Digital Commons Network^™

Covariance Estimation And Autocorrelation Of Norad Two-Line Element Sets, Victor P. Osweiler

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates NORAD two-line element sets (TLE) containing satellite mean orbital elements for the purpose of estimating a covariance matrix and formulating an autocorrelation relationship. Orbit propagation is performed using Simplified General Perturbations Number 4 (SGP4) analytical model as implemented within Satellite Took Kit. For a given satellite, TLEs from a span of two weeks are used to calculate position and velocity differences of estimated state vectors in order to characterize their variance behavior and compute a covariance matrix for the most recent TLE. Six satellites and eight time spans are investigated, with all state vector differences evaluated in …

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 …

Classification Characteristics Of Carbon Nanotube Polymer Composite Chemical Vapor Detectors, Huynh A. Hinshaw

Theses and Dissertations

The first step in combating a chemical weapons threat is contamination avoidance. This is accomplished by the detection and identification of chemical agents. The Air Force has several instruments to detect chemical vapors, but is always looking for lighter, faster, and more accurate technology for a better capability. This research is focused on using carbon nanotube polymer composite sensors for chemical detection. More specifically, models are developed to classify three sets of sensor data according to vapor using various multivariate techniques. Also, prediction models of a mixed sensor output are developed using neural networks and regression analysis. The classifiers developed …

Assessing Resource Value And Relationships Between Objectives In Effects-Based Operations, Robert D. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was developing techniques to calculate the value of a resource within the context of campaign objectives, to identify competing objectives, and to identify conflicting objectives to improve a commander’s ability to allocate limited resources. A methodology was developed to express a campaign’s objective hierarchy in terms of a set of desired end states for the campaign’s system of systems. Value theory was used to identify the resource's value in terms of the direct and indirect effects that are produced to achieve the campaign’s objectives. Binding resource constraints within an integer program were used to identify …

A Risk Assessment Methodology For Divesting Military Capabilities To Allied Nations, Jason A. Gastelum

Theses and Dissertations

The United States spent over $400 billion dollars on national defense in 2005. Even with support for the war on terrorism still strong, it is doubtful that the U.S. can sustain such a level of defense investment. One strategy to offset the increasing burden of defense spending is to divest the procurement and/or sustainment of individual defense capabilities to allied nations. The decision to divest any capability, however, introduces risk. This thesis presents a methodology to quantify the risk of the decision to divest a military capability to an allied nation, where risk is defined as the set of risk …

Review Of The Joint Capability Integration And Development System (Jcids) And The National Security Space Acquisition Process (Nssap), Joyce A. Gamache

Theses and Dissertations

Space systems are a critical enabler of the net-centric operation warfare (NCOW) needed to achieve victory in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). The effective acquisition of affordable systems is vital to our National Security Strategy. Space systems play an important role throughout a wide spectrum of military and civil operations. Several challenging factors unique to space systems development are the high level of technological complexity, a broad joint user base, and the reliance on seamless interoperable systems to achieve superior capabilities for US warfighters. This research examines the interaction between the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) and …

Application Of The Strategic Alignment Model And Information Technology Governance Concepts To Support Network Centric Warfare, Jennifer R. Valentine

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the fields of E-Business and Network Centric Warfare (NCW) in order to identify gaps and overlaps within the two bodies of knowledge. Successful implementation of E-business is more than simply applying a technology to an existing business model. It is about evolving business processes and structures in order for the organization to accommodate for this new dynamic environment. This thesis proposes that while the two areas' success fundamentally resides in the implementation and exploitation of technology, it is only through sound IT Governance policies and strategic alignment practices that success can be measured. Technology has the ability …

Performance Analysis Of A Cooperative Search Algorithm For Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Under Limited Communication Conditions, Kevin M. Morris

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the impacts of realistic wireless communications upon a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) utilizing a distributed search algorithm. The UAVs are used to survey an area for mobile targets and they require communication to cooperatively locate the targets. The mobile targets do not continually radiate energy, which exacerbates the search effort; a UAV could fly directly over a target and not detect it. A simulation of cooperative UAVs is implemented using the OPNET Modeler network simulation tool. The search performance of a group of UAVs is observed when communication range, data rate, and the number of …

