Abstract: An electric motor having a low speed shaft that rotates at a speed much slower than the speed of a high speed shaft comprises a stator having a cylindrical bore with a longitudinal axis and a rotor that carries the low speed shaft and rotates in the bore eccentrically about the axis so that there is contact and no magnetic gap between a relatively small portion of the rotor periphery and the periphery of the bore. A magnetic field, rotating at the speed of the high speed shaft, is applied to the periphery of the bore. The field has longitudinally extending magnetic field components of opposite polarity so that around approximately 180.degree. of the bore the field extends in a first direction, while around the other 180.degree. of the bore the field extends in the opposite direction. The rotor includes permanent magnet pole faces at opposite ends of the bore.

Abstract: The wave length of an infrared, semiconductor laser diode having an output frequency that is dependent on the diode temperature is maintained substantially constant by maintaining the diode temperature constant. The diode is carried by a cold tip of a closed cycle helium refrigerator. The refrigerator has a tendency to cause the temperature of the cold tip to oscillate. A heater diode and a sensor diode are placed on a thermal heat sink that is the only highly conductive thermal path between the laser diode and the cold tip. The heat sink has a small volume and low thermal capacitance so that the sensing diode is at substantially the same temperature as the heater diode and substantially no thermal lag exists between them. The sensor diode is connected in a negative feedback circuit with the heater diode so that the tendency of the laser diode to thermally oscillate is virtually eliminated.

Abstract: A birefringent filter module comprises, in seriatum, an entrance polarizer, a first birefringent crystal responsive to optical energy exiting the entrance polarizer, a partial polarizer responsive to optical energy exiting the first polarizer, a second birefringent crystal responsive to optical energy exiting the partial polarizer, and an exit polarizer. The first and second birefringent crystals have fast axes disposed .+-. 45.degree. from the high transmitivity direction of the partial polarizer. Preferably, the second crystal has a length 1/2 that of the first crystal and the high transmitivity direction of the partial polarizer is nine times as great as the low transmitivity direction. To provide tuning, the polarizations of the energy entering the first crystal and leaving the second crystal are varied by either rotating the entrance and exit polarizers, or by sandwiching the entrance and exit polarizers between pairs of half wave plates that are rotated relative to the polarizers.

Abstract: A maser functioning as a frequency standard stable to one part in 10.sup.14 includes a variable volume, constant surface area storage bulb having a fixed volume portion located in a resonant cavity from which the frequency standard is derived. A variable volume portion of the bulb, exterior to the resonant cavity, has a maximum volume on the same order of magnitude as the fixed volume bulb portion. The cavity has a length to radius ratio of at least 3:1 so that the operation is attained without the need for a feedback loop. A baffle plate, between the fixed and variable volume bulb portions, includes apertures for enabling hydrogen atoms to pass between the two bulb portions and is an electromagnetic shield that prevents coupling of the electromagnetic field of the cavity into the variable volume bulb portion. The maser is operated so that the zero wall shift frequency thereof can be determined by being operated at first and second very accurately controlled temperatures for identical small and large volumes.

Abstract: A high speed CMOS formed on a single semiconductor substrate includes a DMOS having an asymmetric channel and a VMOS with a relatively short channel length. The short channel length of the VMOS is achieved by: (1) forming a double diffusion along one edge of a V groove, or (2) ion implanting boron into the apex of the V groove and diffusing a single layer to a relatively deep depth along both edges of the groove.

Abstract: Blood cells, blood marrow, and other similar biological tissue is frozen while in a polyethylene bag placed in abutting relationship against opposed walls of a pair of heaters. The bag and tissue are cooled with refrigerating gas at a time programmed rate at least equal to the maximum cooling rate needed at any time during the freezing process. The temperature of the bag, and hence of the tissue, is compared with a time programmed desired value for the tissue temperature to derive an error indication. The heater is activated in response to the error indication so that the temperature of the tissue follows the desired value for the time programmed tissue temperature. The tissue is heated to compensate for excessive cooling of the tissue as a result of the cooling by the refrigerating gas. In response to the error signal, the heater is deactivated while the latent heat of fusion is being removed from the tissue while the tissue is changing phase from liquid to solid.

