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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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NASA NTRS1984

The ultraviolet astronomy mission: Columbus

An ultraviolet astronomy mission (Columbus) is described. It exploits the spectral region between 900 and 1200A, which is extremely rich in containing the Lyman lines of hydrogen and deuterium and the Lyman band of their molecules, together with the resonance lines of many important ions. High resolving power and high sensitivity provide a unique capability for studying the brightest members of neighboring galaxies, the HeI and HeII absorption systems in quasars out to a red shift of 2, and the halos of intervening galaxies. Complementary focal plane instruments are planned in order to allow observations to longer (2000A) and shorter (100A) wavelengths. This wide coverage embraces the resonance lines of all the cosmically abundant elements and a wide range of temperature zones up to 100 million K.

Wilson, R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Laboratory absorption strengths and line shape parameters in the 4-0, 5-0, and 6-0 vibration bands of HD

Experimental values for the visible vibration-dipole bands of HD are improved through a study of weak, unsaturated absorption lines of HD against a well-defined white light continuum at low gas densities between 0.3 and 1.7 amagats. Spectral resolution was high enough to allow recovery of line profiles with only minor corrections for instrumental effects, so line strengths and shapes are determined directly without recourse to theoretical assumptions regarding the curve of growth, and the unusual phenomenon of collision narrowing in HD is directly observed in the line shape for the first time. Accurate line strengths are reported, the behavior of spectral profiles as a function of gas density is discussed, and the pressure shift coefficients are determined. These are compared with previous laboratory work done either at lower spectral resolving power or at higher gas densities.

Trauger, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1983

High-resolution infrared spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres

Various techniques for high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres are reviewed. Resolving powers of a million are now possible at 1-5 microns with Fourier transform spectrometers and at 10 microns with heterodyne spectrometers. The extension of high-resolution spectroscopy to the far-infrared is currently under development. The role of ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy compared to observations by spacecraft is discussed.

Tokunaga, A. T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

4.6 micron absorption features due to solid phase CO and cyano group molecules toward compact infrared sources

Spectra obtained at a resolving power of 840, for seven protostellar sources in the region of the 4.67-micron fundamental vibrational band of CO, indicate that the deep absorption feature in W33A near 4.61 microns consists of three features which are seen in other sources, but with varying relative strength. UV-irradiation laboratory experiments with 'dirty ice' temperature cycling allow the identification of two of the features cited with solid CO and CO complexed to other molecules. Cyano group-containing molecules have a lower vapor pressure than CO, and can therefore survive in much warmer environments. The formation and location of the CO- and CN-bearing grain mantles and sources of UV irradiation in cold molecular clouds are discussed. Plausible UV light sources can produce the observed cyano group features, but only under conditions in which local heat sources do not cause evaporation of the CO molecules prior to their photoprocessing.

Lacy, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Symmetry-dependent broadening parameters for methane

Experimental results for the pressure-broadened linewidths gamma of methane are presented and compared with theoretical results. A solar Fourier transform spectrometer with spectral resolving power of about one million was used together with a 6-m base length multitraversal absorption cell. Pressures were determined to an accuracy of + or - 0.2 Torr by means of a capacitance manometer. The pressuring gases were N2, H2, and He. Results are presented for numerical averages of all linewidths corresponding to a given tetrahedral symmetry for J = 0-6. For all cases studied, gamma(E) is found to be substantially less than gamma(A), and gamma(A) is found to be near to, but significantly smaller than, gamma(F). Relative inelastic cross sections calculated for argon scattering from methane are compared with relative pressure-broadened linewidths measured in several experiments involving methane and other gases.

Fox, K.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Image-plane processing of visual information

Shannon's theory of information is used to optimize the optical design of sensor-array imaging systems which use neighborhood image-plane signal processing for enhancing edges and compressing dynamic range during image formation. The resultant edge-enhancement, or band-pass-filter, response is found to be very similar to that of human vision. Comparisons of traits in human vision with results from information theory suggest that: (1) Image-plane processing, like preprocessing in human vision, can improve visual information acquisition for pattern recognition when resolving power, sensitivity, and dynamic range are constrained. Improvements include reduced sensitivity to changes in lighter levels, reduced signal dynamic range, reduced data transmission and processing, and reduced aliasing and photosensor noise degradation. (2) Information content can be an appropriate figure of merit for optimizing the optical design of imaging systems when visual information is acquired for pattern recognition. The design trade-offs involve spatial response, sensitivity, and sampling interval.

Huck, F. O.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Fidelity of Satellite Soundings

Two pattern recognition procedures to provide improvements to first guess fields for satellite temperature retrievals were developed. The first technique where a radiometer measurement is used to select one or more historical radiosonde temperature profiles as analog estimates of ambient thermal structure. Radiosondes are the vertical scales of the analogs. The vertical resolving power of the satellite radiometer is relevant only to a decision process. The analog selection process is much more effective if implemented in an orthogonalized space of measurement information. The second procedure partitions a priori dependent data into shape coherent pattern libraries using structure information inherent in the data itself. It is shown that the pattern recognition techniques are able to reduce first guess profile errors by nearly 50%. The impact of pattern recognition on temperature retrieval error is assessed by regression and physical iterative retrieval algorithms. The influence of improved first guess fields is markedly different on these two types of algorithm. Pattern recognition was a strong positive impact on the physical iterative method.

