Field operable hydrogen masers based on prior maser designs are presented. These units incorporate improvements in magnetic shielding, lower noise electronics, better thermal control, and have a microprocessor for operation, monitoring, and diagnostic functions. They are ruggedly built for transportability and ease of service anywhere in the world

Reinhardt, V. S.

Rueger, L. J.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

THE PERFORMANCE OF NASA RESEARCH HYDROGEN MASERS 
Victor S. Reinhardt 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Lauren J. Rueger 
The Johns Hopkins University 
Applied Physics Laboratory 
ABSTRACT 
The Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), under contract to NASA/ 
Goddard Space Flight Center, is engineering a new generation of field operable hydrogen masers 
(NR) based on prior NASA NP and NX designs. These units incorporate improvements in magnetic 
shielding, lower noise electronics, better thermal control and have a microprocessor for operation, 
monitoring and diagnostic functions. They are ruggedly built for transportability and ease of service 
anywhere in the world. 
223 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19800020316 2020-03-21T17:49:58+00:00Z
224 RADIO INTERFEROMETRY 
INTRODUCTION 
NASA has planned experiments in the coming years that will require reference frequency sources of 
better than lo-l4 Af/f for 1000 second averaging times to be available at remote sites throughout 
the world. The NR masers are being designed to meet this need and to provide monitoring functions 
to assure that the reference frequency is valid during experiments. This paper is a status or progress 
report on the development program. 
NR Design Improvements 
The NR masers have major design improvements as compared with past designs. A major break- 
through in terms of field serviceability is field interchangeable vacuum pumps. Hydrogen consump- 
tion in the NR masers has been reduced to allow the maser’s Vacion pumps to be connected to the 
maser through a series of 1% inch (3.81 cm) O.D. vacuum line valves. This enables the vacuum 
pumps to be replaced in the field without letting the maser up to air. Dry runs have shown that a 
pump can be replaced and the maser put back in operation in about 2 hours. Only a small fore 
pump to pump out the replacement Vacion pump is needed to do this. 
The NR design has improved magnetic shielding. There are four concentric shells of molypermalloy 
0.050” (0.13 cm) thick shields spaced about % inch (1.9 cm) apart. The Vacion pumps have indi- 
vidual molypermalloy shields, and the source assembly is shielded with the same weight stock. 
The thermal time constant of the resonant cavity has been increased about tenfold by mounting it 
on dehin plastic standoffs and reducing the size of the escape openings of the radiation shields. 
The frame and all constant temperature surfaces have been made of heavy gauge aluminum to re- 
duce thermal gradients. The power supplies have been isolated and remotely placed in the rear of 
the cabinet to minimize local hot spots. 
One of the shipping problems with the NP and NX masers was the reluctance of air carriers to take 
a device with a high-pressure hydrogen gas bottle on board. The NR has eliminated this problem by 
a low pressure electrolysis system for its hydrogen supply. 
The JHU/APL experience in low noise electronics was used to provide new multipliers, I.F. ampli- 
fiers, and mixers for the NR design. 
The magnetic field currents in the main solenoid and neck coil were put under a part in a million 
regulations and are now independent of any primary supply voltage variation. 
A number of circuits in the NP and NX designs that are in the VCO control loop were not in 
temperature-controlled compartments. The NR design has placed the following circuits in a new 
temperature-controlled compartment, the VCO, the autotune reference oscillator, the autotune 
DEGREES KELVIN AND DEGREES OF PHASE 225 
reference oscillator, the autotune multipliers, the 5.7 kHz synthesizer, the 5 MHz isolation buffers, 
the magnetic current regulator, and the cavity control 18 bit D/A converter. 
The 5.7 kHz synthesizer is based on a very reliable design qualified for space service on another 
APL program. It is a three-stage cascaded divide and mix system that provides a frequency resolu- 
tion of lo-r7 at the maser frequency. 
Recent maser application experiences have indicated the requirement for good buffer isolation. A 
new buffer design has been provided that realizes 120 dB of output to input isolation. 
