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Air Force Institute of Technology

Theses/Dissertations

2014

Articles 1 - 23 of 23

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Potential Energy Curves And Associated Line Shape Of Alkali-Metal And Noble-Gas Interactions, Larry A. Blank Dec 2014

Potential Energy Curves And Associated Line Shape Of Alkali-Metal And Noble-Gas Interactions, Larry A. Blank

Theses and Dissertations

Recent interest in optically-pumped alkali laser systems has prompted this study into the binary interaction potentials between species of alkali-metal and rare-gas atoms and the effects of the collision of these species on the alkali-metal atom absorption spectrum. Special attention is placed on the relationship of the interaction potentials and the resulting line shape. The X2Σ+1/2, A2π1/2, A2π3/2, and B2Σ+1/2 potential energy curves and associated dipole matrix elements are computed for M+ Ng at the spin-orbit multi-reference configuration interaction level, where M = …

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A Method To Develop Neck Injury Criteria To Aid Design And Test Of Escape Systems Incorporating Helmet Mounted Displays, Jeffrey C. Parr Sep 2014

A Method To Develop Neck Injury Criteria To Aid Design And Test Of Escape Systems Incorporating Helmet Mounted Displays, Jeffrey C. Parr

Theses and Dissertations

HMDs are becoming common human-machine interface equipment in manned military flight, but introducing this equipment into the overall aircraft escape system poses new and significant system design, development, and test concerns. Although HMDs add capabilities, which improve operator performance, the increased capability is often accompanied by increased head supported mass. The increased mass can amplify the risk of pilot neck injury during ejection when compared to lighter legacy helmets. Currently no adequate USAF neck injury criteria exist to effectively guide the requirements, design, and test of escape systems for pilots with HMDs. This research effort presents a novel method to …

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Imaging Fourier Transform Spectroscopy Of The Boundary Layer Plume From Laser Irradiated Polymers And Carbon Materials, Roberto I. Acosta Jun 2014

Imaging Fourier Transform Spectroscopy Of The Boundary Layer Plume From Laser Irradiated Polymers And Carbon Materials, Roberto I. Acosta

Theses and Dissertations

Emissive plumes from laser irradiated fiberglass reinforced polymers (FRP), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and porous graphite targets were investigated primarily using a mid wave infrared (MWIR) imaging Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. Polymer and graphite targets were irradiated with a 1.064 micrometer Nd:YAG and a 1.07 micrometer ytterbium continuous wave (CW) fiber lasers respectively. Data was acquired with a spectral resolution of 2 cm-1 and spatial resolution as high as 0.52 mm2 per pixel. Strong emissions from H2O, CO, CO2 and hydrocarbons were observed in the MWIR between 1900 cm-1 and 4000 cm- 1. A single-layer radiative transfer model was developed …

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An Analysis Of The Impact Of Variation In Mean Time Between Demand On Air Force Fleet Level Aircraft Parts Inventories, Andrew J. Berger, Caleb S. Murphy Jun 2014

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Variation In Mean Time Between Demand On Air Force Fleet Level Aircraft Parts Inventories, Andrew J. Berger, Caleb S. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis researched the accuracy of demand forecasting and impact of demand variation on requirements definition for Air Force aircraft secondary items. Specifically, this thesis sought to answer three questions: How does the Air Force calculate item requirements? , How accurate is the current system at predicting future item requirements? , and How do variations in predicted demand change item requirements? The literature review described the Air Force supply system for aircraft secondary items. Analysis into current demand forecast accuracy found that the level of error between actual and predicted historic demand was as high as 92% for the items …

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Different Formulations Of The Orthogonal Array Problem And Their Symmetries, Andrew J. Geyer Jun 2014

Different Formulations Of The Orthogonal Array Problem And Their Symmetries, Andrew J. Geyer

Theses and Dissertations

Modern statistical experiments routinely feature a large number of input variables that can each be set to a variety of different levels. In these experiments, output response changes as a result of changes in the individual factor level settings. Often, an individual experimental run can be costly in time, money or both. Therefore, experimenters generally want to gain the desired information on factor effects from the smallest possible number of experimental runs. Orthogonal arrays provide the most desirable designs. However, finding orthogonal arrays is a very challenging problem. There are numerous integer linear programming formulations (ILP) in the literature whose …

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Finite Element Analysis Modeling Of Chemical Vapor Deposition Of Silicon Carbide, Brandon M. Allen Jun 2014

