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Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
System Estimates Radius of Curvature of a Segmented Mirror
A system that estimates the global radius of curvature (GRoC) of a segmented telescope mirror has been developed for use as one of the subsystems of a larger system that exerts precise control over the displacements of the mirror segments. This GRoC-estimating system, when integrated into...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A mercury-ion clock now at the breadboard stage of development (see figure) has a stability comparable to that of a hydrogen-maser clock: In tests, the clock exhibited an Allan deviation of between 2 ×...
Briefs: Materials
Composite truss structures are being developed that can be compacted for stowage and later deploy themselves to full size and shape. In the target applications, these "smart" structures...
Briefs: Materials
Workers at NASA Ames Research center are endeavoring to develop durable, oxidation- resistant, foam thermal protection systems (TPSs) that would be suitable for covering large exterior spacecraft...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Lithium tetrakis(trifluoro- methanesulfonato) gallate [abbreviated “LiGa(OTf)4” (wherein “OTf” signifies trifluoro- methanesulfonate)] has been found to be promising as an electrolyte...
Briefs: Materials
Molecules for Fluorescence Detection of Specific Chemicals
A family of fluorescent dye molecules has been developed for use in "on-off" fluorescence detection of specific chemicals. By themselves, these molecules do not fluoresce. However, when exposed to certain chemical analytes in liquid or vapor forms, they do fluoresce (see figure). These...
Briefs: Materials
Fuel-Cell Electrolytes Based on Organosilica Hybrid Proton Conductors
A new membrane composite material that combines an organosilica proton conductor with perfluorinated Nafion material to achieve good proton conductivity and high-temperature performance for membranes used for fuel cells in stationary, transportation, and portable applications has...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A diamond turning process has made possible a significant advance in the art of whispering-gallery- mode (WGM) optical resonators. By use of this process, it is possible to fashion...
Briefs: Medical
A design has been formulated for a proposed improved version of an apparatus that simulates atmospheric effects of human respiration by introducing controlled amounts of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and heat...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Compact Dielectric-Rod White-Light Delay Lines
Optical delay lines of a proposed type would be made from rods of such dielectric materials as calcium fluoride, fused silica, or sapphire. These would offer advantages over prior optical delay lines, as summarized below.
Briefs: Medical
A unique and customizable machine-vision and image-data-processing technique has been developed for use in automated identification of cells that are optimal for patch clamping. [Patch...
Briefs: Information Technology
Spiking Neurons for Analysis of Patterns
Artificial neural networks comprising spiking neurons of a novel type have been conceived as improved pattern- analysis and pattern- recognition computational systems. These neurons are represented by a mathematical model denoted the state- variable model (SVM), which among other things, exploits a...
Briefs: Information Technology
Symmetric Phase-Only Filtering in Particle-Image Velocimetry
Symmetrical phase-only filtering (SPOF) can be exploited to obtain substantial improvements in the results of data processing in particle- image velocimetry (PIV). In comparison with traditional PIV data processing, SPOF PIV data processing yields narrower and larger amplitude correlation...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Efficient Coupler for a Bessel Beam Dispersive Element
A document discusses overcoming efficient optical coupling to high orbital momentum modes by slightly bending the taper dispersive element. This little shape distortion is not enough to scramble the modes, but it allows the use of regular, free-beam prism coupling, fiber coupling, or planar...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Attitude and Translation Control of a Solar Sail Vehicle
A report discusses the ability to control the attitude and translation degrees-of-freedom of a solar sail vehicle by changing its center of gravity. A movement of the spacecraft's center of mass causes solar- pressure force to apply a torque to the vehicle. At the compact core of the...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Figure 1 shows a simplified block diagram of an improved optoelectronic system for locking the phase of one laser to that of another laser with an adjustable offset frequency specified by the user. In...
Briefs: Materials
Efforts are underway to develop inexpensive, low-power electronic sensors, based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), for measuring part-per-million and part-per-billion of selected...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
An innovative method has been developed for acquiring fluid-level measurements. This method eliminates the need for the fluid-level sensor to have a physical connection...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Tactile Robotic Topographical Mapping Without Force or Contact Sensors
A method of topographical mapping of a local solid surface within the range of motion of a robot arm is based on detection of contact between the surface and the end effector (the fixture or tool at the tip of the robot arm). The method was conceived to enable mapping of local...
Briefs: Software
Simulating Operation of a Complex Sensor Network
Simulation Tool for ASCTA Microsensor Network Architecture (STAMiNA) ["ASCTA" denotes the Advanced Sensors Collaborative Technology Alliance.] is a computer program for evaluating conceptual sensor networks deployed over terrain to provide military situational awareness. This or a similar program is...
Briefs: Medical
Further improvements have recently been made in the development of the devices described in “Improved Ion-Channel Biosensors” (NPO-30710), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 10 (October...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Using Transponders on the Moon to Increase Accuracy of GPS
It has been proposed to place laser or radio transponders at suitably chosen locations on the Moon to increase the accuracy achievable using the Global Positioning System (GPS) or other satellite-based positioning system. The accuracy of GPS position measurements depends on the accuracy of...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A digital control system based partly on an extremum-seeking control algorithm tracks the changing resonance frequency of a piezoelectric actuator or an electrically similar...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Coaxial electric heaters have been conceived for use in highly sensitive instruments in which there are requirements for compact heaters but stray magnetic fields associated with heater electric currents would adversely...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A proposed holographic memory system would be capable of storing data at unprecedentedly high density, and its data-transfer performance in both reading and writing would be...
Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs
A regio-regular poly (3-hexylthiophene) (RRP3HT) thin-film transistor having a split-gate architecture has been fabricated on a doped silicon/silicon nitride substrate and characterized....
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
A continuing effort to develop carbon- nanotube-based field emitters (cold cathodes) as high-current-density electron sources has yielded an optimized device...
Briefs: Materials
An alternative to the conventional approach to synthesis of polyimides involves the use of single monomers that are amenable to photopolymerization. Heretofore, the synthesis of polyimides has involved...
Briefs: Materials
A process for hydroxide-assisted bonding has been developed as a means of joining optical components made of ultra-low-expansion (ULE) glass, while maintaining sufficiently precise...
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