Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2009

Air Force Institute of Technology

Discipline
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type

Articles 1 - 30 of 81

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Large-Scale Distributed Coalition Formation, Daniel R. Karrels Dec 2009

Large-Scale Distributed Coalition Formation, Daniel R. Karrels

Theses and Dissertations

The CyberCraft project is an effort to construct a large scale Distributed Multi-Agent System (DMAS) to provide autonomous Cyberspace defense and mission assurance for the DoD. It employs a small but flexible agent structure that is dynamically reconfigurable to accommodate new tasks and policies. This document describes research into developing protocols and algorithms to ensure continued mission execution in a system of one million or more agents, focusing on protocols for coalition formation and Command and Control. It begins by building large-scale routing algorithms for a Hierarchical Peer to Peer structured overlay network, called Resource-Clustered Chord (RC-Chord). RC-Chord introduces the …

Go to article

Analysis Of Expedient Field Decontamination Methods For The Xmx/2l-Mil High-Volume Aerosol Sampler, Brandon C. Laroche Dec 2009

Analysis Of Expedient Field Decontamination Methods For The Xmx/2l-Mil High-Volume Aerosol Sampler, Brandon C. Laroche

Theses and Dissertations

The XMX/2L-MIL is a high volume air sampler used by the Air Force Bioenvironmental Engineering community to collect biological aerosols. Without a verified decontamination technique, however, the XMX cannot be used effectively. The objective of this study was to evaluate several proposed methods for expedient field decontamination of the XMX. This study centered on the inactivation of Bacillus atrophaeus spores and vegetative Erwinia herbicola organisms from the XMX inner canister. The goals in this investigation were twofold: 1) to verify the antimicrobial efficacy of a 10% bleach solution and 2) to determine if wiping the components with a bleach-soaked paper …

Go to article

Midwave Infrared Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometry Of Combustion Plumes, Kenneth C. Bradley Dec 2009

Midwave Infrared Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometry Of Combustion Plumes, Kenneth C. Bradley

Theses and Dissertations

A midwave infrared (MWIR) imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (IFTS) was used to successfully capture and analyze hyperspectral imagery of combustion plumes. Jet engine exhaust data from a small turbojet engine burning diesel fuel at a flow rate of 300 cm3/min was collected at 1 cm−1 resolution from a side-plume vantage point on a 200x64 pixel window at a range of 11.2 meters. Spectral features of water, CO, and CO2 were present, and showed spatial variability within the plume structure. An array of thermocouple probes was positioned within the plume to aid in temperature analysis. A single-temperature …

Go to article

Structured P2p Technologies For Distributed Command And Control, Daniel R. Karrels, Gilbert L. Peterson, Barry E. Mullins Dec 2009

Structured P2p Technologies For Distributed Command And Control, Daniel R. Karrels, Gilbert L. Peterson, Barry E. Mullins

Faculty Publications

The utility of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) systems extends far beyond traditional file sharing. This paper provides an overview of how P2P systems are capable of providing robust command and control for Distributed Multi-Agent Systems (DMASs). Specifically, this article presents the evolution of P2P architectures to date by discussing supporting technologies and applicability of each generation of P2P systems. It provides a detailed survey of fundamental design approaches found in modern large-scale P2P systems highlighting design considerations for building and deploying scalable P2P applications. The survey includes unstructured P2P systems, content retrieval systems, communications structured P2P systems, flat structured P2P systems and …

Go to article

Dynamic Coalition Formation Under Uncertainty, Daylon J. Hooper, Gilbert L. Peterson, Brett J. Borghetti Oct 2009

Dynamic Coalition Formation Under Uncertainty, Daylon J. Hooper, Gilbert L. Peterson, Brett J. Borghetti