Finite Element Analysis Modeling Of Chemical Vapor Deposition Of Silicon Carbide, Brandon M. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (SiC) composite materials are important for many applications due to their high temperature strength, excellent thermal shock and impact resistance, high hardness, and good chemical stability. The microstructure and phase composition of SiC composites can be tailored by fiber surface modification, the process parameters, and/or fiber preform architecture. One process by which SiC composites can be produced is chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This thesis primarily focuses on mass transport by gas-phase flow and diffusion, chemical reaction in gas phase and on solid surfaces, and thin film formation on curved surfaces, which are fundamental to the CVD process. …

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Toward Automating Web Protocol Configuration For A Programmable Logic Controller Emulator, Deanna R. Fink Jun 2014

Toward Automating Web Protocol Configuration For A Programmable Logic Controller Emulator, Deanna R. Fink

Theses and Dissertations

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) remain vulnerable through attack vectors that exist within programmable logic controllers (PLC). PLC emulators used as honeypots can provide insight into these vulnerabilities. Honeypots can sometimes deter attackers from real devices and log activity. A variety of PLC emulators exist, but require manual figuration to change their PLC pro le. This limits their flexibility for deployment. An automated process for configuring PLC emulators can open the door for emulation of many types of PLCs. This study investigates the feasibility of creating such a process. The research creates an automated process for figuring the web protocols of …

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Airborne Wireless Communication Modeling And Analysis With Matlab, Matthew J. Vincie Mar 2014

Airborne Wireless Communication Modeling And Analysis With Matlab, Matthew J. Vincie

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for military, commercial, and private applications. Critical to maintaining control and a use for these systems is the development of wireless networking systems [1]. Computer simulation has increasingly become a key player in airborne networking developments though the accuracy and credibility of network simulations has become a topic of increasing scrutiny [2-5]. Much of the inaccuracies seen in simulation are due to inaccurate modeling of the physical layer of the communication system. This research develops a physical layer model that combines antenna …

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Structural Characterization Of Atomically Thin Hexagonal Boron Nitride Via Raman Spectroscopy, James M. Bondy Mar 2014

Structural Characterization Of Atomically Thin Hexagonal Boron Nitride Via Raman Spectroscopy, James M. Bondy

Theses and Dissertations

A non-destruction evaluation of atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films is critical to the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense initiatives pursuing graphene-based electronic field effect transistors (FETs) capable of operating at terahertz frequencies. H-BN thin films an increase to the characteristic E2g 1367cm-1 h-BN peak intensity has been correlated to an increase in film thickness. Raman spectroscopy on a h-BN film with thicknesses of 7, 14, and 21 atoms (2.5nm, 5nm, 7.5nm respectively) revealed a linear relationship between peak intensity and thickness. This relationship can mathematically be described as y=0.0265x+0.8084, and fits the data with a R2 …

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Validation Of The Air Force Weather Agency Ensemble Prediction Systems, William B. Clements Mar 2014

Validation Of The Air Force Weather Agency Ensemble Prediction Systems, William B. Clements

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force Weather Agency's (AFWA) Ensemble Prediction Systems (EPS), Global Ensemble Prediction System (GEPS), 20km Mesoscale Ensemble Prediction System (MEPS20) and 4km Mesoscale Prediction System (MEPS4), were evaluated from April to October 2013 for 10 locations around the world to determine how accurately forecast probabilities for wind and precipitation thresholds and lightning occurrence match observed frequencies using Aerodrome Routine Meteorological Reports (METARs) and Aerodrome Special Meteorological Reports (SPECIs). Reliability diagrams were created for each forecast hour detailing the Brier skill score (BSS) to depict EPS performance compared to climatology for each site and score composition through reliability, resolution and uncertainty. …

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Utilizing Near-Ir Tunable Laser Absorption Spectroscopy To Study Detonation And Combustion Systems, Christopher J. Mcgahan Mar 2014

Utilizing Near-Ir Tunable Laser Absorption Spectroscopy To Study Detonation And Combustion Systems, Christopher J. Mcgahan

Theses and Dissertations

A Hencken burner, RDE, and a detonation tube were studied using a TDM-TDLAS system to measure water absorption features over two spectral regions (7,435 to 7,442 cm-1 and 7,465 to 7,471 cm-1) near 1.3 micrometers. These absorption features were t with simulated spectra using data from the HITEMP database to obtain temperatures and water concentrations for the three systems. Velocity was calculated for the RDE system using the Doppler shift of the spectral lines. To perform the calculations necessary to obtain these results (temperature, concentration, and velocity) a GUI was developed with supporting code. A Hencken burner flame was studied …

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Model Uncertainty And Test Of A Segmented Mirror Telescope, Luke C. Dras Mar 2014