Developing An Aggregate Marginal Cost Per Flying Hour Model For The U.S. Air Force's F-15 Fighter Aircraft, Patrick D. Armstrong

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis applies econometric techniques to build a "marginal" cost per flying hour model for the U.S. Air Force's F-15CD and E fleets. It used monthly economic, programmatic, operational, and climatology data from FY01-FY04 to construct Depot Level Reparable (DLR) and Consumable (CONS) models on the aggregate level. It incorporated the use of panel data analysis to explore the effect each of the independent variables had on the CPFH rate by time and by base. This allowed it to capture not only the temporal (time) interactions, but also the spatial (cross-sectional) interactions, providing a more robust analysis of the dynamics …

An Epidemiological Approach To Terrorism, Kjirstin A. Bentson

Theses and Dissertations

There are many types of models for counterterrorism, explaining different problems that the military faces in the fight against terrorism. This thesis proposes that one of the fundamental assumptions underlying existing models of counterterrorism is that the struggle with terrorists can be understood as a war in the traditional sense of the term. We propose to rethink the struggle against terrorism as a fight against an infection. The epidemic of terrorist ideology within part of the world is a result, from this perspective, of the infectiousness of that ideology. Using the insights of the field of the epidemiology of ideas, …

A Minimum Effort Control Approach To Guided Munition Path Planning, Jeffrey M. Borkowski

Theses and Dissertations

An advance in the development of smart munitions entails autonomously modifying target selection during flight to maximize the value of the target being destroyed. Target identification and classification provides a basis for target value, which is used in conjunction with multi-target tracks to determine an optimal aim point for the munition. A unique guidance law can be constructed that exploits attribute and kinematic data from an onboard video sensor. This thesis develops an innovative path planning algorithm that provides an obstacle avoidance function while navigating the munition toward the highest value target. The foundation of this path planning method is …

A Comparative Assessment Of Knowledge Management Programs Across The United States Armed Services, Patrick L. Booker

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge is a corporate resource that is required to accomplish business processes, to make decisions, and to improve efficiency and effectiveness. To completely take advantage of the benefits of knowledge, organizations must harvest and leverage the collective knowledge of the entire workforce. This can be achieved through effective knowledge management. Knowledge management involves processes to create, to store, and transfer knowledge to accomplish business objectives and to achieve a competitive advantage. The United States armed services have also recognized the benefits of knowledge management in meeting the emerging challenges of modern warfare. This study investigated knowledge management programs in the …

A Study Of Near Field Data Transformed To The Far Field For A Canonical Pec Scatterer, E. Matthew Cady

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to analyze the error associated with the Image Based Near Field to Far Field Transformation (IB NFFFT) for a canonical perfectly electrically conductive (PEC) scatterer. This research compares two groups of data: far field RCS predicted by the IB NFFFT and far field RCS predicted by X-Patch. The IB NFFFT requires a complete set of calibrated monostatic near field scattering data of the object. A detailed description is given of the configuration of the measurement facilities and procedures that were required to obtain the calibrated near field scattering data, as well as the process …

An Asymmetrical Look At Air Force Human Capital Management: More Emphasis On Qualifications And Less On Rank, Daniel M. Romano

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored an asymmetrical concept of personnel management, specifically whether status, rank, is an artificial barrier to employing qualified enlisted personnel in some company grade officer duties. It takes the approach under the Human Capital Theory and questions whether rank plays a roll in effective performance and whether eliminating rank as a criterion to employment, in some duties, can support Air Force transformation efforts, without negatively affecting culture (i.e. chain-of-command, customs and courtesies). It describes a concept where more emphasis is put on meeting the knowledge, education, experience, and training qualifications and the required rank be interchangeable between enlisted …

Factors Affecting The Transfer Of Basic Combat Skills Training In The Air Force, Rodney E. Mccraine