Thompson, O.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Measuring EUV Line Emission from the Hot Interstellar Medium

In the local interstellar medium, the presence of hot gas was inferred from measurements of oxygen VI absorption in the ultraviolet, and from diffuse emission in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray regions. A spectrometer that is very sensitive to gas in this temperature range is described. The spectrometer uses an array of plane ruled gratings at grazing incidence in the extreme off plane mount. A set of Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors focuses the conically diffracted light on to one of two microchannel plate detectors. The field of view of the instrument is 0.2 deg by 12 deg. The predicted sensitivity ranges from 50 to 200 ph/(sq cm sec str) with a resolving power of 15 to 50 over the 50 to 700 angstrom wavelength band.

Labov, S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

SIRTF: The next step

The scientific and technical background and prospects for the space infrared telescope facility (SIRTF) are described. This facility is a superfluid-helium-cooled, 0.85-meter infrared telescope to be placed in orbit in 1993. It is designed to carry out photometry over the wavelength range 2 to 700 micrometers, and diffraction-limited imagery in either broad or narrow spectral bands over the range 1.8 to 200 micrometers. It is proposed that SIRTF measure spectra in the range 2.5 to 200 micrometers with resolving power between 50 and 1000 and that the focal plane contain about 20,000 detector elements, both discrete and in arrays. The SIRTF observatory is designed to be a long-lived facility providing opportunities for general investigations by the entire scientific community. For following up the all-sky survey carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), SIRTF is ideal. It can do a deep survey to flux levels 5000 times fainer than IRAS and can obtain spectra of even the faintest IRAS sources.

Gillett, F. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A Far Infrared Echelle Spectrometer for the Kuiper Airborne Observatory

A liquid-helium-cooled grating spectrometer (CGS) is being developed as a facility instrument for the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO), primarily to study for infrared lines originating in the interstellar medium. A maximum resolving power of approximately 6000 is achieved by means of a 45 cm long Echelle grating and is optically capable of operating in the spectral range from 25 to 300 microns. An array of detectors is used to simultaneously measure a line and the adjacent continuum from astronomical sources. Currently six detectors allow measurements in the 30 to 120 micron spectral band. The instrument, its operation, and its performance are described.

Erickson, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The angular resolution of air shower gamma ray telescopes

A crucial charactristic of air shower arrays in the field of high energy gamma-ray astronomy is their angular resolving power, the arrival directions being obtained by the time of flight measurements. A small air shower array-telescope is used to study the resolution in the definition of the shower front as a function of the shower size.

Morello, C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Dielectric Fabry-Perot mirror coatings for infrared astronomy

A number of Fabry-Perot (FP) coating designs have been developed specifically for IR astronomy. These have been optimized for uniform reflectance over five contiguous spectral ranges of particular astronomical interest between 1 and 5 microns. Wavelength coverage in individual designs is given by (maximum wavelength/minimum wavelength) greater than 1.4, over which reflective finesse is maintained near 35. Consideration has been made for the peculiar requirements of FP coatings. Visual alignment and testing of the FP has been made convenient by bringing the reflective finesse of the coating at 632.8 nm to the same value as the main IR reflection band. For example, a calcium fluoride FP can be aligned and tested at 632.8-nm He-Ne laser line, with the assurance of a corresponding finesse and spectral resolving power over its IR (3.6-5.1-micron) range. In addition, the FP can be used for IR spectroscopy while being simultaneously monitored and/or actively controlled at the laser wavelength. The potential for the coating itself to degrade the effective surface flatness of the FP through either mechanical stress or thickness nonuniformities is minimized by reducing to a minimum the number and thickness of coating layers. Several of these coatings have been fabricated and are actively in use at a number of observatories.

Trauger, J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

An FIR cooled grating spectrometer for the Kuiper Airborne Observatory

The design and performance of a liquid-He-cooled spectrometer being developed for the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) to study FIR lines originating in the interstellar medium are discussed. Currently, the spectrometer contains six Ge:Ga photoconductor detectors mounted in integrating cavities and cooled to about 3 K; the collimator focal plane has space for 39 such detectors. The instrument achieves a maximum resolving power of 6000 by means of a 45-cm long echelle grating and is optically capable of operating in the spectral range 25-300 microns. A laboratory spectrum of water vapor, an atmospheric water absorption feature measured from the KAO with Mars as a source, and the forbidden O(2+) emission from W51-IRS1 are shown.

