TUNABLE MILLIMETER TRAVELING-WAVE MASER AND 8-MM MASER-RADIOMETER SYSTEM.
Abstract
A low-noise K sub a-band receiving system has been developed that offers a substantial improvement in noise factor (and minimum detectable change in noise temperature), by using a tunable traveling-wave maser and amplifier followed by a transistorized receiver/radiometer system. The K sub a-band maser operates over an extremely wide tuning range (5 Gc), and has gains of 20 db and an instantaneous bandwidth of 75 Mc. A preliminary noise figure measurement has yielded an overall maser-radiometer system noise temperature of 130 K (1.6 db). The noise temperature of the maser is near 20 K, the remainder being secondstage (mixer, IF) contribution and waveguide losses. It follows that optimum system noise temperatures of 38 K are achievable using this maser. A radiometer has been developed that has a tuning range from 27 to 40 Gc and can be swept electronically using a backward-wave local oscillator. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0420126
Entities
People
- B. Peyton
- F. Arams
- F. Haneman