counter detector array.

A low power X-ray powder diffraction system suitable for remote mineralogical analysis of lunar, planetary, or asteroid soils has been designed. A one Curie Fe-55 source provides a monochromatic X-ray beam of 5.9 keV. Seeman-Bohlin focusing geometry is employed in the camera, allowing peak detection to proceed simultaneously at all angles and obviating the need for moving parts. The detector system is an array of 500-600 proportional counters with a wire-spacing of 1 mm. An electronics unit comprising preamplifier, postamplifier, window discriminators, and storage flip-flops requiring only 3.5 milliwatts has been designed and tested. Total instrument power is less than 5 W.

Gregory, J. C.↗

A gamma ray monitor for the OSO-7 spacecraft.

A NaI(T2) gamma ray spectrometer with a CsI(Na) charged particle and anti-Compton shield has been developed for the spacecraft. The spacecraft telemetry system employs a 800 Hz clock and reads data out on a basic 32-word (byte) Main Frame cycle. The data from the instrument include spectral data, X-ray data, and housekeeping data. The gamma ray pulses from the anode of the central detector flow through the front end electronics, where they are amplified by a charge sensitive preamplifier. The admission of the desired gamma ray into the data stream is controlled by a linear gate.

Higbie, P. R.↗

Fast-neutron spectrometer developments

Li6 sandwich-type neutron spectrometer is equipped with proportional counter for particle identification. System uses current-sensitive preamplifiers to minimize pile-up of gamma-ray and particle pulses.

Moler, R. B.↗

Binary-selectable detector holdoff circuit

High-speed switching circuit protects detectors from sudden, extremely-intense backscattered radiation that results from short-range atmospheric dust layers, or low-level clouds, entering laser/radar field of view. Function of circuit is to provide computer-controlled switching of photodiode detector, preamplifier power-supply voltages, in approximately 10 nanoseconds.

Kadrmas, K. A.↗

High sensitivity infrared 10.6 micrometer heterodyne receiver development

The results are presented for a study on the design of an infrared 10.6-micrometer quantum-noise-limited optical receiver subsystem. Performance measurements of the HgCdTe photomixer preamplifier combination were carried out for photomixer temperatures up to 152 K and a photomixer frequency response of up to 420 MHz was obtained. Results of temperature and bias cycling of HgCdTe photomixers are reported. Design considerations for an operational 10.6 micrometer heterodyne receiver are presented. These consist of design data on required laser LO illumination, heat load levels for photomixer cooler, photomixer uniformity and the effects of photomixer impedance match on receiver sensitivity. Analysis and measurements of 10.6 micrometer heterodyne detection in an extrinsic photoconductive (p-type) HgCdTe photomixer are also presented.

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LWS design replacement study: Optimum design and tradeoff analysis

A design for two long-wavelength (LW) focal-plane and cooler assemblies, including associated preamplifiers and post-amplifiers is presented. The focal-planes and associated electronic assemblies are intended as direct replacement hardware to be installed into the existing 24-channel multispectral scanner used with the NASA Earth Observations Aircraft Program. An organization skilled in the art of LWIR systems can fabricate and deliver the two long-wavelength focal-plane assemblies described in this report when provided with the data and drawings developed during the performance of this contract. The concepts developed during the study including the alternative approaches and selection of components are discussed. Modifications to the preliminary design as reported in a preliminary design review meeting have also been included.

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Remote analysis of planetary soils: X-ray diffractometer development

A system is described suitable for remote low power mineralogical analysis of lunar, planetary, or asteroid soils. It includes an X-ray diffractometer, fluorescence spectrometer, and sample preparation system. A one Curie Fe-55 source provides a monochromatic X-ray beam of 5.9 keV. Seeman-Bohlin or focusing geometry is employed in the camera, allowing peak detection to proceed simultaneously at all angles and obviating the need for moving parts. The detector system is an array of 500-600 proportional counters with a wire-spacing of 1 mm. An electronics unit comprising preamplifier, postamplifier, window discriminators, and storage flipflops requiring only 3.5 milliwatts was designed and tested. Total instrument power is less than 5 watts. Powder diffraction patterns using a flat breadboard multiwire counter were recorded.

