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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Development And Testing Of A High-Speed Real-Time Kinematic Precise Dgps Positioning System Between Two Aircraft, Christopher J. Spinelli Sep 2006

Development And Testing Of A High-Speed Real-Time Kinematic Precise Dgps Positioning System Between Two Aircraft, Christopher J. Spinelli

Theses and Dissertations

This research involves the design, implementation, and testing of a high-speed, real-time kinematic, precise differential GPS positioning system for use in airborne applications such as automated aerial-refueling and close formation flying. Although many of the current ambiguity resolution techniques use the residuals from the least squares position estimation to determine the true ambiguity set, this thesis presents a novel approach to the ambiguity resolution problem, called the minimum indicator. Instead of assuming the ambiguity set with the lowest residuals is the true set, other special characteristics of the residuals are examined. This increases the confidence that the algorithm has selected …


Fast Scene Based Nonuniformity Correction With Minimal Temporal Latency, Christopher A. Rice Sep 2006

Fast Scene Based Nonuniformity Correction With Minimal Temporal Latency, Christopher A. Rice

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to derive a new algorithm for correction of gain nonuniformities in LIDAR focal plane arrays using as few frames as possible. Because of the current low production rate of LIDAR focal plane arrays there is a natural tendency for extreme nonuniformities to exist on a pixel by pixel basis as the manufacturing technique has not yet been perfected. Generally, nonuniformity correction techniques require a large number of frames and/or have obscure requirements on the translational shifts in the input image frames. This thesis presents a solution for finding multiplicative nonuniformities that exist in a …


Mitigating Insider Threat Using Human Behavior Influence Models, Anthony J. Puleo Jun 2006

Mitigating Insider Threat Using Human Behavior Influence Models, Anthony J. Puleo

Theses and Dissertations

Insider threat is rapidly becoming the largest information security problem that organizations face. With large numbers of personnel having access to internal systems, it is becoming increasingly difficult to protect organizations from malicious insiders. The typical methods of mitigating insider threat are simply not working, primarily because this threat is a people problem, and most mitigation strategies are geared towards profiling and anomaly detection, which are problematic at best. As a result, a new type of model is proposed in this thesis, one that incorporates risk management with human behavioral science. The new risk-based model focuses on observable influences that …


Development And Validation Of Reentry Simulation Using Matlab, Robert E. Jameson Jr. Jun 2006

Development And Validation Of Reentry Simulation Using Matlab, Robert E. Jameson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort develops a program using MATLAB to solve the equations of motion for atmospheric reentry and analyzes the validity of the program for use as a tool to expeditiously predict reentry profiles. The reentry vehicle is modeled as a point mass with constant aerodynamic properties as defined by the user. The equations of motion for reentry are based on the two-body problem. The atmosphere is modeled as a single layer exponentially decreasing in density. The MATLAB program has the ability to derive the initial trajectory conditions from the position and velocity relative to the rotating surface of the …


Characterizing A Co-Flow Nozzle For Use In A Filtered Rayleigh Scattering System, David S. Miceli Jun 2006

Characterizing A Co-Flow Nozzle For Use In A Filtered Rayleigh Scattering System, David S. Miceli

Theses and Dissertations

Research was conducted on the flow field exiting a co-annular flow nozzle for use in filtered Rayleigh scattering flow visualizations. More specifically, the flow visualizations were of the flow field exiting a coflow nozzle and illuminated by a tunable, nominal 4.2 watt narrow line width Argon laser operating at 514.5nm. ND:YAG lasers are typically used in this application, but some of the properties of a tunable Argon laser make it an attractive alternative. Before generating flow visualizations, the coflow nozzle was characterized both experimentally and computationally. Due to a flow asymmetry in the outer annulus flow field, the nozzle was …


An Experimental Study Of A Pulsed Dc Plasma Flow Control Actuator, Jennifer D. Wall Jun 2006

An Experimental Study Of A Pulsed Dc Plasma Flow Control Actuator, Jennifer D. Wall

Theses and Dissertations

An experiment on the effects of a pulsed DC plasma actuator on a separated flow in a low speed wind tunnel was conducted. The actuator consisted of two asymmetric copper electrodes oriented normal to the flow separated by a dielectric barrier and mounted on a flat plate in the center of the tunnel. A contoured insert was constructed and used to create an adverse pressure gradient in the test section comparable to a Pak-B low pressure turbine blade distribution. Suction was applied from the upper wall to induce separation along the flat plate over the electrodes. The DC power supply …


Evaluation Of Microbial Diversity In Wetland Through Polymerase Chain Reaction (Pcr) And Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (Rflp), Gregory K. Joseph Jun 2006

Evaluation Of Microbial Diversity In Wetland Through Polymerase Chain Reaction (Pcr) And Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (Rflp), Gregory K. Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

The diversity of microbial communities in wetlands has not been fully measured. These communities may offer tools to naturally remediate sites polluted with chlorinated compounds. Polmerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) are genomic techniques that are capable of rapidly characterizing bacteria communities and can provide valuable information about the diversity of microbial communities.