Erickson, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph (IMAPS)

The design and fabrication of an objective-grating echelle spectrograph to fly on sounding rockets and record spectra of stars from approximately 920 to 1120A with a resolving power lambda/delta lambda = 200,000 is discussed. The scientific purpose of the program is to observe, with ten times better velocity resolution than before, the plentiful absorption lines in this spectral region produced by atoms, ions and molecules in the interstellar medium. In addition, an important technical goal is to develop and flight-quality a new ultraviolet, photon-counting image sensor which has a windowless, opaque photocathode and a CCD bombarded directly by the accelerated photoelectrons. Except for some initial difficulties with the performance of CCDs, the development of the payload instrument is relatively straightforward and our overall design goals are satisfied. The first flight occurred in late 1984, but no data were obtained because of an inrush of air degraded the instrument's vacuum and caused the detector's high voltage to arc. A second flight in early 1985 was a complete success and obtained a spectrum of pi Sco. Data from this mission are currently being reduced; quick-look versions of the spectra indicate that excellent results will be obtained. Currently, the payload is being reconfigured to fly on a Spartan mission in 1988.

Jenkins, E. B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Analysis and interpretation of MAGSAT anomalies over north Africa

Crustal anomaly detection with MAGSAT data is frustrated by inherent resolving power of the data and by contamination from external and core fields. Quality of the data might be tested by modeling specific tectonic features which produce anomalies that fall within proposed resolution and crustal amplitude capabilities of MAGSAT fields. To test this hypothesis, north African hotspots associated with Ahaggar, Tibesti and Darfur were modeled as magnetic induction anomalies. MAGSAT data were reduced by subtracting external and core fields to isolate scalar and vertical component crustal signals. Of the three volcanic areas, only the Ahaggar region had an associated anomaly of magnitude above error limits of the data. Hotspot hypothesis was tested for Ahaggar by seeing if predicted magnetic signal matched MAGSAT anomaly. Predicted model magnetic signal arising from surface topography of the uplift and the Curie isothermal surface was calculated at MAGSAT altitudes by Fourier transform technique modified to allow for variable magnetization. Curie isotherm surface was calculated using a method for temperature distribution in a moving plate above a fixed hotspot. Magnetic signal was calculated for a fixed plate as well as a number of plate velocities and directions.

Phillips, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Constraints on lithospheric structure from satellite potential field data: Africa and Asia. Analysis and interpretation of MAGSAT anomalies over North Africa

Crustal anomaly detection with MAGSAT data is frustrated by the inherent resolving power of the data and by contamination from the external and core fields. The quality of the data might be tested by modeling specific tectonic features which produce anomalies that fall within the proposed resolution and crustal amplitude capabilities of the MAGSAT fields. To test this hypothesis, the north African hotspots associated with Ahaggar, Tibestia and Darfur have been modeled as magnetic induction anomalies due solely to shallower depth to the Curie isotherm surface beneath these features. The MAGSAT data were reduced by subtracting the external and core fields to isolate the scalar and vertical component crustal signals. The predicted model magnetic signal arising from the surface topography of the uplift and the Curie isotherm surface was calculated at MAGSAT altitudes by the Fourier transform technique modified to allow for variable magnetization. In summary it is suggested that the region beneath Ahaggar is associated with a strong thermal anomaly and the predicted anomaly best fits the associated MAGSAT anomaly if the African plate is moving in a northeasterly direction.

Phillips, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The Haleakala Stokes polarimeter

A versatile Stokes polarimeter for solar observations has been developed. Recent improvements to the instrument include a high-resolution echelle spectrometer coupled to the telescope by optical fibers, and 128-element diode array detectors. The on-axis design on the telescope and polarimeter limit instrumental polarization to .0001, and the spectrometer detector combination provides spectral resolving power of 160,000 for any wavelength between 4000 and 11,000 A. This paper describes the Haleakala polarimeter and in particular the spectrometer with its fiber-optic coupling. Examples of Stokes line profiles observed in a sunspot are presented, together with derived vector magnetic field maps.

Mickey, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A cryogenically cooled, multidetector spectrometer for infrared astronomy

A liquid helium-cooled, 24 detector grating spectrometer was developed and used for low resolution astronomical observations in the 5 to 14 micron spectral range. The instrument operated on the 91 cm Kuiper Airborne Observatory, the 3 m IRTF (Mauna Kea), the 3 m Shane telescope (Lick Observatory), and the 152 cm NASA and University of Arizona telescope. The detectors are discrete Si:Bi photoconductors with individual metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor preamplifiers operating at 4 K. The system uses a liquid helium-cooled slit, order-sorter filter, collimator mirror, grating, and camera mirror arranged in a Czerny-Turner configuration with a cold stop added between the collimator mirror and the grating. The distances between components are chosen so that the collimator mirror images the secondary mirror of the telescope onto the cold stop, thus providing a very effective baffle. Scattered radiation is effectively reduced by using liquid helium-cooled, black baffles to divide the spectrometer into three separate compartments. The system noise-equivalent flux density, when used on the 152 cm telescope from 8 to 13 microns with a resolving power of 50, is 4.4 x 10 to the minus 17th power W/sq cm micron square root of Hz. The main applications are for measuring continuum radiation levels and solid state emission and absorption features in regions of star and planet formation.

Witteborn, F. C.↗