Theses and Dissertations

During Operations ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) and IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF), many Airmen in support career fields were deployed to hostile environments like Afghanistan and Iraq. Deployments of this nature are a departure from normal Air Force operations where support personnel are normally far from the front lines of battle. The purpose of this research was to understand the factors that affect the transfer of basic combat skills training from the classroom to the battlefield. Specifically, this thesis sought to answer five research questions addressing the current combat skills training requirements, the perceived training transfer of basic combat skills, the factors that …

Soldiers And Stereotypes : The Cultural Construction Of Americans, Arabs, And Neo-Imperialism, Kathleen Vacek

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Volunteerism To Professionalism : The Dakota And North Dakota National Guard, 1885-1916, David L. Betz

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Liberian Refugees In The Red River Valley : A Geogrpahy[Sic] Of Hope, Lane D. Cowger

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Business Climate Index : A Study Of The Variables Used To Rate The Business Climate Of States And Cities Within The United States, Jonathan R. Fortner

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Poverty, Inequality & Terrorism Relationship In Turkey, Mutlu Koseli

Theses and Dissertations

Poverty, Inequality & Terrorism Relationship in TurkeyUsing empirical evidence criminological studies have identified a relationship between poverty and crime and many studies have concluded that a high crime rate is associated with a higher poverty rate. Other studies indicate that inequalities are a better determinant of crime than absolute poverty. Social disorganization theory, anomie strain theory and Marxist theory have been used to explain the phenomenon. Guided by the aforementioned theories and previous literature on crime, this study looks at the terrorism issue and explores whether a relationship exists between poverty, inequality and terrorist incidents. The main hypothesis of this …

Impact Of Terrorism On Migration Patterns In Turkey, Yilmaz Simsek

Theses and Dissertations

This study is among the first studies that evaluate the social impacts of terrorism in a specific country for a 10 year period. It tests the effects of terrorism on domestic net-migration in Turkey, especially in the terror infected provinces of the Eastern and South Eastern regions of the country between the years 1992 and 2001. Terrorism has impacted people not only physically, but also psychologically. When faced with "future uncertainty" or the "fear of terrorism," it is natural for people to leave their home towns, and to migrate to somewhere else where they feel safe. In order to explore …

Forecasting Stability Levels For The Countries Of The Former Soviet Union, Margaret Erin Keck

Theses and Dissertations

United States intelligence officers and policymakers need reliable forecasts of country, regional, and global stability or instability. Such forecasts require a methodology for identifying and analyzing factors that contribute to stability. The anticipation of this stability level can facilitate crisis warning and diplomatic strategies for various timelines, including five, ten, and twenty year forecasts. While the problem of forecasting can be tackled in various ways, in the interest of time and space, I will only go into a few of them. The approach I will use is multiple linear regression to generate a short-term forecast for the stability levels of …

Ancient West Mexican Sculpture: A Formal And Stylistic Analysis Of Eleven Figures In The Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts, Crista Anne Pack

Theses and Dissertations

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) has in its collection eleven ancient West Mexican ceramic sculptures. Given that the VMFA's West Mexican Ceramic figure collection has not been included in any extensive study, this thesis serves to provide a critical analysis of these figures through a formal and stylistic approach. These analyses are preceded by a brief history of the West Mexican cultures and highlight the artistic similarities and differences between each region. The primary regions under discussion are Colima, Nayarit, and Jalisco which correspond to modern geopolitical boundaries. Primary sources for these discussions are the figures themselves, while …

Toiling Among The Seed Of Israel: A Comparison Of Puritan And Mormon Missions To The Indians, Christina A. Skousen

Theses and Dissertations

Substantial comparative analyses of Puritanism and Mormonism are lacking in historical scholarship, despite noted similarities between the two religions. This study helps to fill that void by comparing the Puritan and Mormon proselytization efforts among the Indians that occurred at the respective sites of Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Southern Indian Mission. In my examination of the missionization attempts that took place at these two locations, I analyze a common motive and method of the two denominations for attempting to Christianize the Indians. The Puritan and Mormon missionaries proselytizing in Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Southern Indian Mission shared an …