Faculty Publications

Coalition formation algorithms are generally not applicable to real-world robotic collectives since they lack mechanisms to handle uncertainty. Those mechanisms that do address uncertainty either deflect it by soliciting information from others or apply reinforcement learning to select an agent type from within a set. This paper presents a coalition formation mechanism that directly addresses uncertainty while allowing the agent types to fall outside of a known set. The agent types are captured through a novel agent modeling technique that handles uncertainty through a belief-based evaluation mechanism. This technique allows for uncertainty in environmental data, agent type, coalition value, and …

Go to article

Rc-Chord: Resource Clustering In A Large-Scale Hierarchical Peer-To-Peer System, Daniel R. Karrels, Gilbert L. Peterson, Barry E. Mullins Oct 2009

Rc-Chord: Resource Clustering In A Large-Scale Hierarchical Peer-To-Peer System, Daniel R. Karrels, Gilbert L. Peterson, Barry E. Mullins

Faculty Publications

Conducting data fusion and Command and Control (C2) in large-scale systems requires more than the presently available Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technologies provide. Resource Clustered Chord (RC-Chord) is an extension to the Chord protocol that incorporates elements of a hierarchical peer-to-peer architecture to facilitate coalition formation algorithms in large-scale systems. Each cluster in this hierarchy represents a particular resource available for allocation, and RC-Chord provides the capabilities to locate agents of a particular resource. This approach improves upon other strategies by including support for abundant resources, or those resources that most or all agents in the system possess. This scenario exists in …

Go to article

Application Of Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transforms To Burst Detection And Rf Fingerprint Classification, Randall W. Klein Aug 2009

Application Of Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transforms To Burst Detection And Rf Fingerprint Classification, Randall W. Klein

Theses and Dissertations

This work addresses various Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Physical (PHY) layer mechanisms to extract and exploit RF waveform features (”fingerprints”) that are inherently unique to specific devices and that may be used to provide hardware specific identification (manufacturer, model, and/or serial number). This is addressed by applying a Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transform (DT-CWT) to improve burst detection and RF fingerprint classification. A ”Denoised VT” technique is introduced to improve performance at lower SNRs, with denoising implemented using a DT-CWT decomposition prior to Traditional VT processing. A newly developed Wavelet Domain (WD) fingerprinting technique is presented using statistical WD fingerprints with …

Go to article

A Trust-Based Multiagent System, Richard S. Seymour, Gilbert L. Peterson Aug 2009

A Trust-Based Multiagent System, Richard S. Seymour, Gilbert L. Peterson

Faculty Publications

Cooperative agent systems often do not account for sneaky agents who are willing to cooperate when the stakes are low and take selfish, greedy actions when the rewards rise. Trust modeling often focuses on identifying the appropriate trust level for the other agents in the environment and then using these levels to determine how to interact with each agent. Adding trust to an interactive partially observable Markov decision process (I-POMDP) allows trust levels to be continuously monitored and corrected enabling agents to make better decisions. The addition of trust modeling increases the decision process calculations, and solves more complex trust …

Go to article

Unified Behavior Framework For Reactive Robot Control, Brian G. Woolley, Gilbert L. Peterson Jul 2009

Unified Behavior Framework For Reactive Robot Control, Brian G. Woolley, Gilbert L. Peterson

Faculty Publications

Behavior-based systems form the basis of autonomous control for many robots. In this article, we demonstrate that a single software framework can be used to represent many existing behavior based approaches. The unified behavior framework presented, incorporates the critical ideas and concepts of the existing reactive controllers. Additionally, the modular design of the behavior framework: (1) simplifies development and testing; (2) promotes the reuse of code; (3) supports designs that scale easily into large hierarchies while restricting code complexity; and (4) allows the behavior based system developer the freedom to use the behavior system they feel will function the best. …

Go to article

Effect Of Advanced Synthetically Enhanced Detector Resolution Algorithm On Specificity And Sensitivity Of Portable High Purity Germanium Gamma Detector Spectra, Latosha M. Bell Jun 2009

Effect Of Advanced Synthetically Enhanced Detector Resolution Algorithm On Specificity And Sensitivity Of Portable High Purity Germanium Gamma Detector Spectra, Latosha M. Bell

