Abstract: A substrate structure for lightweight, flexible solar cell arrays, in which a plastic substrate is provided with a structure for discharging accumulations of electrons on its rear face and has appropriate heat emmissivity properties. In one embodiment, a Kapton substrate layer is coated with a grounded aluminum layer, which is suitably painted for emissivity. In another embodiment, a poorly conductive Kapton substrate layer, impregnated with carbon, is used to dissipate the charge, and to provide the appropriate emissivity. In a third embodiment, a grounded VDA layer is sandwiched between two Kapton layers.

Abstract: A non-arcing modular dielectric array having an electrically conductive substrate mounting a multiplicity of spaced dielectric elements, such as second surface mirrors or solar cells, with outer dielctric surfaces spaced and electrically isolated from the substrate which tend to accumulate electrical charges in a plasma environment creating between the substrate and element surfaces large potential differences which induce arc discharges between the surfaces and substrate. The gaps between adjacent dielectric elements are filled with a resilient filler which provides about the individual elements conductive frames grounded to the substrate for bleeding charges from the element surfaces to the substrate to suppress arc discharges therebetween.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for measuring electromagnetic conductivity within a medium to thereby derive a measurement of the rate of propagation of a magnetic field therein. If one then measures the return time of a pulse transmitted in the medium when a conductivity anomaly is encountered which creates a reflection, a magnetic diffusion radar can be calibrated. This technique enables one to measure the conductivity of a propagation medium such as salt water, earth or the like for any desired purpose such as determining the salinity of sea water or river water. More particularly, however, this enables one to make such a measurement in order to provide an electromagnetic anomaly detector such as is used in metal locaters, mine detectors, and in geophysical prospecting or exploration.