Molecular Characterization Of Wetland Soil Bacterial Community In Constructed Mesocosms, Ethan C. Bishop Jun 2006

Molecular Characterization Of Wetland Soil Bacterial Community In Constructed Mesocosms, Ethan C. Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

The use of wetlands to effectively remediate aquifers contaminated with chlorinated solvents is an emerging technique, which shows high promise. In order to better understand this process and test its legitimacy, a treatment wetland was constructed at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio and, in a joint effort with Wright State University (WSU), has previously shown the effective removal of PCE. The purpose of this research was to characterize the soil bacterial community, pre-PCE injection, among three wetland plant species from the sedge family (Cyperaceae) within constructed wetland mesocosms and to identify any bacterial dominance. Carex comosa, Scirpus atrovirens, and Eleocharis erythropoda …


Performance-Metric Driven Atmospheric Compensation For Robust Free-Space Laser Communication, Peter N. Crabtree Apr 2006

Performance-Metric Driven Atmospheric Compensation For Robust Free-Space Laser Communication, Peter N. Crabtree

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of turbulence on laser propagation is a significant challenge to current electro-optical systems. While atmospheric compensation techniques in space object imaging and high-energy laser weapons have been thoroughly investigated, optimizing these techniques for Laser Communication (LaserCom) has not been examined to the same degree. Average Strehl ratio is the typical design metric for current atmospheric compensation systems. However, fade probability is the relevant metric for LaserCom. This difference motivated the investigation into metric-driven atmospheric compensation. Metric-based tracking techniques for fade mitigation is the first major focus of this research. In a moderate range air-to-air scenario, focal plane spot …


Encryption Of Computer Peripheral Devices, Kelly Robert Norman Mar 2006

Encryption Of Computer Peripheral Devices, Kelly Robert Norman

Theses and Dissertations

Computer peripherals, such as keyboards, scanners, printers, cameras, and Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) typically communicate with a host PC via an unencrypted protocol, leaving them vulnerable to eavesdropping techniques, such as keyloggers. An encryption system was developed that is simple enough to be used in peripherals that do not have large amounts of processing power and memory. A software driver loaded in the operating system of the host computer communicates with a simple 8-bit microcontroller in the peripheral device. The driver handles key generation, key exchange, and provides decrypted data to the operating system. A key exchange protocol allows the …


Investigation Of Copper Contamination And Corrosion Scale Mineralogy In Aging Drink Water Distributions Systems, Nadja F. Turek Mar 2006

Investigation Of Copper Contamination And Corrosion Scale Mineralogy In Aging Drink Water Distributions Systems, Nadja F. Turek

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown higher levels of copper appear in drinking water conveyed through relatively new copper piping systems; older piping systems typically deliver lower copper levels in their drinking water. This research contributes field data from a real drinking water distribution system, providing a better understanding of this phenomenon, as it relates to treatment considerations and compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule. Copper pipes and copper levels were sampled from drinking water taps of 16 buildings with pipes ranging in age from less than 1 to 48 years. Water samples from each building were collected before and following a …


Assessing The Potential For Improved Scramjet Performance Through Application Of Electromagnetic Flow Control, Martin F. Lindsey Mar 2006

Assessing The Potential For Improved Scramjet Performance Through Application Of Electromagnetic Flow Control, Martin F. Lindsey

Theses and Dissertations

Hypersonic flight using scramjet propulsion bridges the gap between turbojets and rockets. Recent efforts focus on magnetogasdynamic (MGD) flow control to mitigate the problems of high thermomechanical loads and low efficiencies associated with scramjets. This research is the first flight-scale, three-dimensional computational analysis of a realistic scramjet to assess how MGD flow control improves scramjet performance. Developing a quasi-one dimensional design tool culminated in the first open source scramjet geometry. This geometry was tested with the Air Force Research Laboratory's electromagnetic computational code. To increase fidelity, an algorithm was developed to incorporate thermochemistry, resulting in the only open-source model of …


Modeling Study To Quantify The Benefits Of Groundwater Contaminant Source Remediation, David E. Wagner Mar 2006