A microprocessor, the .Intersil IM 6 100, provides in software many functions formerly done by dis- 
crete logic. A clock system provides two separate one pulse per second outputs that are each adjust- 
able in epoch. An autotuner function automatically tunes the maser from either an internal crystal 
reference or an external reference oscillator. Sensors are provided to measure voltages, currents, and 
temperatures, as well as switch positions; these are converted to digital form for recording purposes. 
The microprocessor can also interface on any of three RS/232-C communications interfaces. 
There has been a high degree of parts and subsystem interchangeability provided. It takes only a 
few minutes to change any major electronic package. 
Maser Block Diagram 
In figure 1 is shown a block diagram of the NR maser. The maser has its own thermal servos, the 
inner cavity is a thermally tuned aluminum cylinder that is held about 2°C above the outer oven 
temperature. The receiver is in a separately thermal-controlled box adjacent to the top of the maser 
cavity. It includes 5 MHz to 0.4 MHz; 20 MHz; and 1400 MHz frequency synthesizers and the 5.7 
kHz phase detector. The new temperature controlled box contains the VCO, buffers, reference 
oscillator, autotuner multipliers and mixer, the 18 bit D/A converter to control the cavity, and the 
magnetic regulator with controls. The microprocessor is not temperature controlled. It contains 
the clock, the keyboard, the display of five lines of 20 characters each, the alarm, and the external 
interface circuits for teletype and recorder. The vacuum electronics, gas pressure controls, and 
power system are not shown on the diagram. 
Hardware Detailed Design 
In figure 2 is shown the basic design of NASA masers. Hydrogen is introduced into the source bulb 
where it is dissociated and leaves through the collimator. A variable field quadrupole electromagnet 
selects the atoms of the appropriate energy, and a mechanical beam shutter is used to modulate the 
beam flux. The quartz storage bulb is elongated in this design and the inner surface coated with 
Teflon. The resonant cavity has movable end plates for coarse frequency adjustment and is ther- 
mally controlled for fine frequency adjustment. The cavity is magnetically shielded and multi- 
stage temperature controlled. 
226 RADIO INTERFEROMETRY 
FLI!X 
CONTRO 
r 
I AUTOTUN 
RECEIVER 
D/A 
‘*‘lTS - AUTOTUNER 5 MHz BUFFERS 
A 
BEAT FREQ. I L 5MHz 
s 1 PULSE PER SEC 
MICROPROCESSOR 
7 
KEYBOARD DISPLAY 1 ALARM 
I I 
r---L--, + 
r-------1 
TELETYPE 
I--------J 
RECORDER 
L--.-----d 
Figure 1. NR maser block diagram. 
:OND 
0 0 c 
ATOM SEPARATING MAGNET 
DISSOCIATOR 
F’M l/i \ STORAGE BULB / 11 u- ! ,,,,,’ ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,~  j RESONANT CAVITY __ 
AC-8 ,I 11” 
“r\C”“I.I 
PUMP 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
VACUUM CHAMBER 
SOLENOID 
Figure 2. Principal elements of the NASA hydrogen maser. 
DEGREES KELVIN AND DEGREES OF PHASE 227 
In figure 3 is shown the Vacion pumping system of the maser. Notice there are two Vacion pumps. 
One pumps the storage bulb and source region, and the other pumps the bell jar and microwave 
cavity region. The dual pumping system is used to reduce contamination of the storage bulb from 
materials outgassed by the bell jar or cavity. The system is designed so all O-rings exposed to the 
ambient air pumped by the bell jar system except for one O-ring which seals the source dissociator 
bulb to the source region. 
Figure 3. NR maser pumping system. 
In figure 4 is shown the new hydrogen generators. Application of 1.5 volts at 2 milliamperes pro- 
vides hydrogen by electrolysis of a water solution of potassium hydroxide. The negative electrode 
has a palladium film that provides spectroscopically pure hydrogen flow at room temperature. 
In figure 5 is shown the source assembly; the electromagnets, the mechanical shutter, the twostage 
vacuum system, one pumping on the vacuum seals, the other pumping on the spent hydrogen. Fiber 
optics are provided to observe the color and intensity of the discharge in the source bulb. 
