Abstract: An apparatus for detection of thermal neutrons includes a volume of gas which includes .sup.3 He. A wavelength shifting optical (WSO) fiber is disposed to receive ultra-violet (UV) photons generated by reactions between neutrons and .sup.3 He. UV photons are absorbed within the WSO fiber to produce longer wavelength fluorescence generated photons that propagate within the WSO fiber. A photodetector is disposed to receive fluorescence generated photons from at least one end of the optical fiber and provide an output signal corresponding to neutron detection.

Abstract: An interference suppression system utilizes an adaptive locally optimum detection algorithm derived from kernel estimation. By utilizing this algorithm in the processor of the invention, fewer receive samples are required to obtain useful estimates of required probability density functions. The new adaptive locally optimum detection algorithm is useable in applications involving very high sampling rates and is thus suitable for rapidly and radically changing interference environments encompassing a wide range of frequencies.

Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition system utilizes a microwave carrying dielectric member and inner chamber that are both placed within a reaction chamber. The inner chamber is used as a semiconductor source material, which in one particular embodiment is reactive with atomic hydrogen to form volatile hydrides or other gaseous compounds which react to form a desired film composition. The invention is useful for, but not limited to, submicron dimension integrated circuit fabrication, in particular, low temperature, cold wall reactor environments. By constraining the semiconductor production reaction between the inner chamber source material and an integrated circuit substrate, particulate formation is minimized, thereby reducing integrated circuit particle yield losses.

Abstract: An interference suppression system utilizes a non-adaptive filter to supps interference from bandspread communication signals. The filter is effective in the cancellation of interference from a bandspread communication signal whenever interference has a mean component several times greater than its variable component. By forming amplitude-differences, the filter is used to estimate whether the signed magnitude of a communication signal component is in-phase or 180.degree. out-of-phase with present interference. By estimating this component, high quality reception of spread spectrum radio communication signals in an interference environment is possible.

Abstract: A frequency agile laser illuminates a scene with floods of emissions of different wavelengths. As the wavelengths, or laser color changes, certain objects will stand out with respect to their background so that detection and recognition is enhanced to permit appropriate action. This technique has application in the location of underwater objects.

Abstract: A photoneutron detection apparatus comprises an X-ray generator and a neutron detector adapted for placement in proximity to subsurface soil. The X-ray generator produces timed pulses of X-ray photons having a range of electronically controlled energies which penetrate the subsurface soil to produce photoneutron emissions that are received by the neutron detector. The neutron detector generates a signal representative of the neutron flux. A signal analysis system time correlates the signal with the timed X-ray pulses to determine the presence of selected contaminants.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for suppressing linear amplitude interence (e.g., on-off interference) from a sequence of bandspread communication signals generated by a radio receiver. Each sample is defined as a vector having signal and interference vector components. The interference vector component is such that the amplitude of the interference: 1) is essentially linear, and 2) dominates the signal component. To suppress the linear amplitude interference, a pseudo second derivative is obtained for each sample based upon the current, previous and subsequent sample amplitudes. The pseudo second derivative for each current sample is transformed into a corresponding pseudo second derivative vector based on a symmetric sampling of pseudo second derivatives from previous and subsequent received signal samples. All terms of each corresponding pseudo second derivative vector are summed and averaged to generate a corresponding average enhanced signal gain for each sample.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for suppressing interference from a sence of bandspread communication signals received by a radio receiver. Each sample is defined as a vector having signal and interference vector components. The interference vector component is such that: 1) the interference dominates the signal vector component, and 2) the phase of the interference vector components in the sequence changes slowly with time. Interference is suppressed while a portion of the signal vector component that is normal to the interference vector component is estimated as an indication of the bandspread communication signal. To do this, a phase angle is determined for each sample based upon each sample's defined vector. The phase angle for each sample is transformed into a corresponding phase vector based on a symmetric sampling of phase angles from previous and subsequent received signal samples.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating a ship's far-field acoustic characteristics includes at least one reference hydrophone and at least one movable hydrophone, both of which are disposed in the water closely adjacent the ship. The movable hydrophone senses acoustic tonals at a plurality of points on the surface of an imaginary prolate spheroid surrounding the ship, the major and minor axes of which are roughly equal to one-half the length of the ship and the beam of the ship, respectively. The phase difference in the signals from the movable hydrophone and reference hydrophone are compared to generate a near-field data set. A computer is used to estimate a far-field data set representative of the ship's acoustic characteristics based on the near-field data set. Thus actual far-field measurements are not required.

Abstract: A light stop having at least one appropriately laser textured surface assures the absorption of energy including laser emissions that impinge on the at least one surface to thereby inhibit reflected energy therefrom. Optionally, an improved emitter of energy is created by at least one appropriately laser textured surface having an increased surface area of emission to increase the emissive power of the surface to thereby provide improved conductive and radiative cooling. An improved absorber and emitter is fabricated by providing front side and backside textured surfaces. All these capabilities are provided in a variety of structural configurations.

