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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
DOE OSTI2024

High Precision, High Frequency Printed Antennas

An emerging trend in advanced manufacturing is printed electronics and sensors. The ability to print customized electronics and sensors integrated into functional packages is a growing need within a variety of growing markets such as smart manufacturing, internet of things (IoT), and the small satellite industry. Both Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the MITRE Corporation have seedling research efforts evaluating the potential for future printed electronic systems. High frequency, wide-bandwidth phased array antennas (i.e. >45 GHz) open the door to new applications. However, such sensors require currently prohibitively small feature sizes for commercial 3D printing technologies along with increasing challenges with connecting the driving electronics to such features. An additional finding with related advanced manufacturing challenges is the rapid production of 3D additive connectors for integration with commercial printed circuit boards (PCBs), primarily for advanced in-circuit inspection techniques. This work is developing additive manufacturing processes for producing connected and conductive fine scale 3D features. The primary focus was on aerosol-jet printing (AJP), which has a small minimum resolution (<50 µm) but is traditionally printed flat with small height/width aspect ratios <<1, and developing controls to enable fully 3D, high aspect ratio, and unsupported features. In Phase 1 of this effort, baselines of process performance were characterized, and test coupons produced for both ultra-high frequency antennas and microstructures to support reverse engineering of PCBs. In Phase 2, these efforts will be extended for system demonstration of ultra-high frequency antenna arrays, as well as reverse engineering circuitry for dense PCBs.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1993

Status of local oscillators for operating ultra-high resolution frequency discriminators as frequency standards

The operation of new improved frequency standards based on new ultra-high-resolution frequency discriminators requires high stability local, or 'flywheel' oscillators. We review the spectral density of phase fluctuations of existing flywheel oscillators and the related time domain frequency stability of new and proposed cryogenically cooled oscillators suitable for this application. Presently used devices include the quartz crystal oscillator, the room-temperature actively oscillating atomic hydrogen (H) maser, and the superconducting maser oscillator. Future devices include the cryogenic H-maser and other cryogenic devices using resonators of superconducting metal or solid crystalline sapphire. The relation of the phase spectral density of these devices to the characteristics of present and proposed frequency discriminators based on trapped cooled ions and cold atoms is discussed in terms of their operation as frequency standards.

Vessot, R. F. C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Fast Correction For Doppler In MDPSK Signals

Detector of multiple differential phase-shift-keyed (MDPSK) signals designed to effect combination of open-loop estimation of frequency and differential detection of digital modulation. Improved design expected to decrease probability of bit errors in situations in which carrier frequency uncertain and signals transmitted in bursts too short to allow closed-loop tracking of carrier frequency - for example, in transmission of digitally-coded voice signals in land-mobile/satellite communications at ultra-high frequencies.

Simon, M. K.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Capacitive Position Sensor For Accelerometer

Capacitive position sensor measures displacement of proof mass in prototype accelerometer described in "Single-Crystal Springs for Accelerometers" (NPO-18795). Sensor is ultrasensitive, miniature device operating at ultra-high frequency and described in more detail in "Ultra-High-Frequency Capacitive Displacement Sensor," (NPO-18675). Advances in design and fabrication of prototype accelerometer also applicable to magnetometers and other sensors in which sensed quantities measured in terms of deflections of small springs.

Vanzandt, Thomas R.↗
NASA NTRS1969

Linear voltage-to-frequency converter

Voltage-to-frequency converter, with ultra-high input impedance and linear response, is used in analog to digital data conversion systems. Voltage-to-current converter, using MOSFET devices and a multivibrator, has ultra-linear voltage-to-frequency characteristics. It replaces voltage sensitive magnetic-core oscillators.