Modeling Study To Quantify The Benefits Of Groundwater Contaminant Source Remediation, David E. Wagner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to quantify the benefits of groundwater contaminant source remediation by using a model to simulate how reduction of source mass was related to reduction of contaminant concentration at a receptor. This thesis sought to answer three research questions: (1) how are contaminant source mass reduction and reduction of mass flux leaving the source-zone related; (2) how can we quantify the effect of the important natural attenuation processes that act upon the dissolved contaminant as it travels from the source zone to downgradient receptors, and (3) under specified site conditions, what is the maximum contaminant …


Radiometric Analysis Of Daytime Satellite Detection, Katherine B. Lilevjen Mar 2006

Radiometric Analysis Of Daytime Satellite Detection, Katherine B. Lilevjen

Theses and Dissertations

A radiometric model for daylight satellite detection is developed and used to evaluate the effects of various parameters on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Detection of reflected sunlight from a low-earth orbit, diffuse, planar satellite by a single-pixel infrared photovoltaic detector is considered. Noise considered includes photon noise from the background and signal, as well as thermal noise. Parameters considered include atmospheric conditions, optical parameters, and detector parameters. The Phillips Laboratory Expert-assisted User System, an atmospheric modeling tool that employs the MODTRAN and FASCODE transmission codes, is used to model wavelength-dependent atmospheric transmission and background radiance. The SNR is found to increase …


Passive Multiple Beam Combination In Optical Fibers Via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, Kirk C. Brown Mar 2006

Passive Multiple Beam Combination In Optical Fibers Via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, Kirk C. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Many active methods of scaling laser brightness have been demonstrated in recent years. The goal of this research was to demonstrate the feasibility of passively combining multiple laser beams using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) in a long multimode optical fiber. This method of combination employed a “Gatling gun” fiber array that allowed several collimated beams to be focused by a lens into an optical fiber. The retroreflected Stokes beam is passed through the center of the beam combiner for analysis. In addition to experimental methodology and equipment used, the theoretical and historical background of SBS in optical fibers is provided. …


Formal Mitigation Strategies For The Insider Threat: A Security Model And Risk Analysis Framework, Jonathan W. Butts Mar 2006

Formal Mitigation Strategies For The Insider Threat: A Security Model And Risk Analysis Framework, Jonathan W. Butts

Theses and Dissertations

The advancement of technology and reliance on information systems have fostered an environment of sharing and trust. The rapid growth and dependence on these systems, however, creates an increased risk associated with the insider threat. The insider threat is one of the most challenging problems facing the security of information systems because the insider already has capabilities within the system. Despite research efforts to prevent and detect insiders, organizations remain susceptible to this threat because of inadequate security policies and a willingness of some individuals to betray their organization. To investigate these issues, a formal security model and risk analysis …


Spatially-Resolved Temperature Diagnostic For Supersonic Flow Using Cross-Beam Doppler-Limited Laser Saturation Spectroscopy, Grady T. Phillips Mar 2006

Spatially-Resolved Temperature Diagnostic For Supersonic Flow Using Cross-Beam Doppler-Limited Laser Saturation Spectroscopy, Grady T. Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Optical techniques for measuring the temperature in three-dimensional supersonic reactive flows have typically depended on lineshape measurements using single-beam laser absorption spectroscopy. However, absorption over extended path lengths in flows with symmetric, turbulent eddies can lead to systematically high extracted temperatures due to Doppler shifts resulting from flow along the absorption path. To eliminate these problems, Cross-Beam Saturation Absorption Spectroscopy (CBSAS) and Cross-Beam Inter-Modulated Fluorescence (CBIMF) have been developed which utilize two crossed and nearly copropogating laser beams.to record the spectral signal of an I2 ro-vibrational line in a small three-dimensional volume using a tunable CW dye laser. Temperature …


Characteristics Of Two-Dimensional Triangular And Three-Dimensional Face-Centered-Cubic Photonic Crystals, Jeffery D. Clark Mar 2006

Characteristics Of Two-Dimensional Triangular And Three-Dimensional Face-Centered-Cubic Photonic Crystals, Jeffery D. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The fabrication of photonic crystals (PhC) with photonic band gaps (PBG) in the visible range is a difficult task due to the small structural feature sizes of the PhC. The particular type of PhC examined is a two-dimensional (2-D) triangular structure with a PBG designed for visible wavelengths with applications in visible integrated photonic systems. This work examines the processes involved and viability of fabricating 2-D triangular PhC's by a variety of techniques: focused ion beam, electron lithography and holographic photo-polymerization/lithography. The design of the PhC was based on a program created to display gap maps for triangular structures. The …


Polar Phase Screens: A Comparison With Other Methods Of Random Phase Screen Generation, Rebecca J. Eckert Mar 2006

