84 research outputs found
Performance Test Results of the NASA-457M v2 Hall Thruster
Performance testing of a second generation, 50 kW-class Hall thruster labeled NASA-457M v2 was conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center. This NASA-designed thruster is an excellent candidate for a solar electric propulsion system that supports human exploration missions. Thruster discharge power was varied from 5 to 50 kW over discharge voltage and current ranges of 200 to 500 V and 15 to 100 A, respectively. Anode efficiencies varied from 0.56 to 0.71. The peak efficiency was similar to that of other state-of-the-art high power Hall thrusters, but outperformed these thrusters at lower discharge voltages. The 0.05 to 0.18 higher anode efficiencies of this thruster compared to its predecessor were primarily due to which of two stable discharge modes the thruster was operated. One stable mode was at low magnetic field strengths, which produced high anode efficiencies, and the other at high magnetic fields where its predecessor was operated. Cathode keeper voltages were always within 2.1 to 6.2 V and cathode voltages were within 13 V of tank ground during high anode efficiency operation. However, during operation at high magnetic fields, cathode-to-ground voltage magnitudes increased dramatically, exceeding 30 V, due to the high axial magnetic field strengths in the immediate vicinity of the centrally-mounted cathode. The peak thrust was 2.3 N and this occurred at a total thruster input power of 50.0 kW at a 500 V discharge voltage. The thruster demonstrated a thrust-to-power range of 76.4 mN/kW at low power to 46.1 mN/kW at full power, and a specific impulse range of 1420 to 2740 s. For a discharge voltage of 300 V, where specific impulses would be about 2000 s, thrust efficiencies varied from 0.57 to 0.63
Sub-wavelength lithography over extended areas
We demonstrate a systematic approach to sub-wavelength resolution
lithographic image formation on films covering areas larger than a wavelength
squared. For example, it is possible to make a lithographic pattern with a
feature size resolution of by using a particular -photon, multi-mode entangled state, where , and banks of birefringent
plates. By preparing a statistically mixed such a state one can form any pixel
pattern on a pixel grid occupying a square
with a side of wavelengths. Hence, there is a trade-off between
the exposed area, the minimum lithographic feature size resolution, and the
number of photons used for the exposure. We also show that the proposed method
will work even under non-ideal conditions, albeit with somewhat poorer
performance.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, 1 table. Written in RevTe
Testing Holographic Principle from Logarithmic and Higher Order Corrections to Black Hole Entropy
The holographic principle is tested by examining the logarithmic and higher
order corrections to the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of black holes. For the BTZ
black hole, I find some disagreement in the principle for a holography screen
at spatial infinity beyond the leading order, but a holography with the screen
at the horizon does not, with an appropriate choice of a period parameter,
which has been undetermined at the leading order, in Carlip's horizon-CFT
approach for black hole entropy in any dimension. Its higher dimensional
generalization is considered to see a universality of the parameter choice. The
horizon holography from Carlip's is compared with several other realizations of
a horizon holography, including induced Wess-Zumino-Witten model approaches and
quantum geometry approach, but none of the these agrees with Carlip's, after
clarifications of some confusions. Some challenging open questions are listed
finally.Comment: To appear in JHEP. The corrections in Sec.2 with those that follow
are more clearly explained. Careful distingtion between the implications of
my results to AdS/CFT and to the holograhic principl
Overview of the Development of the Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission 12.5-kW Hall Thruster
NASA is developing mission concepts for a solar electric propulsion technology demonstration mission. A number of mission concepts are being evaluated including ambitious missions to near Earth objects. The demonstration of a high-power solar electric propulsion capability is one of the objectives of the candidate missions under consideration. In support of NASA's exploration goals, a number of projects are developing extensible technologies to support NASA's near and long term mission needs. Specifically, the Space Technology Mission Directorate Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission project is funding the development of a 12.5-kilowatt magnetically shielded Hall thruster system to support future NASA missions. This paper presents the design attributes of the thruster that was collaboratively developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The paper provides an overview of the magnetic, plasma, thermal, and structural modeling activities that were carried out in support of the thruster design. The paper also summarizes the results of the functional tests that have been carried out to date. The planned thruster performance, plasma diagnostics (internal and in the plume), thermal, wear, and mechanical tests are outlined
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