Lokerson, D. C.↗
DOE OSTI2026

PARTICULATE STUDY OF NEG PUMPS IRRADIATED IN THE CEBAF TUNNEL

Non-evaporable getter (NEG) pumps are being used to maintain ultra-high vacuum in the beamline of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) accelerators, such as the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Lab. Because of the sensitivity of the performance of SRF cavities to particulate contamination, it is important to evaluate the integrity of the NEG material after exposure to high radiation during beam operation. The particulate from two NEG pumps based on ZAO® getter alloy was measured with a particle counter in a clean-room. The pumps were assembled onto a hermetically sealed setup which was placed in the CEBAF tunnel. The setup was exposed to 24 h beam operation for ~ 230 days. The total gamma-rays dose measured on the test setup was ~ 1.6 Mrad. The total neutron dose measured at ~ 75 cm of the test setup was ~ 11 krad. The particulate count from the two pumps was measured again in the clean-room after irradiation. Whereas an increase of particulate counts was measured, compared to before irradiation, subsequent measurements indicate the absence of systematically loose particulate. The pumping speed of one of the irradiated pumps was also measured to be consistent with that of a non-irradiated one, corroborating the absence of significant damage to the ZAO® NEG material due to irradiation.

Ciovati, G. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator↗
DOE OSTI2026

PARTICULATE STUDY OF NEG PUMPS IRRADIATED IN THE CEBAF TUNNEL

Non-evaporable getter (NEG) pumps are being used to maintain ultra-high vacuum in the beamline of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) accelerators, such as the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Lab. Because of the sensitivity of the performance of SRF cavities to particulate contamination, it is important to evaluate the integrity of the NEG material after exposure to high radiation during beam operation. The particulate from two NEG pumps based on ZAO® getter alloy was measured with a particle counter in a clean-room. The pumps were assembled onto a hermetically sealed setup which was placed in the CEBAF tunnel. The setup was exposed to 24 h beam operation for ~ 230 days. The total gamma-rays dose measured on the test setup was ~ 1.6 Mrad. The total neutron dose measured at ~ 75 cm of the test setup was ~ 11 krad. The particulate count from the two pumps was measured again in the clean-room after irradiation. Whereas an increase of particulate counts was measured, compared to before irradiation, subsequent measurements indicate the absence of systematically loose particulate. The pumping speed of one of the irradiated pumps was also measured to be consistent with that of a non-irradiated one, corroborating the absence of significant damage to the ZAO® NEG material due to irradiation.

Ciovati, Gianluigi [Thomas Jefferson National Acce↗
NASA NTRS1993

Active control of fan-generated plane wave noise

Subsonic propulsion systems for future aircraft may incorporate ultra-high bypass ratio ducted fan engines whose dominant noise source is the fan with blade passage frequency less than 1000 Hz. This low frequency combines with the requirement of a short nacelle to diminish the effectiveness of passive duct liners. Active noise control is seen as a viable method to augment the conventional passive treatments. An experiment to control ducted fan noise using a time domain active adaptive system is reported. The control sound source consists of loudspeakers arrayed around the fan duct. The error sensor location is in the fan duct. The purpose of this experiment is to demonstrate that the in-duct error sensor reduces the mode spillover in the far field, thereby increasing the efficiency of the control system. In this first series of tests, the fan is configured so that predominantly zero order circumferential waves are generated. The control system is found to reduce the blade passage frequency tone significantly in the acoustic far field when the mode orders of the noise source and of the control source are the same. The noise reduction is not as great when the mode orders are not the same even though the noise source modes are evanescent, but the control system converges stably and global noise reduction is demonstrated in the far field. Further experimentation is planned in which the performance of the system will be evaluated when higher order radial and spinning modes are generated.

Gerhold, Carl H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Space Flyable Hg(sup +) Frequency Standards

We discuss a design for a space based atomic frequency standard (AFS) based on Hg(sup +) ions confined in a linear ion trap. This newly developed AFS should be well suited for space borne applications because it can supply the ultra-high stability of a H-maser but its total mass is comparable to that of a NAVSTAR/GPS cesium clock, i.e., about 11kg. This paper will compare the proposed Hg(sup +) AFS to the present day GPS cesium standards to arrive at the 11 kg mass estimate. The proposed space borne Hg(sup +) standard is based upon the recently developed extended linear ion trap architecture which has reduced the size of existing trapped Hg(sup +) standards to a physics package which is comparable in size to a cesium beam tube. The demonstrated frequency stability to below 10(sup -15) of existing Hg(sup +) standards should be maintained or even improved upon in this new architecture. This clock would deliver far more frequency stability per kilogram than any current day space qualified standard.