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to identify special nuclear material is one of the necessary prevention mechanisms for preventing proliferation of special nuclear materials. Additionally, if a nuclear event were to occur, information about the nuclear material used may be extracted from gamma spectra, provided it is obtained quickly and accurately. This can be made possible with the use of the exceptional resolution of the HPGe detector. This experiment applied the Advanced Synthetically Enhanced Detector Resolution Algorithm (ASEDRA) to a portable HPGe detector's spectra, to investigate whether improvements in specificity and sensitivity can be obtained. This method has been used to improve performance …

Go to article

An Efficient And Effective Implementation Of The Trust System For Power Grid Compartmentalization, Juan M. Carlos Gonzalez Jun 2009

An Efficient And Effective Implementation Of The Trust System For Power Grid Compartmentalization, Juan M. Carlos Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

As utility companies develop and incorporate new technologies, such as moving to utility Internet technology based architecture and standard; it is crucial that we do so with history in mind. We know that traditional utility protection and control systems were not designed with security in their top priorities. This presents a danger in an environment where near real-time responses are required to ensure safe operations. As a consequence, system security becomes a burden to the system rather than necessary protection. Unfortunately, technology implementation is not the only concern. The number of utility privately-owned companies has multiplied as the market has …

Go to article

Developing Systems For Cyber Situational Awareness, James. S. Okolica, J. Todd Mcdonald, Gilbert L. Peterson, Robert F. Mills, Michael W. Haas Jun 2009

Developing Systems For Cyber Situational Awareness, James. S. Okolica, J. Todd Mcdonald, Gilbert L. Peterson, Robert F. Mills, Michael W. Haas

Faculty Publications

In both military and commercial settings, the awareness of Cyber attacks and the effect of those attacks on the mission space of an organization has become a targeted information goal for leaders and commanders at all levels. We present in this paper a defining framework to understand situational awareness (SA)—especially as it pertains to the Cyber domain—and propose a methodology for populating the cognitive domain model for this realm based on adversarial knowledge involved with Cyber attacks. We conclude with considerations for developing Cyber SA systems of the future.

Go to article

Determining The Orbit Locations Of Turkish Airborne Early Warning And Control Aircraft Over The Turkish Air Space, Nebi Sarikaya Mar 2009

Determining The Orbit Locations Of Turkish Airborne Early Warning And Control Aircraft Over The Turkish Air Space, Nebi Sarikaya

Theses and Dissertations

The technology improvement affects the military needs of individual countries. The new doctrine of defense for many countries emphasizes detecting threats as far away as you can from your homeland. Today, the military uses both ground RADAR and Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Aircraft. AEW&C aircraft has become vital to detect low altitude threats that a ground RADAR cannot detect because of obstacles on the earth. Turkey has ordered four AEW&C aircraft for her air defense system because of the lack of complete coverage by ground RADAR. This research provides optimal orbit locations that can be updated according to …

Go to article

Frequency Diversity For Improving Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging, Jawad L. Farooq Mar 2009

Frequency Diversity For Improving Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging, Jawad L. Farooq

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, a novel theoretical framework is presented for using recent advances in frequency diversity arrays (FDAs). Unlike a conventional array, the FDA simultaneously transmits a unique frequency from each element in the array. As a result, special time and space properties of the radiation pattern are exploited to improve cross-range resolution. The idealized FDA radiation pattern is compared with and validated against a full-wave electromagnetic solver, and it is shown that the conventional array is a special case of the FDA. A new signal model, based on the FDA, is used to simulate SAR imagery of ideal point …

Go to article

Social Networking Website Users And Privacy Concerns: A Mixed Methods Investigation, Stephanie J. Mills Mar 2009

Social Networking Website Users And Privacy Concerns: A Mixed Methods Investigation, Stephanie J. Mills

