Abstract: A heat pipe ring for use in a crystal growth furnace is ring-shaped with at least one arm thereon and is constructed as one piece. An RF coil for heating a working fluid in said heat pipe is attached about said arm or an electric current can flow from one arm to an oppositely located arm to heat said body. These rings can be stacked and each may have an independently controlled sources of heat. Each heat pipe ring of the present invention has a wall of three layers of refractory material. In the case of working above 1000.degree. C., the working fluid can be lithium and the wall made of a layer of tungsten, a layer of graphite as a spacer, and a layer of silicon carbide. The internal surface on the tungsten layer is knurled to support capillary action. As a result of these features the heat pipe ring is able to survive high temperatures, greater than 1000.degree. C.

Abstract: A small diameter, 20 mm to 50 mm, guided projectile is used in antiaircraft defense. A pulsing laser designator illuminates the target aircraft. Energy reflected from the aircraft is received by the guided projectile. The guided projectile is fired from a standard weapon but the spining caused by the riflings are removed before active tracking and guidance occurs. The received energy is focused by immersion optics onto a bridge cell. AC coupling and gating removes background and allows steering signals to move extended vanes by means of piezoelectric actuators in the rear of the guided projectile.

Abstract: An alignment reference device provides a collimated laser beam that minimizes angular deviations therein. A laser beam source outputs the beam into a single mode optical fiber. The output end of the optical fiber acts as a source of radiant energy and is positioned at the focal point of a lens system where the focal point is positioned within the lens. The output beam reflects off a mirror back to the lens that produces a collimated beam.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for transmitting electric and pneumatic signals from a high speed rotating test item. All of the sensor wires having electric signals from strain and/or temperature sensors are converted to stationary wires by a slipring assembly. A pneumatic tube is selected for output by a multichannel pressure select valve. This selected pneumatic tube is passed through the slipring assembly to a stationary transducer that converts the pneumatic signal to an electric signal on a stationary wire.

Abstract: A total internal reflection modulator/deflector assembly for use with a focused beam of polarized incident laser light. The application of a low direct current voltage (e.g., less than 50 volts) to a pair of identical stacked crystals exhibiting the Pockel's effect produces an index of refraction difference at their interface. Since the index changes are small, the incidence angle of the impinging polarized laser light is large, e.g., 89 degrees. In the preferred embodiment, one crystal is rotated relative to the other, such that the applied electric field causes index changes of +.DELTA.n in one crystal and of -.DELTA.n in the other crystal. As a result, the impinging polarized laser light is divided into two portions, one of which is totally internal reflected, and transmitted in the desired modulated conditions.

Abstract: Heavy metal fluoride glasses are made by a process that requires high purity fluoride constituent compounds, some of which are further refined by sublimation. Handling occurs in a protective atmosphere such as argon. The charge is placed in a sealed modified optical growth furnace having the ability of atmosphere control, heat control and position control of the charge. The charge is firstly raised to its fusion temperature, then to an admixture temperature, and finally to a higher temperature. The charge is immediately removed from the heating source and quickly cooled through the critical crystallization region. The total heating and cooling time being about one to two hours. The resulting glass ingot is partially annealed. The HMFG of (Zr or Hf)F.sub.4 -BaF.sub.2 -LaF.sub.3 -AlF.sub.2 consistently exhibits low levels of both light scattering and bulk OH contact, along with very reproducible hardness, thermal parameters, and UV and IR edge absorption behavior.

Abstract: The present invention accomplishes the thermal oxidation of the silicon side of the interface present in epitaxial silicon films grown on yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia, <Si>/<YSZ>, to form a dual-layer structure of <Si>/amorphous SiO.sub.2 /<YSZ>. The SiO.sub.2 films are formed in either dry oxygen (at 1100.degree. C.) or in pyrogenic steam (at 925.degree. C.) by the rapid diffusion of oxidizing species through a 425 .mu.m thick cubic zirconia substrate. For instance, a 0.17 .mu.m thick SiO.sub.2 layer is obtained after 100 min in pyrogenic steam at 925.degree. C. This relatively easy transport of oxidants is unique to YSZ and other insulators which are also superionic oxygen conductors, and cannot be achieved in other existing Si/insulator systems, such as silicon-on-sapphire.

Abstract: An electrostatic filtration apparatus is used to significantly reduce contaminants in N.sub.2 O.sub.4 vapor and liquid at ambient temperatures. The apparatus uses an electret vapor filter having therein a stack of layers of electret material through which the N.sub.2 O.sub.4 must pass. A flow blocking filter is added to the electret liquid filter to insure a sufficient time for removal of contaminants by said electret material. The filter is constructed of chemically inert materials to prevent additional contaminants.