Gregory, J. C.↗

Health/education telecommunications experiment

The use of ATS 6 spacecraft in a general telecommunication link for the health/education experiment demonstrates the feasibility of the small receiver-only terminal consisting of a ten foot diameter antenna located on a three-legged mount. The terminal is capable of 0 to 70 degrees elevation, course adjustment, and a plus or minus 5 degree elevation vernier adjustment. Its tuned radio frequency receiver utilizes a cavity back dipole feed and a preamplifier. The indoor unit provides further RF gain and drives a wideband limiter-discriminator.

Whalen, A. A.↗

Optical communication theory.

An introduction is provided to the important ideas involved in the design and the evaluation of optical communication systems which transmit digital or analog data. Field representations are discussed together with background noise, a detector statistical model, quantum receivers, and turbulent and scatter channels. Free-space channels are considered, taking into account heterodyne systems, preamplifier and homodyne systems, direct-detection systems, and optimum quantum systems.

Hoversten, E. V.↗

Remote sensing technology - The 24-channel multispectral scanner.

The multispectral scanner system installed in the NASA C-130 aircraft for use in the Earth Observations Aircraft Program constitutes a 24-channel imaging spectrometer that senses electromagnetic energy in the spectral interval from .34 to 13 microns. Energy reflected or emitted from the terrain and system calibration sources is collected by a scan mirror, reflected into collecting optics, and brought to a focus in a plane containing a 0.09 inch square aperture. A dichroic optical element splits the energy which passes through the aperture into two wavelength bands (wavelengths above and below 2 microns). These wavelength bands are then dispersed spectrally into 24 distinct spectral bands by two grating spectrometers. The spectral intervals are transformed into electrical signals by separate detector-preamplifier combinations, and the signals are used as inputs to a video processor in an airborne electronics console. System operation and performance are described.

Hayre, H. S.↗

Bio-isolated DC operational amplifier

Possibility of shocks from leakage currents can be reduced by use of isolated preamplifiers. Amplifier consists of battery-powered operational amplifier coupled by means of light-emitting diodes to another amplifier which may be grounded and operated from ac power mains or separate battery supply.

Lee, R. D.↗

An analysis of the facsimile-camera response to radiant point sources

In addition to imaging the surrounding terrain, planetary lander cameras may also be used to survey the stars to aid in locating the lander site. The response of the facsimile camera, which was selected for the Viking lander missions to Mars, to a radiant point source is formulated and shown to result in a statistical rather than deterministic signal. The signal statistics are derived and magnitudes are evaluated for the brighter visual and red stars. The probability of detecting the resultant statistical signals in photosensor and preamplifier noise and the associated probability of false alarms are also determined.

Huck, F. O.↗

TRW plasma wave experiment for the IMP-H mission

The IMP-H plasma wave experiment is designed to extend knowledge of wave-particle interactions in the disturbed cislunar region, the distant geomagnetic tail, the upstream solar wind, and the flanks of the magnetosheath-shock interface. It is expected to identify plasma instabilities, study particle acceleration and heating at collisionless shocks and other discontinuities, analyze turbulent conductivity and field line merging, and provide new information on dissipation processes for suprathermal particles. Instrumentation for the plasma wave experiment is designed to measure local electric and magnetic field oscillations over the frequency range 10 Hz to 100 kHz. A 24 inch electric dipole, a 7 inch diameter air core search coil, and the associated preamplifiers are mounted on a spacecraft counterweight boom. The frequency range of 10 Hz to 100 kHz for both E and B is processed using an eight-channel spectrum analyzer located in the instrument main-body package (a standard IMP trapezoidal module, 3 inches high). Electric fields as small as 10-100 microvolts/meter and magnetic signals as small as 1-3 milligamma will be detected.

Virobik, P. F.↗

Technology forecasting for space communication

A study was conducted to determine techniques for application to space communication. The subjects considered are as follows: (1) optical communication systems, (2) laser communications for data acquisition networks, (3) spacecraft data rate requirements, (4) telemetry, command, and data handling, (5) spacecraft tracking and data network antenna and preamplifier cost tradeoff study, and (6) spacecraft communication terminal evaluation.

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Development and evaluation of television tubes for space astronomy

An improved vidicon image sensor for space astronomy applications is developed that features reliably sealed ultraviolet transmitting windows and achieves acceptable photocathode quantum efficiency on these MgF2 windows. New preamplifier designs improve the dynamic range by reduction of the readout noise.

Spitzer, L.↗