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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Contrasting landform perception with varied radar illumination geometries and at simulated resolutions of Venera and Magellan

The high sensitivity of imaging radars to slope at moderate to low incidence angles enhances the perception of linear topography on images. It reveals broad spatial patterns that are essential to landform mapping and interpretation. As radar responses are strongly directional, the ability to discriminate linear features on images varies with their orientation. Landforms that appear prominent on images where they are transverse to the illumination may be obscure to indistinguishable on images where they are parallel to it. Landform detection is also influenced by the spatial resolution in radar images. Seasat radar images of the Gran Desierto Dunes complex, Sonora, Mexico; the Appalachian Valley and Ridge Province; and accreted terranes in eastern interior Alaska were processed to simulate both Venera 15 and 16 images (1000 to 3000 km resolution) and image data expected from the Magellan mission (120 to 300 m resolution. The Gran Desierto Dunes are not discernable in the Venera simulation, whereas the higher resolution Magellan simulation shows dominant dune patterns produced from differential erosion of the rocks. The Magellan simulation also shows that fluvial processes have dominated erosion and exposure of the folds.

Ford, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Improved Si:As BIBIB (Back-Illuminated Blocked-Impurity-Band) hybrid arrays

Results of a program to increase the short wavelength (less than 10 microns) detective quantum efficiency, eta/beta, of Si:As Impurity Band Conduction arrays are presented. The arrays are epitaxially grown Back-Illuminated Blocked (BIB) Impurity-Band (BIBIB) 10x50 detectors bonded to switched-FET multiplexers. It is shown that the 4.7 microns detective quantum efficiency increases proportionately with the thickness of the infrared active layer. A BIB array with a thick active layer, designed for low dark current, exhibits eta/beta = 7 to 9 percent at 4.7 microns for applied bias voltages between 3 and 5 V. The product of quantum efficiency and photoelectric gain, etaG, increases from 0.3 to 2.5 as the voltage increases from 3 to 5 V. Over this voltage range, the dark current increases from 8 to 120 e(-)s(-1) at a device temperature of 4.2 K and is under 70 e(-)s(-1) for all voltages at 2 K. Because of device gain, the effective dark current (equivalent photon rate) is less than 3 e(-)s(-1) under all operating conditions. The effective read noise (equivalent photon noise) is found to be less than 12 electrons under all operating conditions and for integration times between 0.05 and 100 seconds.

Herter, T.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Tests of the Rockwell Si:As Back-Illuminated Blocked-Impurity Band (BIBIB) detectors

Two arrays of Rockwell's Si:As back-illuminated blocked-impurity-band detectors were tested at the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) at low background and low temperature for possible use in the astronomical space experiment ISOPHOT. For these measurements special test equipment was put together. A cryostat was mechanically modified to accommodate the arrays and special peripheral electronics was added to a microprocessor system to drive the cold multiplexer and to acquire the output data. The first device, a 16x50 element array on a fan-out board was used to test individual pixels with a trans-impedance-amplifier at a photon background of 10(exp 8) Ph s(-1)cm(-2) and at temperatures of 2.7 to 4.4 K. The noise-equivalent-power NEP is in the range 5 - 7 x 10(exp -18) WHz(exp -1/2), the responsivity is less than or equal to 100 AW(exp -1)(f = 10 Hz). The second device was a 10x50 array including a cold readout electronics of switched FETs (SWIFET). Measurements of this array were done in a background range of 5 x 10(exp 5) to 5 x 10(exp 11) Ph s(exp-1)cm(exp-2) and at operating temperatures between 3.0 and 4.8 K. The NEP ranges from less than 10(exp -18) at the lowest background to 2 x 10(exp -16) WHz(exp -1/2) at the highest flux.

