Optimization of Hydrogen Consumption in Hydrogen Masers
Abstract
Hydrogen consumption is an important reliability issue for space- qualified hydrogen masers. An excess of atoms in the upper state of the maser transition must be continuously fed into the maser bulb. Atomic hydrogen is produced in an rf discharge dissociator, and state selection is accomplished by a multipole magnet which focuses atoms in the desired state at the masers' bulb entrance orifice. The focusing properties of these magnets depend strongly on atomic speed. The quality of the match between the speed distribution of the atoms leaving the dissociator and the velocity-dependent transmission of the state selector plays an important role in determining the masers' hydrogen consumption budget. We have determined speed distributions of hydrogen atoms effusing from an rf dissociator, and found that they are significantly narrower than Maxwellians. We have also performed realistic calculations of the focusing properties of hexapole magnet atomic state selectors, and explored the conditions under which good matches between atomic speed distribution and state selector transmission can be achieved. Keywords: Atomic clocks, Hydrogen dissociator, Hexapole magnet, Hydrogen maser, Velocity distributions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 06, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA227267
Entities
People
- B. Jaduszliwer
- Y. C. Chan
Organizations
- The Aerospace Corporation