Model Uncertainty And Test Of A Segmented Mirror Telescope, Luke C. Dras

Theses and Dissertations

The future of large aperture telescopes relies heavily on the development of segmented array designs. Today's monolithic mirror technology has reached a barrier, particularly for space-based telescopes. These large diameter, dense mirrors allow stable high-resolution imaging but are incompatible with optimized space launch. Segmented mirror telescopes are designed to balance lightweight with compact stowage. The structure necessary to support the flexible mirror array often combines isogrid geometry and complex actuation hardware. High-fidelity finite element models are commonly used to economically predict how the optics will perform under different environmental conditions. The research detailed herein integrates superelement partitioning and complexity simplifying …

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Iron-Doped Zinc Selenide: Spectroscopy And Laser Development, Jonathan W. Evans Mar 2014

Iron-Doped Zinc Selenide: Spectroscopy And Laser Development, Jonathan W. Evans

Theses and Dissertations

We examine the quantum mechanics of optically active ions in crystals. Insight is developed which qualitatively explains the shape of the optical absorption and emission spectra of Fe2+ ions in II-VI materials. In addition to a discussion of the relevant theory, this work explores experimental techniques for absorption spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy, and upper-state lifetime measurements in detail. The data collected from these experiments are interpreted in the context of the theories developed herein. The theory and data are used to develop a simple model of the temperature dependence of the upper-state lifetime of Fe2+ ions in ZnSe. …

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Direct Emissivity Measurements Of Painted Metals For Improved Temperature Estimation During Laser Damage Testing, Sean M. Baumann Mar 2014

Direct Emissivity Measurements Of Painted Metals For Improved Temperature Estimation During Laser Damage Testing, Sean M. Baumann

Theses and Dissertations

A database of spectral, temperature dependent emissivities was created for a range of painted aluminum laser damage testing targets with the purpose of improving accuracy in temperature estimates on front and back target surfaces during laser damage tests. Previous temperature estimations were made by fitting an assumed graybody radiance curve to the radiance measured from the back surface via a Telops imaging Fourier transform spectrometer. In this work, spectral emissivity measurements were made using an SOC-100 hemispherical directional reflectometer and Nicolet Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Of particular interest was a high temperature matte black enamel paint used to coat the …

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A Recommender System In The Cyber Defense Domain, Katherine B. Lyons Mar 2014

A Recommender System In The Cyber Defense Domain, Katherine B. Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

In the cyber domain, network defenders have traditionally been placed in a reactionary role. Before a defender can act they must wait for an attack to occur and identify the attack. This places the defender at a disadvantage in a cyber attack situation and it is certainly desirable that the defender out maneuver the attacker before the network has been compromised. The goal of this research is to determine the value of employing a recommender system as an attack predictor, and determine the best configuration of a recommender system for the cyber defense domain. The most important contribution of this …

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Characterization Of Construction Material Properties Through Gamma Spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence, And Hyper-Spectral Imagery For Background Correction Applications In Nuclear Detection, Jared D. Casebolt Mar 2014

Characterization Of Construction Material Properties Through Gamma Spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence, And Hyper-Spectral Imagery For Background Correction Applications In Nuclear Detection, Jared D. Casebolt

Theses and Dissertations

Material identification through hyper-spectral imagery provides a potentially useful data input for background radiation prediction models for gamma spectrum correction in mobile nuclear detection applications. Traditional background correction methods which rely on prior information are often impractical in mobile detection. Prediction models could combine material information with spatial data to develop a suitable substitute to actual background radiation measurements. This research investigates the relationship hyper-spectral properties and natural radioactivity of construction materials. A selection of construction materials are analyzed using three instrumentation methods: 1) gamma-spectroscopy, 2) X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and 3) hyper-spectral imagery. Gamma-spectroscopy focuses on the presence of potassium …

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An Experimental Evaluation Of Image Quality For Various Scenarios In A Chromotomographic System With A Spinning Prism, Kyle J. Dufaud Mar 2014

An Experimental Evaluation Of Image Quality For Various Scenarios In A Chromotomographic System With A Spinning Prism, Kyle J. Dufaud

Theses and Dissertations

A lab and eld based hyperspectral chromotomographic imager has been developed at the Air Force Institute of Technology. It is a prototype used to study the requirements for a space-based system. The imager uses a high speed visible band camera behind a direct-vision prism to image both spatial dimensions and the spectral dimension at the same time. Capturing all 3 simultaneously allows for the hyperspectral imaging of transient events. The prism multiplexes the spectral and spatial information, so tomographic reconstruction algorithms must be used to separate hyperspectral channels. Experiments were conducted to compare reconstructed image quality as a function of …

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Electrical Characterization Of Spherical Copper Oxide Memristive Array Sensors, James P. Orta Mar 2014

Electrical Characterization Of Spherical Copper Oxide Memristive Array Sensors, James P. Orta

