{"id":1474,"date":"2022-03-16T13:59:21","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T20:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irlabs.com\/?p=1474"},"modified":"2023-08-08T10:39:21","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T17:39:21","slug":"winston-cone-and-micro-vessel-assembly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irlabs.com\/winston-cone-and-micro-vessel-assembly\/","title":{"rendered":"IRLabs Collaborates with NASA on Winston Cone Assembly and Miniature Vacuum Vessel for Ice Giant Net Flux Radiometer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/h4>\n

IRLabs collaborates with leading research organizations to contribute technical expertise as a trusted partner in projects such as the Ice Giants Net Flux Radiometer (NFR) instrument being developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to further exploration of exoplanetary systems. The NFR project team, led by NASA GSFC, included University of Maryland, University of Oxford, and Catholic University of America.<\/p>\n

If chosen for a future mission, the NFR onboard a probe will descend deep into the atmospheres of either or both of the ice giant planets Neptune and Uranus, depending on the scope of the mission, to measure planetary radiation flux as a function of altitude. Net flux is the difference between upward and downward radiative power. Measuring net flux will help scientists study radiative heating or cooling, solar energy deposition, and composition of the local atmosphere. The NFR instrument accomplishes this by measuring background optical radiation in seven spectral bands as it descends. The detector head rotates during descent to make observations in several directions including up and down. An array of Winston cones is the perfect choice to collect the optical radiation and concentrate it on an array of single-point detectors to optimize signal-to-noise ratio. Each cone and detector measure a specific optical band ranging from 0.2 \u00b5m to 300 \u00b5m.<\/p>\n

NASA GSFC worked with IRLabs to develop laboratory proof of concept experiments using a pair of Winston cones <\/a>and detectors cooled in a standard liquid nitrogen cooled dewar. Successful demonstration of the concept led to additional funding and IRLabs being selected to design and build a miniature \u201cmicro-vessel\u201d vacuum housing for the two-cone system which was later expanded to a seven-cone assembly to measure energy flux in all seven spectral channels. IRLabs also contributed to a final design iteration that is awaiting funding.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Watch Video<\/h4><\/div>