Theses and Dissertations

Social networking websites are the fastest growing entity on the Internet. Users of social networking websites post personal information and pictures on these websites. Privacy and social networking websites has been previously studied, however, since those studies were conducted the rules for those websites have changed dramatically. A mixed methods approach was used in this study to examine what privacy concerns users of social networking websites have, whether it’s regarding information on their accounts or the pictures they have posted. This study also considered if there were common personality traits present in people with those concerns. A comparison of user …

Go to article

Exploitation Of Geographic Information Systems For Vehicular Destination Prediction, Richard T. Muster Mar 2009

Exploitation Of Geographic Information Systems For Vehicular Destination Prediction, Richard T. Muster

Theses and Dissertations

Much of the recent successes in the Iraqi theater have been achieved with the aid of technology so advanced that celebrated journalist Bob Woodward recently compared it to the Manhattan Project of WWII. Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms have emerged as the rising star of Air Force operational capabilities as they are enablers in the quest to track and disrupt terrorist and insurgent forces. This thesis argues that ISR systems have been severely under-exploited. The proposals herein seek to improve the machine-human interface of current ISR systems such that a predictive battle-space awareness may be achieved, leading to shorter …

Go to article

Bit-Error-Rate-Minimizing Channel Shortening Using Post-Feq Diversity Combining And A Genetic Algorithm, Gokhan Altin Mar 2009

Bit-Error-Rate-Minimizing Channel Shortening Using Post-Feq Diversity Combining And A Genetic Algorithm, Gokhan Altin

Theses and Dissertations

In advanced wireline or wireless communication systems, i.e., DSL, IEEE 802.11a/g, HIPERLAN/2, etc., a cyclic prefix which is proportional to the channel impulse response is needed to append a multicarrier modulation (MCM) frame for operating the MCM accurately. This prefix is used to combat inter symbol interference (ISI). In some cases, the channel impulse response can be longer than the cyclic prefix (CP). One of the most useful techniques to mitigate this problem is reuse of a Channel Shortening Equalizer (CSE) as a linear preprocessor before the MCM receiver in order to shorten the effective channel length. Channel shortening filter …

Go to article

Dynamic Network Formation Using Ant Colony Optimization, Steven C. Oimoen Mar 2009

Dynamic Network Formation Using Ant Colony Optimization, Steven C. Oimoen

Theses and Dissertations

Military and industry are moving toward every device being network enabled and connected for reliable availability of communication and information. To make this type of system a reality, the devices must be capable of forming a network topology on their own in a dynamic environment to ensure that the correct information reaches a desired location and on-time. This research presents three contributions for solving highly dynamic (i.e. drastic change within the network) Multi-commodity Capacitated Network Design Problems (MCNDPs) resulting in a distributed multi-agent network design algorithm. The first contribution incorporates an Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm Ant Colony System (ACS) …

Go to article

Forecasting Usaf Jp-8 Fuel Needs, Omer Saglam Mar 2009

Forecasting Usaf Jp-8 Fuel Needs, Omer Saglam

Theses and Dissertations

Oil is still one of the strategic energy resources for both the U.S. and the USAF today. Accurate oil prediction is important for the U.S. in order to improve the national strategy and the related budget concerns. Today, the U.S. is roughly importing 58% of its petroleum products. Moreover, in Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 the USAF total energy costs exceeded $6.9 billion. Aviation fuel accounted for approximately 81% of the total AF energy costs. Fluctuations in oil prices have huge impacts on the USAF’s JP-8 budgetary calculations. In order to handle this problem, the need for accurate forecasts arises. In …

Go to article

A Framework For Analyzing Biometric Template Aging And Renewal Prediction, John W. Carls Mar 2009

A Framework For Analyzing Biometric Template Aging And Renewal Prediction, John W. Carls

Theses and Dissertations

Biometric technology and systems are modernizing identity capabilities. With maturing biometrics in full, rapid development, a higher accuracy of identity verification is required. An improvement to the security of biometric-based verification systems is provided through higher accuracy; ultimately reducing fraud, theft, and loss of resources from unauthorized personnel. With trivial biometric systems, a higher acceptance threshold to obtain higher accuracy rates increase false rejection rates and user unacceptability. However, maintaining the higher accuracy rate enhances the security of the system. An area of biometrics with a paucity of research is template aging and renewal prediction, specifically in regards to facial …