clocks cesium atomic frequency standard Hg ions li↗
DOE OSTI2024

Distributed Magnetic Field and Temperature Monitoring for Superconducting Radio Frequency Cavities

The overall objective of the proposed Phase I program was to design, construct and demonstrate a fiber optic sensing system capable of providing temperature and magnetic field measurements with an enhanced spatial resolution that can be implemented over a large surface area (cryomodules) to survey superconducting radio frequency cavities and magnets. A magnetic field sensor capable of detecting fluxes on the order of 1 μT is required to detect the distribution of trapped flux on the cavity surface. A unique distributed magnetic field sensor was successfully designed and constructed to demonstrate the detection of magnetic fluxes less than 500 nT. The sensor leveraged the ultra-high sensitivity of Sentek’s picoDAS to measure the magnetostriction induced vibrations in a commercially available Metglas 2605 SC ribbon that was in physical contact with sensing fiber. Static magnetic fields were detected by applying an alternating current a copper wire proximate to the Metglas 2605SC ribbon to create an AC bias magnetic field. In an alternative approach, an AC bias magnetic field was applied to a special magnetic field sensing fiber with Metglas 2605SC cladding successfully detect a magnetic field flux of a 3 μT. Exhaustive testing was performed to characterize the dependency of sensor response on the direction of the applied magnetic field. Although the special sensing fiber based magnetic field sensor did not exhibit an observable dependence on the direction of the magnetic field, the Metglas 2605SC ribbon sensor exhibited a clear directional dependence. A wide variety of polymer materials were evaluated to enhance the temperature response of an FBG based sensor at cryogenic temperatures. The processing and performance challenges provided the motivation to develop a new simple cryogenic temperature sensor that uses a commercially available fiber optic splice protector. The EVA hot melt tube that becomes adhered to the optical fiber and the polyolefin outer tube that shrinks upon heating in the fusion splicer heater provide the high thermal expansion coefficient necessary to impart a significant strain on the FBG when exposed to cryogenic temperatures. The temperature sensitivity (Δ𝜆𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑔~ 62 𝑝𝑝𝑚/℃) of the FBG-based sensor was on par with the best reported to date. The simple design, use of readily available cost-effective materials, and well-established processing techniques lends this approach to the creation of hundreds to thousands of temperature sensors on one single optical fiber length. The inherently small form factor also allows for co-location with the distributed magnetic field sensor. In preparation for field testing of the prototype sensing system at the Jefferson Labs in potential Phase II program, several different cable designs were evaluated to package the sensors. The preliminary successful demonstration of fully functional sensing cables provides the foundation for subsequent development efforts to advance the Technology Readiness Level of the technology. The technical feasibility of the proposed approach was successfully demonstrated in this Phase I effort.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS1994

Optical Analysis of an Ultra-High resolution Two-Mirror Soft X-Ray Microscope

This work has summarized for a Schwarzschild microscope some relationships between numerical aperture (NA), magnification, diameter of the primary mirror, radius of curvature of the secondary mirror, and the total length of the microscope. To achieve resolutions better than a spherical Schwarzschild microscope of 3.3 Lambda for a perfectly aligned and fabricated system. it is necessary to use aspherical surfaces to control higher-order aberrations. For an NA of 0.35, the aspherical Head microscope provides diffraction limited resolution of 1.4 Lambda where the aspherical surfaces differ from the best fit spherical surface by approximately 1 micrometer. However, the angle of incidence varies significantly over the primary and the secondary mirrors, which will require graded multilayer coatings to operate near peak reflectivities. For higher numerical apertures, the variation of the angle of incidence over the secondary mirror surface becomes a serious problem which must be solved before multilayer coatings can be used for this application. Tolerance analysis of the spherical Schwarzschild microscope has shown that water window operations will require 2-3 times tighter tolerances to achieve a similar performance for operations with 130 A radiation. Surface contour errors have been shown to have a significant impact on the MTF and must be controlled to a peak-to-valley variation of 50-100 A and a frequency of 8 periods over the surface of a mirror.