Wolf, J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Space power by laser illumination of PV arrays

There has recently been a resurgence of interest in the use of beamed power to support space exploration activities. The utility is examined of photovoltaics and problem and research areas are identified for photovoltaics in two beamed-power applications: to convert incident laser radiation to power at a remote receiving station, and as a primary power source on space based power station transmitting power to a remote user. A particular application of recent interest is to use a ground-based free electron laser as a power source for space applications. Specific applications include: night power for a moonbase by laser illumination of the moonbase solar arrays; use of a laser to provide power for satellites in medium and geosynchronous Earth orbit, and a laser powered system for an electrical propulsion orbital transfer vehicle. These and other applications are currently being investigated at NASA Lewis as part of a new program to demonstrate the feasibility of laser transmission of power for space.

Landis, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The internal caustic structure of illuminated liquid droplets

The internal electric field of an illuminated liquid droplet is studied in detail using both wave theory and ray theory. The internal field obtains its maximum values on the caustics within the droplet. Ray theory is used to determine the equations of these caustics and the density of rays on them. The Debye series expansion of the interior field Mie amplitudes is used to calculate the wave theory version of these caustics. The physical interpretation of the sources of stimulated Raman scattering and fluorescence emission within a liquid droplet is then given.

Lock, James A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Satellite eclipse power by laser illumination

A method is proposed to eliminate the energy storage system required to power a satellite in geosynchronous orbit during eclipse. An array of high-power CW lasers is situated at one or more ground locations in line of sight of the satellite, preferably on mountaintops. The lasers are provided with a tracking system, and lenses or mirrors of sufficient size to reduce the beam spread due to diffraction. As the satellite enters eclipse, the laser arrays illuminate the solar arrays on the satellite to a level sufficient to provide operating power.

Landis, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Study of curved and planar frequency-selective surfaces with nonplanar illumination

A locally planar technique (LPT) is investigated for determining the forward-scattered field from a generally shaped inductive frequency-selective surface (FSS) with nonplanar illumination. The results of an experimental study are presented to assess the LPT accuracy. The effects of a nonplanar incident field are determined by comparing the LPT numerical results with a series of experiments with the feed source placed at varying distances from the planar FSS. The limitations of the LPT model due to surface curvature are investigated in an experimental study of the scattered fields from a set of hyperbolic cylinders of different curvatures. From these comparisons, guidelines for applying the locally planar technique are developed.

Caroglanian, Armen↗
NASA NTRS1990

Functional relation among subpixel canopy cover, ground shadow, and illuminated ground at large sampling scales

The functional relation among subpixel canopy cover, illuminated soil, and shadowed soil, which progressively develops with increasing pixel size, is investigated for Poisson distributed plants using a geometric canopy simulation model. An analytical relation among cover components is shown to be applicable when the scale of the pixel is much larger than the scale of the plant and ground shadow. The analysis is facilitated through the use of a nondimensional solar-geometric similarity parameter, eta, equal to the ratio of the area of one plant canopy to its associated ground shadow area, as viewed from nadir. A sampling scale ratio, defined as the ratio of the area of the pixel to the mean area of a single plant shadow, is tested as a quantitative criterion to evaluate when the functional relation among subpixel components occurs. The results of a remote sensing experiment over a natural conifer landscape provide preliminary confirmation of the theoretical analysis.

Jasinski, Michael F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

CCD With Back-Side Illumination And Charge Steering

Proposed charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging array of photodetectors has features of back-side-illuminated CCD and interline-transfer CCD. Photoelectrons generated near back surface and swept by electric fields toward front into collecting potential wells, not directly opposite that location. By suitable timing of control signals, charges from multiple image frames stored in rapid succession. Useful in imaging rapid transient phenomena as chemically reacting flows, with interframe intervals of microseconds.

Fossum, Eric R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Numerical and experimental study of curved and planar frequency selective surfaces with arbitrary illumination

A frequency selective surface (FSS) composed of apertures in a metallic sheet is known as the inductive FSS. The infinite inductive FSS theory is derived and the aperture fields are solved by a spectral domain formulation with method of moments solution. Both full domain and subsectional basis functions are studied. A locally planar technique (LPT) is used to determine the forward scattered field from a generally shaped inductive FSS with arbitrary illumination.