Theses and Dissertations

A new System Protection (SP) technology is explored by using electrical and mechanical interference-sensing devices that are implemented with granular memristive material. The granular materials consist of oxide-coated copper spheres with radii of about 700 µm that are placed in contact to produce thin oxide junctions which exhibit memristive behavior. Processes for etching, which compared acetic acid and nitric acid etches, and thermal oxidation at 100°C are performed and compared to produce copper spheres with a copper oxide layer over the sphere surface. Oxidized copper spheres are tested as sensor arrays by loading into a capillary tube in an aligned …

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Range Finding With A Plenoptic Camera, Robert A. Raynor Mar 2014

Range Finding With A Plenoptic Camera, Robert A. Raynor

Theses and Dissertations

The plenoptic camera enables simultaneous collection of imagery and depth information by sampling the 4D light field. The light field is distinguished from data sets collected by stereoscopic systems because it contains images obtained by an N by N grid of apertures, rather than just the two apertures of the stereoscopic system. By adjusting parameters of the camera construction, it is possible to alter the number of these `subaperture images,' often at the cost of spatial resolution within each. This research examines a variety of methods of estimating depth by determining correspondences between subaperture images. A major finding is that …

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Band Gap Transition Studies Of U:Tho2 Using Cathodoluminescence, Joshua D. Reding Mar 2014

Band Gap Transition Studies Of U:Tho2 Using Cathodoluminescence, Joshua D. Reding

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense has expressed interest in thorium dioxide (ThO2) and uranium dioxide (UO2) as possible candidates for use as special nuclear material in designing neutron detectors. Both materials have large neutron interaction cross sections. Uranium dioxide is particularly attractive due to its semiconducting properties and a relatively small band gap of 2 eV. Both materials fluoresce under ionizing radiation making them candidates for scintillating detectors. Three Ux:Th1-xO2 (x= 0.00, 0.01, 0.22) hydrothermally grown single crystals were examined using cathodoluminescence to interrogate the changing electronic properties of ThO2 as it became an alloy. Both depth-resolved and temperature- dependent cathodoluminescence …

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Verification And Validation Of Monte Carlo N-Particle Code 6 (Mcnp6) With Neutron Protection Factor Measurements Of An Iron Box, Andrew W. Decker Mar 2014

Verification And Validation Of Monte Carlo N-Particle Code 6 (Mcnp6) With Neutron Protection Factor Measurements Of An Iron Box, Andrew W. Decker

Theses and Dissertations

Using a 1984 benchmark experiment, MCNP6 replicated the neutron flux and neutron protection factor (NPF) measurements of an iron box, which simulated a basic military vehicle, resulting in less than 5% difference from the published results. Additionally, the neutron flux spectrum of a 239 PuBe source was characterized using a Bonner Sphere Spectrometer (BSS) and the solution unfolded using the Maximum Entropy Deconvolution (MAXED) program, producing a X2/df of 0.97. Utilizing a steel box provided by the DTRA, measurements of neutron flux from a D-D neutron accelerator were recorded via BSS inside and outside of the box. Both flux spectra …

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Development And Characterization Of A High Speed Mid-Ir Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectrometer For Co And Co2 Detection In Detonation Events, Stephen D. Wakefield Mar 2014

Development And Characterization Of A High Speed Mid-Ir Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectrometer For Co And Co2 Detection In Detonation Events, Stephen D. Wakefield

Theses and Dissertations

A tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy system, capable of collecting data at a 10 kHz repetition rate near 4.5 microns. This system was made feasible in recent years due to the development of quantum cascade lasers active in the 4.5 microns region of the spectrum. Reaching into the mid-IR region of the electromagnetic spectrum allowed for an analysis of the fundamental absorption bands for both CO and CO2. The spectral absorption was measured for ethylene, methane, ethane, and propane across a variety of equivalence ratios, at various heights above a Hencken Burner surface. For each fuel, the concentration …

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Complexity, Heuristic, And Search Analysis For The Games Of Crossings And Epaminondas, David W. King Jr. Mar 2014

Complexity, Heuristic, And Search Analysis For The Games Of Crossings And Epaminondas, David W. King Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Games provide fertile research domains for algorithmic research. Often, game research helps solve real-world problems through the testing and refinement of search algorithms in game domains. Other times, game research finds limits for certain algorithms. For example, the game of Go proved intractable for the Min-Max with Alpha-Beta pruning algorithm leading to the popularity of Monte-Carlo based search algorithms. Although effective in Go, and game domains once ruled by Alpha-Beta such as Lines of Action, Monte-Carlo methods appear to have limits too as they fall short in tactical domains such as Hex and Chess. In a continuation of this type …

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