Shealy, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Ultra-high resolution water window x ray microscope optics design and analysis

This project has been focused on the design and analysis of an ultra-high resolution water window soft-x-ray microscope. These activities have been accomplished by completing two tasks contained in the statement of work of this contract. The new results from this work confirm: (1) that in order to achieve resolutions greater than three times the wavelength of the incident radiation, it will be necessary to use spherical mirror surfaces and to use graded multilayer coatings on the secondary in order to accommodate the large variations of the angle of incidence over the secondary when operating the microscope at numerical apertures of 0.35 or greater; (2) that surface contour errors will have a significant effect on the optical performance of the microscope and must be controlled to a peak-to-valley variation of 50-100 A and a frequency of 8 periods over the surface of a mirror; and (3) that tolerance analysis of the spherical Schwarzschild microscope has been shown that the water window operations will require 2-3 times tighter tolerances to achieve a similar performance of operations with 130 A radiation. These results have been included in a manuscript included in the appendix.

Shealy, David L.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhanced energy gain through higher-order resonances during direct laser acceleration with superluminal phase velocity

Ultra-high intensity laser–plasma interactions can produce ultra-relativistic electrons via direct laser acceleration, assisted by quasi-static plasma magnetic and electric fields. These fields transversely confine electron motion and induce betatron oscillations. The net energy gain is strongly influenced by the interplay between two frequencies: the betatron frequency and the frequency of laser field oscillations experienced by the electron. Prior work has shown that energy gain is enabled by a resonance between the betatron oscillations and the oscillations of the laser field. In particular, higher-order resonances occur when the laser field completes multiple cycles during one betatron oscillation, allowing additional regimes of energy transfer beyond the fundamental (betatron) resonance. In this work, we demonstrate that such resonances become particularly effective when the laser's phase velocity is superluminal. Although the two frequencies generally evolve differently with increasing electron energy—leading to detuning—a superluminal phase velocity introduces a non-monotonic frequency ratio with a global minimum. This minimum allows sustained frequency matching over a broad energy range, thereby enabling enhanced energy gain. As the phase velocity increases, the betatron resonance becomes ineffective due to premature frequency detuning. At the same time, higher-order resonances become increasingly effective, emerging as the dominant mechanisms for enhanced energy gain in this regime of direct laser acceleration.

Laser plasma interactions↗
DOE OSTI2025

Particle Beam Acceleration Using 3 Petawatt Laser Pulses

The Zettawatt-Equivalent Ultrashort pulse laser System (ZEUS) is presently operational at the Gerard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science (CUOS) at the University of Michigan. ZEUS is a significant upgrade of the previous high power laser systems at CUOS and consists of two beamlines thatoperate in perfect synchronization. The 500 TW beamline became operational in 2023, 2 PW operation started in 2025 and full 3 PW power levels will be available in 2026. It is presently the highest power laser system in the US. In this grant the high field science group at CUOS has leveraged this unique high power laser facility to investigate laser wake field acceleration (LWFA) in ultra-high power laser plasma interactions and have shown how this can scale for future electron–positron colliders at high energy. The dual beam experimental configuration enables flexibility for many frontier experiments in laser-driven acceleration research, in particular, enabling extended channelling/acceleration experiments, positron generation/acceleration experiments and proof-of-principle transverse pumping “dephasingless” electron acceleration experiment and theory. LWFA may be able to miniaturize particle accelerators for high energy physics and also enable new sources of ultrafast, extreme brightness and precise x-rays for a wide variety of applications. In laser wake field acceleration, an electron bunch “surfs” on the electron plasma wave (the “wake field”) generated by the ponderomotive force of an intense laser. The plasma wave has a strong longitudinal electric field that stays in phase with the relativistic driver. A relativistic charged particle may, therefore, remain in phase with the accelerating field over long distances and gain ultra-relativistic energies. The accelerating electric field strength that the plasma wave can support can be many orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional accelerators, which makes laser wakefield acceleration an exciting prospect as an advanced accelerator concept. In this research project we have investigated the scaling of this mechanism to laser powers of 2 PW and have measured the x-ray emission and radio frequency emission resulting from the acceleration process. We have also performed theoretical investigation of mechanisms to scale laser driven accelerators to much higher energy using dephasingless acceleration processes.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Correlating Surface Processing of Nb Superconducting RF Cavities with the Evolution of Surface Electronic States