Caroglanian, Armen↗
NASA NTRS1991

Observations of snow and ice features during the polar winter using moonlight as a source of illumination

Sunlight reflected off the surface of the moon provides sufficient illumination for nighttime imaging of the earth from those spacecraft on which the instruments are sensitive to low light levels. The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) series of satellites are at present the only systems capable of furnishing visible nocturnal images of the earth from space. Features having a high albedo in the visible wavelengths, such as snow and ice, can easily be identified on moonlit nights when the moon is in the gibbous or full phases. Little information exists about the distribution of leads, fractures, and polynya on a basin-wide scale in the winter pack ice, and knowledge of oceanic and atmospheric fluxes is hindered by the limited data available in winter. The DMSP data is a relatively untapped source for observing polar regions during the winter. Using nighttime imagery is a novel way to explore polar areas during the winter months when the sun is below the horizon for much of the time.

Foster, James L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Moonbase night power by laser illumination

Moonbase solar-power concepts must somehow address the energy storage problem posed by the 354-hour lunar night. Attention is presently given to the feasibility of laser-array illumination of a lunar base, using technology that is projected to be available in the near term. Beam-spreading due to atmospheric distortions could be reduced through the use of adaptive optics to compensate for atmospheric turbulence.

Landis, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Auxiliary Illumination For Viewing Along A Welding Torch

Auxiliary optical subsystem provides additional illumination for through-torch vision system of type used in automated or semiautomated arc welding. Also useful during operation of torch to view parts in shadows cast by arc light.

Gilbert, Jeffrey L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Linear diattenuation of a front-side illuminated CCD

An experiment was performed on a front-side illuminated CCD to measure its linear diattenuation at 550 nm and 650 nm as a function of angle of incidence. The linear diattenuation of the CCD varies from 0 to 12 percent for 550 nm light from 0 to 40 deg and is less for the longer wavelength.

Deslis, A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A model of an X-ray-illuminated accretion disk and corona

The X-ray-illuminated surface of the accretion disk in a low-mass X-ray Binary (LMXRB) and the X-ray-heated corona above the disk produce optical, UV, and soft X-ray emission lines. This paper presents 1D models of the emission line spectra and the vertical temperature and density structures at different radii. The models include a detailed treatment of the important atomic processes and an escape probability treatment of radiative transfer. Soker and Raymond (1993) use the density structure predicted by these models for a 2D Monte Carlo simulation of the photon scattering in the accretion disk corona (ADC) to examine the effects of the ADC on the angular distribution of X-rays and the flux of X-rays incident on the outer disk. This paper concentrates on the emission line fluxes for various elemental abundances and disk parameters. The UV lines of the classic LMXRBs are consistent with the model predictions. Some CNO processing is necessary to account for the nitrogen and helium abundances in Sco X-1 and other LMXRBs. Comparison of the models with observed spectra also points to a soft X-ray component with luminosity comparable to the hard X-rays. The models predict a substantial luminosity in the group of highly ionized iron lines near 100 A.

Raymond, John C.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Get the Red Out: Removing Diffuse Sky Illumination from Mars Pathfinder Images

Radiative transfer calculations are performed to remove the effect of diffuse illumination on the color of the martian surface. We describe the methods and apply them to a radiometric calibration target, and to a superpan cube of the rock Yogi. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Stoker, Carol↗
NASA NTRS1999

Illuminating Development

Through the support of the NASA SBIR program, Control Vision, Inc. developed novel video techniques for clear, high resolution, real-time imaging of high temperature, high-energy industrial processes, such as welding, plasma arc spraying (coating), arc furnaces, metal casting and refractories (ceramics) melting. The Control Vision systems use reflected laser or strobe illumination, combined with ultra-short exposure times to create video, including the allowance of particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) of fast moving powder particles buried within a plasma stream.

Source record↗