Go to article

The Economic Impact Of A Radiological Dispersal Device (Rde), Michael T. Lebrun Mar 2009

The Economic Impact Of A Radiological Dispersal Device (Rde), Michael T. Lebrun

Theses and Dissertations

While it will not cause the devastation of a nuclear weapon, the radiological dispersal event (RDE) is particularly dangerous in that it has the potential to cause major economic disruptions. The purpose of this research was to develop a generalized methodology that can be used to assess economic impacts, resulting from a (RDE), occurring in any location and across any industry. Currently, there is no universal approach for measuring the costs or economic impacts on businesses, or a common framework for conducting an economic impact for a RDE. The objective of this research was to aid in the RDE response …

Go to article

A Taxonomy For And Analysis Of Anonymous Communications Networks, Douglas J. Kelly Mar 2009

A Taxonomy For And Analysis Of Anonymous Communications Networks, Douglas J. Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Any entity operating in cyberspace is susceptible to debilitating attacks. With cyber attacks intended to gather intelligence and disrupt communications rapidly replacing the threat of conventional and nuclear attacks, a new age of warfare is at hand. In 2003, the United States acknowledged that the speed and anonymity of cyber attacks makes distinguishing among the actions of terrorists, criminals, and nation states difficult. Even President Obama’s Cybersecurity Chief-elect recognizes the challenge of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. Now through April 2009, the White House is reviewing federal cyber initiatives to protect US citizen privacy rights. Indeed, the rising quantity and ubiquity …

Go to article

An Evaluation Of Solar Air Heating At United States Air Force Installations, David S. Brown Mar 2009

An Evaluation Of Solar Air Heating At United States Air Force Installations, David S. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the use of solar air heating at U.S. Air Force installations. Specifically, this thesis analyzed Unglazed Transpired Collector (UTC) technology, more commonly known as SolarWalls®. This thesis sought to determine if UTC systems are an economically and environmentally viable technology which Air Force energy managers should include in their portfolio of alternative energy options. This research question was answered through the use of case studies and life-cycle cost analysis. Case studies were performed at various U.S. military installations which have already utilized UTC systems to provide a consolidated source of lessons learned. …

Go to article

Blind Deconvolution Through Polarization Diversity Of Long Exposure Imagery, Steven P. James Mar 2009

Blind Deconvolution Through Polarization Diversity Of Long Exposure Imagery, Steven P. James

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the algorithm developed in this thesis was to create a post processing method that could resolve objects at low signal levels using polarization diversity and no knowledge of the atmospheric seeing conditions. The process uses a two-channel system, one unpolarized image and one linearly polarized image, in a GEM algorithm to reconstruct the object. Previous work done by Strong showed that a two-channel system using polarization diversity on short exposure imagery could produce images up to twice the diffraction limit. In this research, long exposure images were simulated and a simple Kolmogorov model used. This allowed for …

Go to article

Modeling Of Aircraft Deicing Fluid Induced Biochemical Oxygen Demand In Subsurface-Flow Constructed Treatment Wetlands, William J. Mclaughlin Mar 2009

Modeling Of Aircraft Deicing Fluid Induced Biochemical Oxygen Demand In Subsurface-Flow Constructed Treatment Wetlands, William J. Mclaughlin

Theses and Dissertations

Aircraft deicing is vital to safe operation in cold weather environments. Unfortunately, release of glycol-based aircraft deicing fluids (ADF) to waterways adjacent to airfields poses a significant environmental threat. The deicing fluids used at DoD airfields impart a high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) when they enter waterways. The currently accepted conventional treatment is collection and transport of ADF-laden storm water to a publicly owned treatment works. The volume and BOD concentrations in the storm water often make this type of treatment impractical. Subsurface flow constructed treatment wetlands have been demonstrated to be effective in attenuating ADF-induced BOD. The models currently …