RADIO INTERFEROMETRY 
228 
Figure 4. Hydrogen 
e\ectro\ysiS generator- 
DEGREES KELVIN AND DEGREES OF PHASE 229 
Figure 5. Source assembly. 
In figure 6 are shown the various cylinders that make up the physics package. Starting on the left is 
the primary resonant cavity with heater, Zeeman coil, and thermistors attached by a ceramic cement; 
two aluminum radiation shields; the vacuum chamber with its heater and thermistor sensors; the 
solenoid with end trim coils; a magnetic shield, a thermal insulator, a magnetic shield, a thermal in- 
sulation; a magnetic shield; and finally, a heavy aluminum constant temperature cylinder. 
In figure 7 is shown the base on which these cylinders fit. The lower movable end plate of the reso- 
nant cavity can be seen, and the quartz storage bulb is in place. 
In figure 8 is shown the front view of the assembled NR maser. All controls except the micro- 
processor keyboard are enclosed behind doors. The meters indicate vital functions in the maser. 
230 RADIO INTERFEROMETRY 
Figure 6. Physics package cylinders. 
The lower right meter indicates the I.F. signal level at 5.7 kHz. The lower left meter indicates VCO 
phase lock. The red jewel at the bottom is a fiber optics indication of the source color and intensity. 
In figure 9 is shown the maser opened up to indicate the accessibility of the maser for servicing. On 
the bottom are fork-lift holes for handling the maser on a loading dock. At the rear are stored four 
12-volt batteries for standby power. The vacuum system is made of standard Varian 1% inch (3.8 1 
cm) O.D. vacuum line assemblies. The rear of the microprocessor is visible; the third thermal con- 
trol box is shown extended on its rails. On the front are the magnetic field controls; on the bottom 
are the manual synthesizer controls (the synthesizer can also be under microprocessor control). 
The caster assemblies are for rolling the maser around on the level and are detachable leaving a 
package about 22” (55.8 cm) wide, 38” (96.5 cm) deep and 62” (156.5 cm) tall. The rear door car- 
ries all of the switching regulator supplies: 120 volts AC to 28 volts DC; 28 + 5 volts DC to 28 volts 
DC; 28 volts DC to f 18 volts; and 28 volts DC to +5 volts. 
In figure 10 is shown further opening of the microprocessor modules and a panel removed from the 
third thermal servo box. The Oscilloquartz model B5400 oscillators are visible along the edge, the 
current regulator circuits are on the hinged lid, the synthesizer boards are visible. 
l l 
Figure 7. Physics package base with storage bulb. Figure 8. Front view of NR maser. 
Figure 9. NR maser opened for servicing. Figure 10. Close-up of NR maser exposed electronics. 
DEGREES KELVIN AND DEGREES OF PHASE 233 
In figure 11 is shown a close-up of a synthesizer board to show how the parts are labeled as in the 
schematic diagrams, making servicing easy. 
In figure 12 is shown the receiver; the multipliers are at the top, the maser signal goes through a low 
noise preamplifier, a double-balanced image-reject mixer, and the I.F. amplifiers. The overall noise 
figure is less than 2 dB. 
In figure 13 is shown the 200 to 1400 MHz multiplier. 
In figure 14 are shown the APL staff working part-time on the maser program who have brought the 
design to its present status. Clockwise from lower left: C. M. Blackbum, E. E. Mengel, D. W. Stover, 
P. J. Underwood, A. G. Bates, H. L. Smigocki, L. J. Rueger, L. E. Stillman, and J. R. Norton. 
Figure 11. NR maser synthesizer board #2. 

DEGREES KELVIN AND DEGREES OF PHASE 235 
Figure 14. APL staff workers on NR maser. 
236 RADIO INTERFEROMETRY 
Results to Date 
.Line Q. Two NR masers have been constructed and are designated NR-I and NR-2. The line Q has 
been measured as 2 X 1 Og . 
