Diatomic infrared gasdynamic laser permits selection of wavelengths

Laser utilizes infrared-active diatomic gas which emits laser energy from numerous upper vibrational levels. Wavelengths depend on particular vibration-rotation transitions and have been obtained throughout the band between 4.78 and 5.4 microns, for example, when using carbon monoxide

Two-photon excitation of nitric oxide fluorescence as a temperature indicator in unsteady gas-dynamic processes

A laser induced fluorescence technique, suitable for measuring fluctuating temperatures in cold turbulent flows containing very low concentrations of nitric oxide is described. Temperatures below 300 K may be resolved with signal to noise ratios greater than 50 to 1 using high peak power, tunable dye lasers. The method relies on the two photon excitation of selected ro-vibronic transitions. The analysis includes the effects of fluorescence quenching and shows the technique to be effective at all densities below ambient. Signal to noise ratio estimates are based on a preliminary measurement of the two photon absorptivity for a selected rotational transition in the NO gamma (0,0) band

The two-photon absorptivity of rotational transitions in the A2 Sigma hyperon + (v prime = O) - X-2 pion (v prime prime = O) gamma band of nitric oxide

A predominantly single-mode pulsed dye laser system giving a well characterized spatial and temporal output suitable for absolute two-photon absorptivity measurements was used to study the NO gamma(0,0) S11 + R21 (J double prime = 7-1/2) transition. Using a calibrated induced-fluorescence technique, an absorptivity parameter of 2.8 + or - 1.4 x 10 to the minus 51st power cm to the 6th power was obtained. Relative strengths of other rotational transitions in the gamma(0,0) band were also measured and shown to compare well with predicted values in all cases except the O12 (J double prime = 10-1/2) transition

Measurements of density, temperature, and their fluctuations in turbulent supersonic flow using UV laser spectroscopy

Nonintrusive measurements of density, temperature, and their turbulent fluctuation levels were obtained in the boundary layer of an unseeded, Mach 2 wind tunnel flow. The spectroscopic technique that was used to make the measurements is based on the combination of laser-induced oxygen fluorescence and Raman scattering by oxygen and nitrogen from the same laser pulse. Results from this demonstration experiment are compared with previous measurements obtained in the same facility using conventional probes and an earlier spectroscopic technique. Densities and temperatures measured with the current technique agree with the previous surveys to within 3 percent and 2 percent, respectively. The fluctuation amplitudes for both variables agree with the measurements obtained using the earlier spectroscopic technique and show evidence of an unsteady, weak shock wave that perturbs the boundary layer

Optical measurements of fluctuating temperatures in a supersonic turbulent flow using one- and two-photon, laser-induced fluorescence

A laser-induced fluorescence technique was developed that provides a practical means of nonintrusively measuring the instantaneous temperatures in low-temperature turbulent flows. The capabilities of the method are reviewed, and its application to a simple, two-dimensional, turbulent boundary-layer flow at Mach 2 is reported. Measurements of the average temperature distribution through the boundary layer and the magnitudes of temperature fluctuations about their average values are presented

Optical stark effect in the 2-photon spectrum of NO

A large optical Stark effect has been observed in the two-photon spectrum X(2)Pi yields A(2)Sigma(+)_ in NO. It is explained as a near-resonant process in which the upper state of the two-photon transition is perturbed by interactions with higher-lying electronic states coupled by the laser field. A theoretical analysis is presented along with coupling parameters determined from ab initio wave functions. The synthetic spectrum reproduces the major experimental features

Vibration-translation energy transfer in anharmonic diatomic molecules. 1: A critical evaluation of the semiclassical approximation

The semiclassical approximation is applied to anharmonic diatomic oscillators in excited initial states. Multistate numerical solutions giving the vibrational transition probabilities for collinear collisions with an inert atom are compared with equivalent, exact quantum-mechanical calculations. Several symmetrization methods are shown to correlate accurately the predictions of both theories for all initial states, transitions, and molecular types tested, but only if coupling of the oscillator motion and the classical trajectory of the incident particle is considered. In anharmonic heteronuclear molecules, the customary semiclassical method of computing the classical trajectory independently leads to transition probabilities with anomalous low-energy resonances. Proper accounting of the effects of oscillator compression and recoil on the incident particle trajectory removes the anomalies and restores the applicability of the semiclassical approximation

Vibration-translation energy transfer in vibrationally excited diatomic molecules

A semiclassical collision model is applied to the study of energy transfer rates between a vibrationally excited diatomic molecule and a structureless atom. The molecule is modeled as an anharmonic oscillator with a multitude of dynamically coupled vibrational states. Three main aspects in the prediction of vibrational energy transfer rates are considered. The applicability of the semiclassical model to an anharmonic oscillator is first evaluated for collinear encounters. Second, the collinear semiclassical model is applied to obtain numerical predictions of the vibrational energy transfer rate dependence on the initial vibrational state quantum number. Thermally averaged vibration-translation rate coefficients are predicted and compared with CO-He experimental values for both ground and excited initial states. The numerical model is also used as a basis for evaluating several less complete but analytic models. Third, the role of rational motion in the dynamics of vibrational energy transfer is examined. A three-dimensional semiclassical collision model is constructed with coupled rotational motion included. Energy transfer within the molecule is shown to be dominated by vibration-rotation transitions with small changes in angular momentum. The rates of vibrational energy transfer in molecules with rational frequencies that are very small in comparison to their vibrational frequency are shown to be adequately treated by the preceding collinear models

Shuttle/TDRSS modelling and link simulation study

A Shuttle/TDRSS S-band and Ku-band link simulation package called LinCsim was developed for the evaluation of link performance for specific Shuttle signal designs. The link models were described in detail and the transmitter distortion parameters or user constraints were carefully defined. The overall link degradation (excluding hardware degradations) relative to an ideal BPSK channel were given for various sets of user constraint values. The performance sensitivity to each individual user constraint was then illustrated. The effect of excessive Spacelab clock jitter on the return link BER performance was also investigated as was the problem of subcarrier recovery for the K-band Shuttle return link signal