Polar Phase Screens: A Comparison With Other Methods Of Random Phase Screen Generation, Rebecca J. Eckert

Theses and Dissertations

This research provides the first organized comparison of random phase screen generation methods, including logarithmic polar Fourier series, using structure functions. Random phase screens are essential elements of simulating light propagation through turbulent media. In order to be effective, they must accurately reflect theory and be practical to implement. This research explains and evaluates three methods of generating random phase screens: using a Fourier series upon a polar frequency grid with logarithmic spacing; using the fast Fourier transform, with its Cartesian frequency grid; and using Zernike polynomials. It provides a comparison of the Polar Fourier Series technique with the two …


Quantitative Object Reconstruction Using Abel Transform Tomography And Mixed Variable Optimization, Kevin R. O'Reilly Mar 2006

Quantitative Object Reconstruction Using Abel Transform Tomography And Mixed Variable Optimization, Kevin R. O'Reilly

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are interested in quantitatively reconstructing an object using Abel transform x-ray tomography. Specifically, they obtain a radiograph by x-raying an object and attempt to quantitatively determine the number and types of materials and the thicknesses of each material layer. Their current methodologies either fail to provide a quantitative description of the object or are generally too slow to be useful in practice. As an alternative, the problem is modeled here as a mixed variable programming (MVP) problem, in which some variables are nonnumeric and for which no derivative information is available. The …


Analysis Of Bacterial Population And Distribution In The Developing Strata Of A Constructed Wetland Used For Chlorinated Ethene Bioremediation, Milton J. Clausen Jr. Mar 2006

Analysis Of Bacterial Population And Distribution In The Developing Strata Of A Constructed Wetland Used For Chlorinated Ethene Bioremediation, Milton J. Clausen Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Chlorinated hydrocarbons and their degradation products are among of the most common organic groundwater contaminates in the United States. These compounds attack the central nervous system in animals and can affect the photosynthesis of plants. These compounds are also resistant to degradation in the environment and, because of this, pose a risk to any ecosystem in which they are present. This study identified the dominant microbial species in a constructed treatment wetland at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Samples were taken from three different depths and during each of the four seasons. These samples were …


Doppler-Only Multistatic Radar, Dustin G. Mixon Mar 2006

Doppler-Only Multistatic Radar, Dustin G. Mixon

Theses and Dissertations

In order to estimate the position and velocity of a target, most multistatic radar systems require multiple independent target measurements, such as angle-of-arrival, time-of-arrival, and Doppler information. Though inexpensive and reliable, Doppler-only systems have not been widely implemented due to the inherent nonlinear problem of determining a target’s position and velocity from their measurements. We solve this problem. In particular, we first establish the lack of observability in the Doppler-only bistatic system, thereby demonstrating the need for multiple transmitters and/or receivers. Next, for a multistatic system with a sufficient number of transmitter-receiver pairs, we invoke classical optimization techniques, such as …


Lqg/Ltr Tilt And Tip Control For The Starfire Optical Range 3.5-Meter Telescope's Adaptive Optics System, Neil D. Paris Mar 2006

Lqg/Ltr Tilt And Tip Control For The Starfire Optical Range 3.5-Meter Telescope's Adaptive Optics System, Neil D. Paris

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Research Laboratory has sponsored research on the tracking control loop portion of the adaptive optics system in the Starfire Optical Range 3.5-meter telescope at Kirtland Air Force Base. The control loop includes two steering mirrors (Coarse Steering Mirror and Fine Steering Mirror) used to remove wavefront tilt and tip phase distortion from light entering the telescope. The objective of this research is to design a single Linear Quadratic Gaussian controller to control both steering mirrors in order to eliminate wavefront tilt and tip distortions induced by the earth's atmosphere, and to evaluate the stability robustness and performance …


Passive Ranging Using Atmospheric Oxygen Absorption Spectra, Michael R. Hawks Mar 2006

Passive Ranging Using Atmospheric Oxygen Absorption Spectra, Michael R. Hawks

Theses and Dissertations

The depth of absorption bands in observed spectra of distant, bright sources can be used to estimate range to the source. A novel approach is presented and demonstrated using observations of the oxygen absorption band near 762 nm. Range is estimated by comparing observed values of band-average absorption against curves derived from either historical data or model predictions. Curves are based on fitting a random band model to the data, which reduces average range error by 67% compared to the Beer's Law model used in previous work. A new modification to existing band models for long, inhomogeneous paths is presented …


Control Demonstration Of A Thin Deformable In-Plane Actuated Mirror, Gina A. Peterson Mar 2006