The Impossibility Of Negation: Punk Rock, Christian Rock, And The Problem Of Negationist Subculture, Brian James Schill

Theses and Dissertations

Both the punk rock end Christian rock music subcultures have been the subject of analyses that cast them in “negationist” terms-as groups critically opposed to popular/secular culture. Despite their categorization of these music genres as antitheses, however, no analysis has gone so far as to read them specifically in the context of German philosopher GAV.F. Hegel whose dialectical model systematized the opposition of thesis and antithesis. Moreover, no analysis has juxtaposed the two suspiciously similar subcultures in dialectical terms, and theorized them in terms of their documented opposition to each other. Such is the goal of this thesis.

Therefore, beginning …

Factors Of Success At Two Tribal Colleges As Perceived By Tribal College Board Members And Presidents, Erich Steven Longie

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the history of this country, the majority of Native Americans resisted all attempts by the federal government to educate them. Then in the late sixties and early seventies tribal colleges came on the scene. In spite of being faced with seemingly insurmountable odds and located on isolated Indian reservations, tribal colleges became well established in a few short years. They went from being located in dilapidated buildings and relying on affiliations with state institutions to offering their own individual coursework and being located in modem facilities, fully accredited by their respective accreditation agencies. Tribal colleges succeeded where most federal …

Murals And The Development Of Merchant Activity At Chichen Itza, De Luna Lucha Aztzin Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The militaristic interpretations of the art of Chichen Itza, Yucatán, Mexico, fails to sufficiently describe its entire decorative program. Absent from discussions of the art tradition is the apparent focus on merchant activity in the city. The influence and power of merchants strengthened during the transition from the Classic to Postclassic in Mesoamerica. With an increase in demand of foreign goods, new exchange relationships developed between centers in Central Mexico, the Gulf, and Maya region. As a result, several cultural regions participated in a vast economic network that created political alliances and syncretic art styles. Focusing on the mural tradition …

Early Warning And Prediction Of Internet Attacks And Exploits, Brian P. Zeitz

Theses and Dissertations

A safe, secure, and functional information network is vital in today’s Air Force net centric environment. Information is more critical today than it has ever been. As more operational functions are placed in cyber space and greater computing power becomes available to everyone, keeping these networks safe and secure is an almost unattainable task. Network security entails Intrusion Detection Security, but another form of security or “insecurity” is quickly gaining attention. Honeypots allow the black hat community to attack and penetrate non-production systems. By monitoring and studying these attacks, network defenders can develop better Information Assurance tactics, techniques and procedures …

Protein Impregnated Polymer (Pip) Film Infrared Sensor Using Suspended Microelectromechanical Systems (Mems) Pixels, Tetsuo Kaieda

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate have developed a novel protein impregnated polymer (PIP) suspension that changes resistivity as a function of absorbed infrared radiation. Due to this property, the PIP is a potential material for use as an uncooled bolometer, or thermal sensor. In this research, a thermally-isolated pixel design, sensor characterization methods, and sensor fabrication and processing steps were developed. To create a microbolometer, the PIP was applied to two prototype micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) surface micro-machined structures. The first is a raised cantilever pixel array that uses residual stress polysilicon and metal film arms to …

Characterization Of The Global Hawk Low Pressure Turbine First Rotor, Timothy L. Garmoe

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Research Laboratory, Propulsion Directorate at Wright Patterson Air Force Base has studied the performance of turbine blade geometries utilizing a large scale, low speed, drawdown wind tunnel in an effort to better understand gas turbine blade aerodynamics. Currently, the Air Force's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Global Hawk has been operated primarily at flight conditions other than the design point of its Allison AE3007H turbofan engine. This off design condition decreased the Reynolds number at the low pressure turbine causing losses in efficiency and loading. Two different blades were studied to maximize performance of the Global Hawk turbine. …