Title of Presentation:
Primary (Corresponding) Author: Paul Siqueira
Organization of Primary Author: University of Massachusetts
Co-Authors:
Abstract:
In this, the project's third year, the development effort has been completed and the two downconverters have been tested from an electromagnetic/microwave engineering point of view, and through detailed testing meant to explore the devices response to a changing thermal environment. Phase measurements accurate to within 3 millidegrees have been performed on the downconverters with results showing that the two constructed devices meet the needs of maintaining phase stability to within 50 millidegrees in a thermally stabilized environment. Current work continues on modeling the response of the system to thermal changes and for removing the effects of those changes from the device output. Further, for improving the overall instrument's Technology Readiness Level, a simple interferometric system has been constructed suitable for rooftop and airborne deployment. In this way, observables such as differential penetration and topographic measurements at the two frequencies can be made that are relevant to the spaceborne equivalent of the millimeterwave interferometric devices.