Go to article

Range Estimation Algorithm Comparison In 3-D Flash Ladar Data, Steven P. Jordan Mar 2009

Range Estimation Algorithm Comparison In 3-D Flash Ladar Data, Steven P. Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

Range estimation algorithms have been applied to Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR) data to test for accuracy and precision. Data was acquired from Matlab® simulations and an experiment using the Advanced Scientific Concepts 3-D flash LADAR camera. Simulated LADAR data was based on a Gaussian pulse shape model with Poisson noise added. Simulations were performed to test range estimation algorithm performance with respect to waveform position within the range gate. The effectiveness of each algorithm is presented in terms of its average root mean square error and standard deviation in 1000 trials. The measured data experiment examined the effectiveness of …

Go to article

Mitigating Insider Sabotage And Espionage: A Review Of The United States Air Force's Current Posture, Erika C. Leach Mar 2009

Mitigating Insider Sabotage And Espionage: A Review Of The United States Air Force's Current Posture, Erika C. Leach

Theses and Dissertations

The security threat from malicious insiders affects all organizations. Mitigating this problem is quite difficult due to the fact that (1) there is no definitive profile for malicious insiders, (2) organizations have placed trust in these individuals, and (3) insiders have a vast knowledge of their organization’s personnel, security policies, and information systems. The purpose of this research is to analyze to what extent the United States Air Force (USAF) security policies address the insider threat problem. The policies are reviewed in terms of how well they align with best practices published by the Carnegie Mellon University Computer Emergency Readiness …

Go to article

Detecting Near-Earth Objects Using Cross-Correlation With A Point Spread Function, Anthony P. O'Dell Mar 2009

Detecting Near-Earth Objects Using Cross-Correlation With A Point Spread Function, Anthony P. O'Dell

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes a process to help discover Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) of larger than 140 meters in diameter from ground based telescopes. The process involves using Nyquist sampling rate to take data from a ground-based telescope and measuring the atmospheric seeing parameter, r0, at the time of data collection. r0 is then used to create a point spread function (PSF) for a NEO at the visual magnitude limit of the telescope and exposure time. This PSF is cross-correlated with the Nyquist sampling rate image from the telescope to reduce the noise and therefore increase the detection probability of …

Go to article

Operations-Focused Optimized Theater Weather Sensing Strategies Using Preemptive Binary Integer Programming, Andrew J. Geyer Mar 2009

Operations-Focused Optimized Theater Weather Sensing Strategies Using Preemptive Binary Integer Programming, Andrew J. Geyer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes a method that optimally deploys weather sensors of all types in a battlefield environment. Gridded climatology models are used to determine an estimate for the weighted frequency of occurrence of operationally significant inclement weather events. That data is used to formulate a series of preemptive Binary Integer Linear Programs that maximize detection of expected operationally significant inclement weather occurrences within the constraints of feasibility of sensor deployment, sensor operational lifespan and the sensor’s ability to detect the operationally significant inclement weather elements. The preemptive Binary Integer Linear Programs are combined into a single objective function that maintains …

Go to article

Evaluation Of An Innovative Technology For Treatment Of Water Contaminated With Perchlorate And Organic Compunds, Maureen A. Downen Mar 2009

Evaluation Of An Innovative Technology For Treatment Of Water Contaminated With Perchlorate And Organic Compunds, Maureen A. Downen

Theses and Dissertations

Drinking water sources contaminated with both perchlorate and organic compounds have frequently been found in the U.S. Tailored granular activated carbon (T-GAC) is an innovative technology that is being evaluated to determine if it can more cost effectively remove perchlorate than conventional technologies. A question that has been raised is whether T-GAC can economically treat perchlorate-contaminated water that also has organic co-contaminants present. During a field study, trichloroethylene, an organic compound, and perchlorate were successfully removed by adsorption using a T-GAC/GAC system. These results motivated development of a model that could be applied to predict the cost and performance of …

Go to article

Next Last