o..ch BriefsSP-5021(21) idex 1979 do iiI 1I W t Tia dk- .T ____ 1-4) 1979 P-5O21 (21)' This document is available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Springfield, Virginia 22161, at price code A06 ($6.50. domestic; $13.00 foreign). Order NASA SP:5021(21). INTRODUCTION Tech Briefs are short announcements of new technology derived from the research and development activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. These briefs emphasize information considered likely to be transferrable across industrial, regional, or disciplinary lines and are issued to encourage commercial application. This Index to NASA Tech Briefs contains abstracts and four indexes -- subject, personal author, originating Center, and Tech Brief number -- for 1979 Tech Briefs. Abstract Section The abstract section is divided into nine categories: Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Life Sciences; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; and Mathematics and Information Sciences. Within each category, abstracts are arranged sequentially by Tech Brief number. A typical abstract entry has these elements: TECH BRIEF NUMBER TITLE e B79-10298 LOW-COMMON-MODE DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER INNOVATOR S. MORRISON (Westinghouse Electric Corp.) r—w Apr. 1980 DATE MSC-18201 Vol. 4. No. 3. p. 323 ABSTRACT Outputs of differential amplifier are excellently matched in phase and amplitude over wide range of frequencies. Common ORIGINATING mode feedback loop offsets differences between two signal paths. CENTER NUMBER Possible applications of circuit are in oscilloscopes, integrated circuit logic tester, and other self contained instruments. The originating Center number in each entry includes an alphabetical prefix that identifies the NASA Center where the Tech Brief originated. A list of prefixes and the corresponding Center names are given on page iii. Indexes Four indexes are provided. The first is a subject index, arranged alphabetically by subject heading. Each entry in the subject index includes a Tech Brief number and a category number to aid the user in locating pertinent entries in the abstract section. SUBJECT HEADING AIRCRAFT STABIUTY TITLE e Airplane stability programs for pocket calculators LANGLEY. 12479 879-10248 06 / ORIGINATING CENTER NUMBER TECH BRIEF NUMBER CATEGORY The January 1976 edition of the NASA Thesaurus (NASA SP-7050) is used as the authority for the indexing vocabulary that appears in the subject index. The NASA Thesaurus should be consulted in examining the current indexing vocabulary, including associated cross-reference structure. Only the subject terms that have been selected to describe the documents abstracted in this issue appear in the subject index. Copies of the NASA Thesaurus may be obtained from the National Technical Information Service at $23.50 for the two-volume set. The second index is a personal author index. Entries in this index are arranged alphabetically by author's name. Tech Brief and category numbers are supplied to help the user find the appropriate entries in the abstract section. AUTHOR BRABIS. T. A. TITLE Compact reactor for onboard hydrogen generation LEWIS. 13033 879-10368 04 V. ORIGINATING CENTER NUMBER TECH BRIEF NUMBER CATEGORY The third index relates each originating Center number to the corresponding Tech Brief number and category. Entries in this index are arranged in alphanumeric order by Center number. M.FS.25137 ....................... 879-10194 03 7 ORIGINATING CENTER NUMBER TECH BRIEFtN NUMBER CATEGORY The fourth index relates each Tech Brief number to its originating Center number. Entries are arranged in ascending Tech Brief number order. 879-10003 01 ............................ NPO.14077 TECH BRIEF NUMBER7 CATEGORY ORIGINATING CENTER NUMBER Originating Center Prefixes ARC Ames Research Center FRC Dryden Flight Research Center GSFC Goddard Space Flight Center HQ NASA Headquarters KSC Kennedy Space Center LANGLEY Langley Research Center LEWIS Lewis Research Center M-FS Marshall Space Flight Center MSC Johnson Space Center (formerly Manned Spacecraft Center) NPO Jet Propulsion Laboratory/NASA Pasadena Office Availability of NASA Tech Briefs Distribution of NASA Tech Briefs, a quarterly publication, is limited to managers and engineers in U.S. Industry and to other qualified technology transfer agents, such as; members of the media, teachers, librarians, and professionals supporting domestic commerce and industry. Requests for individual Tech Briefs or for copies of the quarterly publication should be addressed to the Director, Technology Transfer Division Office, P.O. Box 8757, Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Maryland 21240. This document was prepared by the NASA Scientific and Technical Information Facility, operated for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by PRC Data Services Company. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract Section Category 01 Electronic Components and Circuits ... 1 02 Electronic Systems ................................7 03 Physical Sciences ................................10 04 Materials ............................................18 05 Life Sciences .......................................24 06 Mechanics ........................................... 25 07 Machinery ..........................................34 08 Fabrication Technology .....................39 09 Mathematics and Information Sciences..............................................44 Indexes Subject.......................................................................1-1 Personal Author ......................................................1-35 Originating Center/Tech Brief Number .................. 1-5 1 Tech Brief/Originating Center Number ..................1-55 V S AND tt Index to NASA Tech Briefs June 1980 Abstract Section 01 ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND B79-10005 VHF FREQUENCY MULTIPLIER CIRCUITS J. A. CUSACK (Motorola, Inc.) Aug. 1979 NPO-13700 Vol. 4. No, 1. p. 7 Low-power step-recovery-diode frequency multiplier generates 361-MHz signal. Diode conducts when ac waveform is positive 079-10001 at its upper terminal. When voltage is negative, diode continues WRAPAROUND-CONTACT SOLAR CELLS to conduct stored charge in its junction. C.R. BARAONA, T. M. KWCHER, J. W. THORNHILL (Spectrolab, Inc.), and J. SCOTT-MONCI( (Spectrolab. Inc.) B79-10006 Aug. 1979 See also NASA-CP-2020 (N78-13527); NASA-CR- FIBER-OPTIC CROSSBAR SWITCH 135202 (N77-32590) C. H. BELL LEWIS-13089 Vol. 4, No. 1. p.3 Aug. 1979 Positive and negative electrical contacts are on back surface of KSC.11104 Vol. 4, No, 1. p. 9 wraparound-contact solar cell. With both terminals on nonillumi- Switch automatically crosspatches optical signals with little nated side, cells can be connected back-to-back, and interconnec- loss. Device is furnished with local control and remote control. tion of many cells can be automated by using printed-circuit tech- Local control can be manual from control panel or by computer niques. Cells are made by screen-printing layer of dielectric around data bus. In remote control, switch is slaved to remote manual edge of cell and extending top contact over dielectric to back panel computer data bus. surface. Wraparound also facilitates application of transparent covers and encapsulants. Efficiencies of cells are in excess of B79-10007 seventeen percent. IMPROVED INSB PHOTODIODE PREAMPLIFIER CIRCUIT R. L. ULRICH Aug. 1979 B79-10002 NPO-14418 Vol. 4, No, 1. p. 9 EFFICIENT DICHROIC PLATE FOR MICROWAVES Integrator compensates for background noise in Fourier T. E. WISE (Bendix Corp.) spectrometer. Compensation is automatic. Aug. 1979 GSFC-12171 Vol. 4, No. 1. p. 4 879-10008 Signal separator for dual-frequency antennas has interlaced DECISION-DIRECTED AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL crossed slots, or dipole elements. Plate reflects or transmits more W. J. WEBER, III efficiently than conventionally-designed microwave dichroic Aug. 1979 plates in which elements are not interlaced. Interlaced plate also NPO-13639 Vol. 4. No. 1. p. 10 increases bandwidth of dual-frequency antenna in which it is Logic circuitry determines whether gain fluctuation are result used. of signal-strength changes or of a typical strings of like data symbols. Automatic Gain Control (AGC) system provides tight B79-10003 control that is independent of short-term, average, received signal LOW-BACKLOBE MICROWAVE TRANSMITTING HORN energy and has negligible degrading effect on probability of error D. A. BATHKER, S. A. BRUNSTEIN, P. W. CRAMER. and W. for signal. N. MOULE Aug. 1979 B79-10009 NPO-14077 Vol. 4, No. 1. p. 5 SELF-CALIBRATING THRESHOLD DETECTOR FOR NOISY By superimposing two hybrid modes, backiobes of S-band SIGNALS gain calibration horn are down 70 to 80 dB. J. R. BARNES (TRW. Inc.) and M. V. HUANG (TRW. Inc.) Aug. 1979 B79-10004 MSC-16370 Vol. 4. No, 1. p. 10 FAST-RESPONSE POWER SAVER FOR INDUCTION Single time-shared channel is not seriously affected by MOTORS temperature and aging. Circuit should also be useful in industrial F. J. NOLA and consumer equipment. For example, it might be incorporated Aug. 1979 See also 877-10154 in telemetry for security systems. M-FS-23988 Vol. 4. No. 1. p. 6 With control circuit, induction motors run more efficiently at B79-10010 light loads and respond to sudden load changes. It also anticipates LOW-FREQUENCY ATTENUATOR CIRCUIT power needs so that motor can respond instantly (to a load W. H. CASH, JR. (Martin Marietta Corp.) and J. T. POLYHEMUS applied by a clutch, for example). (Martin Marietta Corp.) 01 ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND CIRCUITS Aug. 1979