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.
Feb 2012
Optical Comb From a Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator for Spectroscopy and Astronomy Instruments Calibration
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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 ...Read More >>
Mirror Metrology Using Nano-Probe Supports
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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 ...Read More >>
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
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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 ...Read More >>
Aperture Ion Source
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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 ...Read More >>
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Jan 2012
Energy-Based Tetrahedron Sensor for High-Temperature, High-Pressure EnvironmentsFiber Bragg Grating Sensor System for Monitoring Smart Composite Aerospace Structures
Health-Enabled Smart Sensor Fusion Technology
Large-Area Vacuum Ultraviolet Sensors
Extended-Range Passive RFID and Sensor Tags
SOFIA Closed- and Open-Door Aerodynamic Analyses
Ultra-Miniature Lidar Scanner for Launch Range Data Collection
CCD Camera Lens Interface for Real-Time Theodolite Alignment
Peregrine 100-km Sounding Rocket Project
Sonic Thermometer for High-Altitude Balloons
Corner-Cube Retroreflector Instrument for Advanced Lunar Laser Ranging
Electrospray Collection of Lunar Dust
Coherent Detector for Near-Angle Scattering and Polarization Characterization of Telescope Mirror Coatings
Dec 2011
All-Solid-State 2.45-to-2.78-THz SourceLidar Luminance Quantizer
Distributed Capacitive Sensor for Sample Mass Measurement
Reflective Occultation Mask for Evaluation of Occulter Designs for Planet Finding
Software-Defined Radio for Space-to-Space Communications
Nov 2011
Flight Test Results from the Rake Airflow Gage Experiment on the F-15BIntegrated Lens Antennas for Multi-Pixel Receivers