Project Title:

Microchannel Plates in Advanced Wind-Tunnel Instrumentation

08.13-9191
Microchannel Plates in Advanced Wind-Tunnel Instrumentation
Galileo Electro-optics Corporation
Galileo Park
Sturbridge
MA
01518
Osten
Donald E.
18220

LaRC

Abstract:

Microchannel plate innovations are described which will assist in the development
of advanced wind tunnel instrumentation.  (l)  The mass spectrometric measurement
of boundary layer gasses; (2)  Temperature measurement of gasses; (3)  High sensitivity
thermal imaging of transients; (4)  Optical spectroscopy and photography for flow
visualization in high enthalpy test facilities.  Innovations which must be developed
to make such instruments practical include developing techniques to reduce the frequency
of spurious electron pulse emission from microchannel plates which constitute background
noise and secondly to accelerate the channel recovery process, thereby raising the
permissible maximum signal frequency.  It is shown that together these techniques
can lead to a factor of l000 growth in dynamic range.  It is also suggested that
the effort Galileo is already devoting to new high-silica aterials for microchannel
plates and optical fibers will further enhance the usefulness of these instruments
by permitting higher temperature operation.