Superconducting-radio frequency (RF) cavities provide an efficient way to accelerate particle beams with extremely high acceleration gradients while generating very small power dissipation. The few nanometers of the surface play a critical role in defining the RF performance of superconducting Nb based cavities. Over the past two decades, several pioneering surface treatment and processing methods have emerged, enabling remarkable improvements in superconducting cavity performance by simultaneously achieving high quality factors with increasing maximum acceleration gradients. These processing approaches include chemical polishing, distinct multi-step thermal treatments under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions over low to high temperature regimes, as well as high-temperature treatments under controlled nitrogen atmospheres. Beyond their macroscopic impact on RF performance, these methods produce distinct surface oxide configurations characterized by different valence states, oxide thicknesses, chemical uniformity, and oxygen concentration profiles extending into the near-surface bulk of niobium. In this work, we are trying to understand how the surface-processing methods and the resulting oxide/oxygen profiles affect the electronic structure of surface and the mechanism of superconductivity. Using a combination of X-ray photoemission and X-ray absorption spectroscopies, we investigate how the valence-band structure and the electronic density of states (DoS) near the Fermi level evolve under different surface treatments. By employing tunable photon energies across multiple elemental absorption edges, we use resonant photoemission to disentangle and identify the elemental contributions to specific valence-band features. Our observations show that different surface-processing methods lead to distinct temperature evolutions of the DoS and valence-band states near the Fermi level. Our results suggest variations in different Nb-O orbital hybridizations in distinct processes and point towards the possibility of different underlying mechanisms of superconductivity governed by surface chemistry and oxide configuration. We also correlate these distinct superconducting mechanisms with RF cavity performance, specifically focusing on measured surface resistance, the nature of the Q-slope, and quench fields observed in superconducting RF measurements. These results will enable us to identify the potential limiting factors and relevant controllable parameters that can be further optimized to improve the performance of superconducting RF cavities.

Tripathi, Malvika [Fermilab] (ORCID:00000001989251↗
NASA NTRS1974

Investigation of a quadrupole ultra-high vacuum ion pump

The new nonmagnetic ion pump resembles the quadrupole ionization gage. The dimensions are larger, and hyperbolically shaped electrodes replace the four rods. Their surfaces follow y sq. = 36 + x sq. (x, y in centimeters). The electrodes, 55 cm long, are positioned lengthwise in a tube. At one end a cathode emits electrons; at the other end a narrowly wound flat spiral of tungsten clad with titanium on cathode potential can be heated for titanium evaporation. Electrons accelerated by a dc potential of the surface electrodes oscillate between the ends on rotational trajectories, if a high frequency potential superimposed on the dc potential is properly adjusted. Pumping speeds (4-100 liter/sec) for different gases at different peak voltages (1000-3000V) at corresponding frequencies (57-100 MHz), and at different pressures 0.00001 to the minus 9 power Torr were observed. The lowest pressure reached was below 10 to the minus 10 power Torr.

Schwarz, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Applications of flight control system methods to an advanced combat rotorcraft

Advanced flight control system design, analysis, and testing methodologies developed at the Ames Research Center are applied in an analytical and flight test evaluation of the Advanced Digital Optical Control System (ADOCS) demonstrator. The primary objectives are to describe the knowledge gained about the implications of digital flight control system design for rotorcraft, and to illustrate the analysis of the resulting handling-qualities in the context of the proposed new handling-qualities specification for rotorcraft. Topics covered in-depth are digital flight control design and analysis methods, flight testing techniques, ADOCS handling-qualities evaluation results, and correlation of flight test results with analytical models and the proposed handling-qualities specification. The evaluation of the ADOCS demonstrator indicates desirable response characteristics based on equivalent damping and frequency, but undersirably large effective time-delays (exceeding 240 m sec in all axes). Piloted handling-qualities are found to be desirable or adequate for all low, medium, and high pilot gain tasks; but handling-qualities are inadequate for ultra-high gain tasks such as slope and running landings.

Tischler, Mark B.↗