Abstract: A system for detecting perturbations within an environment, comprises: one r more arrays of sensors for providing a series of sensor output signal sets comprising the substantially contemporaneous generation of sensor output signals by the sensors in response to monitoring a scene within a coverage zone of the sensor; and a data processor operably disposed for storing a series of data corresponding to the sensor output signal sets generated at intervals over a predetermined period of time, for transforming the series of data into a final composite perturbation score, and for generating a perturbation output signal when the final composite perturbation score exceeds a reference value. The system may also include an output device for generating a perturbation alarm signal in response to the output device receiving the perturbation output signal.

Abstract: An adaptive processor for a spread spectrum receiver utilizes an adaptive Wiener filter and an adaptive limiter-canceller in tandem and in conjunction with bypass controls. The adaptive processor derives its cancelling signals from the primary signal. The adaptive processor makes use of bypass switches connected to the adaptive Wiener filter and adaptive limiter-canceller and activated by internally generated control signals to switch the adaptive Wiener filter and adaptive limiter-canceller in or out of the signal processing path.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a wound cable pack having uniform pitch and inporating a twist per turn in a cable. A drum is constrained to rotational movement around an axis of rotation. A non-rotating spool, sized to fit within the drum and having a central longitudinal axis coaxial with the drum's axis of rotation, is constrained to linear movement along the axis of rotation within the drum. A cable feeding assembly is mounted to the drum for rotation therewith. The cable feeding assembly leads the cable over one end of the spool prior to being fed onto the spool from a feed point. In this way, a twist is induced in the cable as the cable feeding assembly orbits about the spool. An electromechanical system is operatively connected to the drum and the spool to synchronize the rotational movement of the drum with the linear movement of the spool.

Abstract: A circuit for regulating floating gate injection voltage comprises a volt regulator electrically coupled to a floating gate device. The floating gate device includes an electrically conductive floating gate capacitively coupled to a programming terminal by an injection capacitance and to a bias terminal by a bias capacitance. The voltage regulator establishes a substantially constant rate of charge onto the floating gate when a programming voltage is applied to the floating gate device and the voltage regulator.

Abstract: Signal transformations of inputted data brought about by 58 new subroutines in combination with other subroutines to display world maps or other display items with the unique capability of performing the following functions in complete generality. (1) Arbitrary selection of map center and coverage, including global displays, (2) filling of all land and lake areas defined by polygons composed of an arbitrary number of vertices, (3) clipping of map features and overlays at map boundaries and poles, (4) selection from any of nineteen currently implemented map projections with provision to install any other projection topologically similar to an oblique conic, (5) calculation of latitude/longitude for any point on a map without the need for inverse mapping equations, and (6) an efficient method of plotting polyline segments along great circles. These are a number of feature functions provided by this inventive concept.

Abstract: A method for sampling toxin flux rates across a benthic boundary relies upon deploying an apparatus having a frame which houses a container having an open bottom for isolating a volume of fluid above a benthic fluid boundary. A sampling system periodically samples and stores samples of the isolated fluid and an oxygenation system maintains a constant dissolved oxygen level within the container. The device is then retrieved and the samples analyzed. In this way, the toxin flux rate across the fluid boundary may be determined.

Abstract: A high-voltage anti-corona connector and method of use rely upon a hand-rtable wheel which is attachable to a threaded stud on a mounting flange for rapidly connecting and disconnecting an adaptor plate to a helix coil of a radio frequency transmit system. The handle of the wheel is ring shaped to preventing corona discharge from the area surrounding the connector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to decompose nonhydrolyzable ambients such as chloluorocarbons and nitrogen trifluoride which enables the conventional disposal of their byproducts are disclosed. It employs photo-decomposition of the nonhydrolyzable ambient using UV light and a mediating species to allow chemical reactions to occur which form an effluent which is hydrolyzed by conventional methods. This abatement process is amenable to point-of-use decomposition systems required for modular cluster tool systems used in microelectronic device fabrication.

Abstract: Triorganotin toxicants are disclosed that are made of mixed saturated and unsaturated four-carbon chains with double bonds at C-1 and C-3. Incorporation of these compounds into random 50:50 copolymers of methacrylic acid and methylmethacrylate produces copolymer compositions that may be used as antifouling coatings for ship hulls. Methods for manufacturing the triorganotin toxicants and the copolymer compositions are also disclosed.

Abstract: A pre-processing method and pre-processor decomposed a first problem belong to a class of linear algebra problems comprising an input sparse symmetric matrix into a suite of sub-problems. The pro-processor generates a suite of signals representing the information content of a permutation of the rows and columns of fire sparse symmetric matrix. These signals are used to define a block-bordered block-diagonal form leading to a Schur-complement resolution wherein each sub-problem corresponds to a perfect parallelism in the first problem. The preprocessor allocates the sub-problems to sub-processors in a network of parallel architecture computers. The sub-processors solve the sub-problems concurrently and combine the results in a front-end computer, which outputs a solution to the first problem.