Pressure Sensitivity. The pressure sensitivity of NR-2 has been measured by placing it in an altitude 
chamber. The average pressure sensitivity was 5 X 1 O-l5 per inch (2.54 cm) of mercury. 
Magnetic Sensitivity. The magnetic susceptibilities of the NR masers were measured by placing the 
masers in a large solenoid and observing changes in the maser frequency output against a reference 
maser. The standard procedure was to switch the solenoid field between plus and minus 0.5 gauss 
and to observe the difference in the maser frequency output. The Zeeman frequency for each sole- 
noid setting was also measured to establish the internal magnetic field values and to determine the 
shielding factor of each maser’s magnetic shields. For each measurement set, the coil was switched 
a few times before taking data to eliminate transient effects due to slight regaussing of a maser’s 
magnetic shields by the solenoid field. For the one gauss change at the test maser, the field change 
at the reference maser was only 1.5 mG. This corresponds to less than 10-l 5 frequency shift in the 
reference maser. 
Figure 15 shows the magnetic susceptibility (dy/dH) of NR-I as a function of Zeeman frequency 
(Z) for the maser main field coil at minus polarity (arbitrary reference). Notice there are two nulls 
in dy/dH. One is at Z = 775 Hz. Further data at higher Zeeman frequencies showed dy/dH becom- 
ing increasingly negative until it reached. a value of -4.9 X 10-l 3/G at Z = 13750 Hz? the highest Z 
at which data was taken. 
Figure 16 shows the magnetic susceptibility of NR-1 for the maser main field polarity positive. 
Notice that only one null in dy/dH appears at the low value of Z, and that around Z = 775 Hz, 
dy/dH is about 1 X 10-l 3 /G. Further data shows dy/dH becoming more positive at higher Z until a 
value of 5.8 X 1 O-1 3 /G is reached at Z = 13440 Hz, the highest Z at which data were taken. Over 
the whole range of Z for which data were taken for both signs of the main field, the change in Z 
(dZ/dH) remained the same to within f 1 Hz. Its average value was dZ/dH = 38.9 Hz/G which cor- 
responds to a shield factor (SF) for NR-1 of 3.6 X 104. 
Figure 17 shows susceptibility data for NR-2 for its main field positive, notice the zero in dy/dH at 
Z = 750 Hz. For NR-2’s main field, negative dy/dH - 1.8 X 10-l 5/G at Z = 769 Hz. The change 
in sign of the main field from NR-1 to NR-2 for producing the higher field null in dy/dH was caused 
by inadvertent reversal of the main field coil connections in NR-2. For this data in NR-2, 
and 
dZ/dH = 60.5(5) Hz/G 
SF= 2.3 X 104. 
Notice that the null in dy/dH occurs at approximately the same Z even though there is a large dif- 
ference in shielding factor between the NR masers. 
DEGREES KELVIN AND DEGREES OF PHASE 
. 
3 
? 
-. ..+ -- ..--... + .._.. . . + ._-_ ? +.-. +- 
m I si8g 
AVERAGE ZEEMAN FREQUENCY (Hz) 
. 
MAIN FIELD = - 
f 
MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF NR-1 
FOR 1 GAUSS AMBIENT FIELD CHANGE 
Figure 15. Magnetic susceptibility of NR-1 for main field -, 
c-- + .+.. _ ._ +.. - .+--. + ~. .+ .+ - 
a rej B !I atlg 
AVERAGE ZEEMAN FREQUENCY (Hz) 
MAIN FIELD = + 
- 
237 
MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF NR-1 
FOR 1 GAUSS AMBIENT FIELD CHANGE 
Figure 16. Magnetic susceptibility of NR-1 for main field +. 
238 RADIO INTERFEROMETRY 
-+ 
!!J 
f 
i + - ” -.’ ._. +. 
63 1 -i 
AVERAGE ZEEMAN FREQUENCY (Hz) 
MAIN FIELD = + 
MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF NR-2 
FOR 1 GAUSS AMBIENT FIELD CHANGE 
+ -- 
El 
f 
Figure 17. Magnetic susceptibility of NR-2 for main field +. 
