NASA Tech Briefs’ Physical Sciences Web page spans the fields of earth science, chemistry, and physics, focusing on advances in sensing, test, and measurement. Tech Briefs report on innovations in microscopy, spectroscopy, photonics and more. Many of the Tech Briefs below are correlated to a Technical Support Package (TSP) or White Paper that can be downloaded free of charge.
Optical Comb From a Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator for Spectroscopy and Astronomy Instruments Calibration
This technology can be used for surveillance of the Earth from space.
The most accurate astronomical data is
available from space-based observations
that are not impeded by the Earth’s atmosphere.
Such measurements may require
spectral samples taken as long as decades
apart, with the 1 cm/s velocity ...
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Mirror Metrology Using Nano-Probe Supports
Any application requiring precise measurement of a flexible object could benefit from this
invention.
Thin, lightweight mirrors are needed
for future x-ray space telescopes in
order to increase x-ray collecting area
while maintaining a reduced mass and
volume capable of being launched on
existing rockets. However, it is ...
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Multi-Component, Multi-Point Interferometric Rayleigh/Mie Doppler Velocimeter
An interferometric Rayleigh scattering
system was developed to enable the
measurement of multiple, orthogonal
velocity components at several points
within very-high-speed or high-temperature
flows. The velocity of a gaseous flow
can be optically measured by sending
laser light into the gas flow, and then
measuring the scattered light signal that
...
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Fluorescence-Based Sensor for Monitoring Activation of Lunar Dust
This sensor also is suitable for assessing safety and health in
the cement and fly ash industries.
This sensor unit is designed to determine
the level of activation of lunar dust
or simulant particles using a fluorescent
technique. Activation of the surface of a
lunar soil sample (for ...
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Aperture Ion Source
The aperture ion source has application in commercial mass spectrometers.
The aperture ion source was conceived
to eliminate distortion in measurements
of angular distributions of neutral atoms
and molecules that require electronimpact
ion sources. The approach simplifies
the coupling between ion source and
spectrometer while providing virtually
distortion-free ...
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