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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1976

A very-long-baseline interferometer system for geodetic applications

A very-long-baseline interferometer system was designed and built for geodetic applications. Each interferometer terminal records a 360-kHz spectral band of noise from a compact extragalactic radio source. The center frequency of the spectral band can be selected to sample sequentially bands covering a much wider frequency range to obtain subnanosecond accuracy in group-delay measurements. A tunnel-diode pulse generator is used to calibrate the delays in the receiver. The necessary sets of algorithms and computer programs have been developed to analyze the data and have allowed the system to be employed to make accurate determinations of vector baselines, radio-source positions, polar motion, and universal time.

Whitney, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Description of the ISEE satellite-to-satellite kilometric wavelength interferometer system

The International Sun-Earth Explorer (ISEE) spacecraft 1 and 2 carry receivers for detecting electromagnetic waves with kilometric wavelengths. For selected receiver frequencies from 30 kHz to 2 MHz, a 10-kHz bandwidth channel is single-sideband mixed down to baseband. These analog data and a reference frequency, which is a submultiple of the local oscillator frequency, are transmitted to ground stations and tape recorded along with the precise time and frequency information. Cross correlation of these tape recorded signals constitutes a satellite-to-satellite interferometer with a fringe spacing of 0.4 to 41 arcmin (at a range of 10,000 to 100 km spacing between spacecraft for 250 kHz in frequency) and with a time-delay resolution of 32 microsec for a 10-kHz bandwidth, which gives an angular resolution of 3 min to 6 deg of arc. For kilometric radiation at earth, sources in the size range of 25 to 2500 km can be identified (from 20 earth radii) and located in relative position ranging from 0.02 to 2 earth radii, depending on spacecraft spacing. Reception and analysis of solar and Jovian bursts may also be possible.

Shawhan, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1973

A holographic interferometer system for measuring density profiles in high-velocity flows

This paper describes a holographic interferometric technique for obtaining density measurements across a test gas that is traveling at a velocity of over 5500 m/sec in an expansion tube facility. Interferometric data describing the flow in the test section are obtained using a long coherence length CW argon laser in a holographic system and a rotating drum camera recorder. The object beam, which passes through the test section, intersects the reference beam at a small angle to form an interference pattern of about 170 lines/mm, and is recorded as a hologram. Before a test, this hologram is placed in its original position and rotated slightly so that an interference pattern is generated by the intersection of the reconstructed and real-time object beams.

Burner, A. W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Precision geodesy using the Mark-III very-long-baseline interferometer system

Very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) has been used to make precise measurements of the vector separation between widely separated antennas. The system for acquiring and processing VLBI data known as Mark-III is described. Tests of the system show it to have millimeter-level accuracy on short baselines; measurements of baselines longer than a few hundred kilometers suggest that accuracy is limited by the uncertainty in the calibration of tropospheric path delay to the level of a few centimeters. VLBI experiments conducted between 1976 and 1983 have demonstrated the stability of the North American plate by showing that there is no change in the distance between eastern California and Massachusetts at the level of a few millimeters per year or greater. Experiments made from 1980 to 1984 indicate that the distance from Massachusetts to Sweden is increasing by 1.7 + or - 1 cm/year where the quoted standard deviation includes the estimated effects of systematic errors.

Clark, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A Holographic Interferometer System for Measuring Density Profiles in High-Velocity Flows

This paper describes a holographic interferometric technique for obtaining density measurements across a test gas that is traveling at a velocity of over 5500 meters per second in an expansion tube facility. Interferometric data describing the flow in the test section are obtained using a long coherence length cw argon laser in a holographic system and a rotating drum camera recorder. The object beam, which passes through the test section, intersects the reference beam at a small angle (5 degrees) to form an interference pattern of about 170 lines per millimeter, and is recorded as a hologram. Before a test, this hologram is placed in its original position and rotated slightly so that an interference pattern is generated by the intersection of the reconstructed and real-time object beams. This interference pattern is adjusted to a series of bright, horizontal fringes having a spatial frequency of about 5 fringes per centimeter. During the few milliseconds it takes the test gas to pass through the test section, variations in the gas density across the 8.4-centimeter test section produce phase variations in the object beam and result in a varying interference pattern. A rotating drum camera with a 0.15-millimeter slit aligned perpendicular to the fringes is used to record the varying fringe shifts with a time resolution of about 3 microseconds. The average gas density across the test section is determined by measuring these fringe shifts.

Burner, Alpheus W.↗
NASA NTRS1980

An interferometer based phase control system

An interferometer based phase control system for focusing and pointing the solar power satellite (SPS) power beam is discussed. The system is ground based and closed loop. One receiving antenna is required on Earth. A conventional uplink data channel transmits an 8 bit phase error correction back to the SPS for sequential calibration of each power module. Beam pointing resolution is better than 140 meters at the rectenna.

Ott, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Interferometer mirror tilt correcting system

An interferometer is described, having several means for automatically adjusting the angular tilt of a reflecting surface in one of two paths to maintain the exit beams from the two paths parallel to each other. Three detectors at the output of the interferometer were disposed on mutually perpendicular axes which define a plane normal to the nominal exit beam axis. One detector at the origin of the axes was used as a reference for separate phase difference comparison with the outputs of the other two detectors on the X and Y axes to develop servo error signals.

Schindler, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1969

Laser interferometer micrometer system

Laser micrometer measures dimensions of precision gyro and gas bearing parts using the principle of measuring light phase changes rather than a direct fringe count. The system uses light beams to eliminate errors due to deformations and surface irregularities, and three interferometers.

Logue, S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Scannable beam forming interferometer antenna array system

An antenna array is described which comprises three interferometer pairs of antenna elements with selected spacings made to form a single beam which is readily scannable. All spatial frequencies generated by a signal and intercepted by the array are derived from a signal processing technique applied to the array. The array samples space in the spatial frequency domain while the signal processing technique utilizes real time convolution of functions in the spectral frequency domain. Summation of the appropriate spatial frequencies is equilvalent to a Fourier transform operation, yielding the location of the signal source in space. Resolution and freedom from interference of the interferometer system is equal to that of a fully filled array of the same aperture size containing element spacings of one half wavelength. An antenna array system comprising four antenna elements forming six interferometer pairs with a resolution equal to that of a sixteen element array with spacings of one half wavelength is described, as well as other multiples of one quarter wavelength of partial multiples of a wave length.

Kaiser, J. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Fabry-Perot-interferometer imaging system for thermospheric temperature and wind measurements

Doppler-broadened Fabry-Perot fringes of weak (less than 1-kR) auroral forbidden O I 5577- and 6300-A emissions have been detected in real time (1/60 sec) with the aid of a low-light level image-orthicon TV camera coupled to a two-stage image intensifier. The imaging scheme permits static-mode operation of a Fabry-Perot interferometer. For maximum use of all the information contained in every TV frame, each circular fringe may be sectioned into several annuli, and the corresponding annuli from all rings are summed to yield an intensity value. This procedure for deriving a fringe profile requires a video digitizer coupled to a digital processing system and should provide fast real-time (1/60 sec) measurements of E- and F-region temperatures and winds. With forbidden O I 5577-A intensity of 750 R, visually prominent TV images of the Fabry-Perot fringes were recorded in 0.5 sec, and the temperature of the emitting region was determined from two percent of the total information in the TV image.

Sivjee, G. G.↗