Control Demonstration Of A Thin Deformable In-Plane Actuated Mirror, Gina A. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Current imaging satellites are limited in resolution and coverage area by the aperture size of their primary optical mirror. To get a large optical mirror into space, current launch weight and size restrictions must be overcome. Membrane-like optical mirrors can overcome these restrictions with their very lightweight and flexible properties. However, thin, deformable membrane mirrors are very susceptible to the space environment and require active control for surface stabilization and shaping. The primary goal of this research is to demonstrate that an in-plane actuated membrane-like deformable optical mirror can be controlled to optical wavelength tolerances in a closed-loop system. Fabrication …


Optimization Of A Multi-Echelon Repair System Via Generalized Pattern Search With Ranking And Selection: A Computational Study, Derek D. Tharaldson Mar 2006

Optimization Of A Multi-Echelon Repair System Via Generalized Pattern Search With Ranking And Selection: A Computational Study, Derek D. Tharaldson

Theses and Dissertations

With increasing developments in computer technology and available software, simulation is becoming a widely used tool to model, analyze, and improve a real world system or process. However, simulation in itself is not an optimization approach. Common optimization procedures require either an explicit mathematical formulation or numerous function evaluations at improving iterative points. Mathematical formulation is generally impossible for problems where simulation is relevant, which are characteristically the types of problems that arise in practical applications. Further complicating matters is the variability in the simulation response which can cause problems in iterative techniques using the simulation model as a function …


An Adaptable Energy-Efficient Medium Access Control Protocol For Wireless Sensor Networks, Justin T. Kautz Mar 2006

An Adaptable Energy-Efficient Medium Access Control Protocol For Wireless Sensor Networks, Justin T. Kautz

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless networks have become ubiquitous recently and therefore their usefulness has also become more extensive. Wireless sensor networks (WSN) detect environmental information with sensors in remote settings. One problem facing WSNs is the inability to resupply power to these energy-constrained devices due to their remoteness. Therefore to extend a WSN's effectiveness, the lifetime of the network must be increased by making them as energy efficient as possible. An energy efficient medium access control (MAC) can boost a WSN's lifetime. This research creates a MAC protocol called Adaptive sensor Medium Access Control (AMAC) which is based on Sensor Medium Access Control …


Doppler Aliasing Reduction In Wide-Angle Synthetic Aperture Radar Using Phase Modulated Random Stepped-Frequency Waveforms, Andrew W. Hyatt Mar 2006

Doppler Aliasing Reduction In Wide-Angle Synthetic Aperture Radar Using Phase Modulated Random Stepped-Frequency Waveforms, Andrew W. Hyatt

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort examines the theory, application and results of side-looking airborne radar operation in hot clutter. Hot clutter is an electronic counter-measure used to degrade the performance of airborne radar. Hot clutter occurs by illuminating the ground with an airborne jammer at some velocity, azimuth, elevation, and range from the airborne radar. When the received RCS scattered hot clutter waveform is perfectly coherent with the radar waveform, the radar believes the returns created by the hot clutter jammer resulted from the transmitting radar. Hot clutter degrades radar performance at locations in azimuth and Doppler. The effect of hot clutter …


Active Optical Tracking With Spatial Light Modulators, Steven R. Mawhorter Mar 2006

Active Optical Tracking With Spatial Light Modulators, Steven R. Mawhorter

Theses and Dissertations

Two spatial light modulators are utilized for beam splitting, steering and tracking. Both linear and holographic phase screens are used in a demonstration of technology to allow real time tracking to communicate in a one-to-several type scenario. One SLM is used to apply a linear phase modulation to steer multiple beams onto a detector. The spots that are produced represent the targets as they move around the field of view of the central communication node. A Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm will subsequently use the detected spots as the desired pointing locations. Using this as input, the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm yields a phase only …


Multi-Dimensional Wave Front Sensing Algorithms For Embedded Tracking And Adaptive Optics Applications, Christopher C. Wood Mar 2006

Multi-Dimensional Wave Front Sensing Algorithms For Embedded Tracking And Adaptive Optics Applications, Christopher C. Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Current tracking and adaptive optics techniques cannot compensate for fast-moving extended objects, which is important for ground-based telescopes providing space situational awareness. To fill this need, a vector-projection maximum-likelihood wave-front sensing algorithm development and testing follows for this application. A derivation and simplification of the Cramer-Rao Lower Bound for wavefront sensing using a laser guide star bounds the performance of these systems and guides implementation of a vastly optimized maximum-likelihood search algorithm. A complete analysis of the bias, mean square error, and variance of the algorithm demonstrates exceptional performance of the new sensor. A proof of concept implementation shows feasibility …