Abstract: A combustor using D.sub.2 /NF.sub.3 /He is used in a laser gain generator in a cylindrical gas laser. The combustor includes a plurality of primary rings having fuel, oxidizer and diluent orifices therein. Fuel and oxidizer orifices form a triplet injector set that provides a reactant set. Two diluent orifices form a diluent injector set that provides a diluent set. These sets alternate about each primary ring and from one primary ring to the adjacent primary ring. Because the diluent set does not mix directly with the reactant set initially, a greater percentage of lasing products are formed because of the higher temperature in the reacting zone. Diluent is mixed as required at a later stage in the flow.

Abstract: A process of fabricating a hybrid single crystal fiber having nonlinear optical properties such as frequency doubling. Said process includes placing a fiber core upon a bulk nonlinear crystal such as LiIO.sub.3 in a saturated growth solution of LiIO.sub.3 in water. After the core is encased a sufficient distance crystal growth is stopped.

Abstract: A follower nut assembly is attached to a load carrying nut all of which is threaded onto a ball screw of a drive actuator. The actuator drive causes a load attached to said load carrying nut to be translated to a fully extended position. At about the fully extended position, a run-off end without threads of the ball screw is positioned in the load carrying nut. This causes the translating force to be fully applied to a follower nut which is normally shear pinned to the load carrying nut. Because of the inertia of the load, the follower nut shears the pin and then rotates within a cage of the follower nut assembly. The translation of the load stops when the shear pin is broken. A thrust bearing is positioned between the follower nut and the load carrying nut to provide the necessary support when the load is fully extended.

Abstract: Compliant soldering pads allow for expansion and contraction between an hermetic chip carriers (HCC) and printed wiring boards (PWB) due to coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch and prevent solder cracking which in turn causes electrical discontinuities. The pads allow for flexing in three axes.

Abstract: An inspection workstation data entry method is used by electronic assembly inspector to substantially increase throughput and eliminate data entry errors. The method utilizes a sonic digitizer cursor and x-y linear microphones to record unique registration data and defect data. The inspector, without manual intervention for data entry, positions the assembly in a workarea, records a registration hole location and defect locations along with identifying information or processing requirements. The method minimizes errors due to manual data entry and eliminates the need for on-hand reference materials.

Abstract: In order to reduce the amount of internally scattered radiant energy in an optical system having a collecting optical chamber and a secondary optical chamber, a moving aperture device is positioned in a first focal plane between the chambers; the aperture device has a continuous moving metal band that has staggered slits therein. The band is sprocket driven and cryogenically cooled to reduce thermal emission. The band can be synchronized with other scanning detectors in the optical system such as one might find in an infrared telescope used in outer space.

Abstract: An active secondary mirror mount is used in a telescope requiring the mount have five degrees of freedom in movement. The spider legs are connected between the telescope tube and a central housing. Within the central housing are two concentrically mounted tubes. The outer tube is fixedly held by the central housing and the inner tube is flexibly held within the outer tube. X-axis and Y-axis actuator rods pass through the spider legs to act upon the inner tube. The inner tube has a focus actuator mounted on one end with an actuator shaft passing through the inner tube to the other end having the secondary mirror mounted thereon. Flexures are mounted to the inner tube and have the actuator shaft passing therethrough.

Abstract: A one-step loading adapter is attached to a lifting truck. The adapter is able to transport and position a store such as a missile from a storage location to an aircraft wing for mounting thereto without transfer to another device. The adapter has a removable boom assembly for lifting and lowering the store as desired. An adjustable cradle having three degrees of freedom is able to position the store for mounting once the store is loaded thereon.

Abstract: A gas generator fuel flow throttle control system provides a fuel rich gas to a propellant grain of a small diameter rocket. An adaptive iterative gain technique allows the throttle to closely follow a commanded fuel flow rate as required by a missile processor.

Abstract: A novel treatment method for recovering halogenated vacuum pump oils such as chlorotrifluoroethylene, from contaminated filter papers. The process utilizes a trichlorotrifluoroethane (TCTFE) solvent and water mixture to extract the oil followed by vacuum distilling the resulting extractive.

Abstract: The improved Absolute Distance Sensor has achieved presently a resolution of about 0.03 .mu.m (RMS) for measurements over long distances. A two-color, synthetic Michelson interferometer employing a CO.sub.2 source is designed to sequentially switch between four sets of R and P line pairs and thereby provide a basis for forming simultaneous equations which are employed to greatly reduce the half wavelength ambiguity typical of single wavelength interferometers.

Abstract: Machineable microwave waveguide apparatus and method for constructing same. Waveguide functions as an interconnecting waveguide channel between two parallel microwave ports which have an axial offset. The waveguide is comprised of two complimentary halves with C-shaped cross-section, the two halves fitting together to form a single unit. The fit-together unit is capped, and can be sealed for pressure-tight applications.