Abstract: A coating characterized by low thermal absorption, high thermal emittance and high electrical conductivity comprises:(a) a fired oxide pigment comprising a minor amount of aluminum oxide and a major amount of zinc oxide;(b) a vehicle-binder comprising an alkali metal silicate; and(c) sufficient water to provide a mixture suitable for application to a substrate.The fired oxide pigment may further include a minor amount of cobalt oxide. The resulting coating is particularly useful for coating the surfaces of spacecraft and similar objects.

Abstract: An actuator mechanism having a frame, a shaft rotatably supported in the frame, a positioning mechanism coupled to the shaft for rotating the shaft in two rotary positions disposed approximately 180.degree. apart, and a pair of plungers coupled to the shaft each of which is responsive to a control signal for applying bi-directional rotation to the shaft respectively.

Abstract: A method of forming two diverging beams of energy from a single beam of energy including the steps of splitting the single beam of energy into an externally reflected beam and an internally transmitted beam at a first surface on a wedge shaped energy beam splitting device; splitting the internally transmitted beam into an internally reflected beam and an externally transmitted beam at a second surface of the wedge shaped energy beam splitting device, and substantially totally reflecting the internally reflected beam between the first and second surfaces until the internally reflected beam reaches an end of the wedge shaped energy beam splitting device. The above method may further include steps paralleling the above steps wherein two diverging beams of energy are formed from a second beam of energy impinging on the second surface and then combining the two diverging beams with the two diverging beams formed from the beam of energy split by the first surface, to form first and second combined beams.

Abstract: A received, suppressed carrier, quadraphase shift key modulated (QPSK) signal is demodulated with a phase locked loop including a variable frequency, coherent reference that drives first and second channels also responsive to the QPSK signal. The channels respectively derive first and second replicas of binary signals that modulated the suppressed carrier. The replicas are combined to derive a variable amplitude error signal for controlling the coherent reference frequency. The frequency of the coherent reference is dithered at a low rate so that there is derived a relatively low level tracking error phase from the locked loop. The frequency of the coherent reference is swept when the phase of the error signal differs from the dithering phase by a predetermined value that is appreciably less than 90.degree..

Abstract: A circuit deriving an output voltage that is proportional to the logarithm of a DC input voltage susceptible to wide variations in amplitude includes a constant current source which forward biases a diode so that the diode operates in the exponential portion of its voltage versus current characteristic, above its saturation current. The constant current source includes first and second, cascaded feedback, DC operational amplifiers connected in a negative feedback circuit. An input terminal of the first amplifier is responsive to the input voltage. A circuit shunting the first amplifier output terminal includes a resistor in series with the diode. The voltage across the resistor is sensed at the input of the second DC operational feedback amplifier.

Abstract: Low-cost polycrystalline silicon solar cells supported on substrates are prepared by depositing successive layers of polycrystalline silicon containing appropriate dopants over supporting substrates of a member selected from the group consisting of metallurgical-grade polycrystalline silicon, graphite and steel coated with a diffusion barrier of silica, borosilicate, phosphosilicate, or mixtures thereof such that p-n junction devices are formed which effectively convert solar energy to electrical energy. To improve the conversion efficiency of the polycrystalline silicon solar cells, the crystallite size in the silicon is substantially increased by melting and solidifying a base layer of polycrystalline silicon before depositing the layers which form the p-n junction.

Abstract: An energy storage device comprises a flywheel rotor in the form of a spokeless ring of filamentary, composite material rotating around a ring-shaped stator. Along the inner rim of the rotor, there is a layer of magnetically soft iron that forms homopolar, salient pole pairs. An ironless armature winding mounted on the stator extends into an air gap formed between the pole pairs. To bring the rotor up to speed, alternating current is supplied to the armature winding using electronic commutation. The armature current interacts with flux in the air gap to create a force acting to rotate the rotor. During coast down, current may be tapped from the rotor using commutation diodes. The rotor and stator are maintained in axial alignment to each other by magnetic flux produced by a permanent magnet in the stator. An electromagnet incorporated in the stator modulates permanent magnet flux to compensate for any eccentricity between the stator and the rotor that may develop during rotation.