Figure 18 shows data on the repeatability of the zero susceptibility point at Z =’ 752 Hz of NR-2. 
NR-2 was chosen because it has the lower shielding factor. For the first five data points, the stand- 
ard measurement procedure was used. For the next data points, the solenoid (coil) was changed 
only once and several frequency measurements were made for each solenoid setting. This was done 
to check for any systematic errors introduced by the standard measurement procedure and to de- 
termine the one time frequency shift caused by regaussing of the maser magnetic shields by the 
solenoid. Notice that when going from a solenoid field both from 0 to +.5 G and from 0 to -5 G 
the maser frequency shifted by 1.5 X 10-l 4. (The data in the chart are normalized to suscep- 
tibility units). Using all susceptibility data except that representing the permanent shifts, one 
obtains: 
mean dy/dH = -0.23 X 1 0-141G 
standard deviation of points = 1.08 X 1 O-l4 /G 
Thus, NR-2 would be characterized after degaussing as undergoing a one time permanent 1.5 X 10-r 4 
shift from a large magnetic disturbance and then having a susceptibility of about 1 X 10-l 4 /G for 
subsequent disturbances, 
The data outlined indicates that by finding the zero susceptibility point in each NR maser, one can 
obtain operational magnetic susceptibilities of 1 X 1 O-1 4 /G in these masers. Whether this technique 
can be applied to hydrogen masers of other designs is another matter since the data presented here 
may depend on the details of the NR maser design. 
DEGREES KELVIN AND DEGREES OF PHASE 239 
START: 
AFTER MILD MAGNETIC SHOCK: 
AFTER DEGAUSS: 
AFTER SEVER MAGNETIC SHOCK 
g DEGAUSS: 
AFTER DEGAUSS: 
AFTER DEGAUSS 
8 COIL 0 TO -. 5 GAUSS: 
COIL -.5 TO +.5 GAUSS: 
AFTER DEGAUSS 
8 COIL 0 TO +. 5 GAUSS: 
COIL +.5 TO -.5 GAUSS: 
ZEEMAN FREQUENCY 
(Hz> 
SUSCEPTIBILITY 
(lE-14/GAUSS> 
751.8 0. 17( 6) 
748.2 1.58( 16) 
752.1 -0.38 ( 25) 
752.7 -0.54 ( 68) 
752.5 -1.41( 43) 
752.5 -3.21( 74) 
752.5 -1.49( 77) 
752.2 2.90 ( 43) 
752.2 0. 46( 46) 
Figure 18. Repeatability of zero susceptibility point of NR-2. 
Temperature Sensitivity. The temperature sensitivity of NR-1 was measured. Its value was 
4.5 X IO-l4 per “C with about a one daytime constant. This is consistent with past measurements 
on the NX masers which showed a temperature sensitivity of 4 X lo-l4 per “C. Because the micro- 
processor measures the temperature at several points on the maser, this temperature sensitivity can 
be effectively reduced to zero. Once a maser’s temperature coefficient and time constant are meas- 
ured, the frequency output of the maser can be filtered to extract the predictable temperature shifts. 
This can be done after the fact by recording temperature changes via the RS-232 interface or in real 
time by using the RS-232 interface to change the maser synthesizer settings. Though this has 
not been done yet, such a correction algorithm can be incorporated into the microprocessor 
programming. 
Frequency Stability. Figure 19 shows uY (7) of NR-1 versus NX-2 normalized for one maser. The 
data are shown both for NR-l’s autotuner on and off. This data points out another improvement in 
the NR masers. The phase shifts which occurred in older Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) 
masers when the flux is changed during autotuning has been reduced to less than one picosecond. 
As seen from the data, this means that the NR masers can be continuously autotuned with virtually 
no reduction in their short term stability. 
240 RADIO INTERFEROMETRY 
NR-1 VS NX-2 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 NR AUTOTUNED AGAINST NX 
AVERAGING TIME (SECONDS> 
Figure 19. NR-1 stability data. 


The performance of NASA research hydrogen masers

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