Abstract: An improvement in a magnetically focused image intensifier for increasing the usable range of magnification without degradation of image quality and while keeping to a minimum the power requirements of the focusing coils. The improvement comprises an arrangement of focusing coils which reverses the direction of the axial magnetic field distribution between the planes of the photocathode and the phosphor screen.

Abstract: A scattering photometer for measuring the light scattered by particles in a hydrosol at substantially 2.degree. and 90.degree. simultaneously. Light from a source is directed by a first optical system into a scattering cell containing the hydrosol under study. Light scattered at substantially 90.degree. to the incident beam is focused onto a first photoelectric detector to generate an electrical signal indicative of the amount of scattered light at substantially 90.degree.. Light scattered at substantially 2.degree. to the incident beam is directed through an annular aperture symmetrically located about the axis of the illuminating beam which is linearly transmitted undeviated through the hydrosol and focused onto a second photoelectric detector to generate an electrical signal indicative of the amount of light scattered at substantially 2.degree..

Abstract: Memory device for two-dimensional radiant energy array computers in which the memory device stores digital information in an input array of radiant energy digital signals that are characterized by ordered rows and columns. The memory device includes a radiant energy logic storing device having a pair of input surface locations for receiving a pair of separate radiant energy digital signal arrays and an output surface location adapted to transmit a radiant energy digital signal array and a regenerative feedback device that couples one of the input surface locations to the output surface location in a manner for causing regenerative feedback.

Abstract: A method of determining vegetation height and water content of vegetation from the intensity and state of elliptical polarization of a reflected train of microwaves. The method comprises the steps of reflecting a circularly polarized train of microwaves from vegetation at a predetermined angle of incidence, detecting the reflected train of microwaves, determining the ratio of the intensities of the electric field vector components, measuring the phase difference of the components, and computing the refractive index and thickness of the layer of vegetation from a formula, wherein the refractive index is given essentially by the water content of the vegetation.

Abstract: A method of treating a surface of a glass member intended to abut a transparent element for disrupting the light interference fringes formed therebetween. The method involves the steps of grinding the surface to form irregularities thereon; bathing the surface with an aqueous solution containing between substantially 41.3 percent and 45.7 percent by volume of sulfuric acid and between substantially 54.3 percent and 58.7 percent by volume of hydrofluoric acid for a time sufficient to polish the irregularities until the glass member is about 90 percent light transmissive; and washing the glass member with a liquid having a temperature substantially lower than the temperature of the aqueous solution for preventing further reaction between the aqueous solution and the surface.

Abstract: A fluid sampling device for selectively sampling multiple fluids including a support frame. A plurality of fluid inlet devices extend through the support frame and each of the fluid inlet devices include a longitudinal aperture extending therethrough. An opening device that is responsive to a control signal selectively opens the aperture for passing the fluid therethrough. A closing device that is responsive to another control signal selectively closes the aperture for terminating further fluid flow therethrough.

Abstract: Analog to digital converter for two-dimensional radiant energy array computers in which the converter stage derives a bit array of digital radiant energy signals representative of the amplitudes of an input radiant energy analog signal array and derives an output radiant energy analog signal array to serve as an input to succeeding stages. The converter stage includes a digital radiant energy array device which contains radiant energy array positions so that the analog array is less than a predetermined threshold level and which doesn't contain radiant energy at array positions where the input analog array exceeds the threshold level. A scaling device amplifies the radiant energy signal levels of the input array and the digital array so that the radiant energy signal level carried by the digital array corresponds to the threshold level. An adder device adds the signals of the scaled input and digital arrays at corresponding array positions to form the output analog array.