Abstract: A two-piece hinge which is spring biased in both its folded position and in its unfolded or deployed position to provide built-in deployment power for structural members and which is provided with trigger/locking mechanisms which are held in an unlocked position when the hinge and the structural members are in their folded position and which triggers and releases the locking mechanisms to lock the hinge in its unfolded or deployed position for positive locking capability. Two trigger-locking mechanisms are used for redundancy.

Abstract: A method of detecting and analyzing normal zones in a superconducting coil which involves generating a signal representative of the real power dissipated within the superconducting coil after the background noise and transient conditions within the coil have been accounted for. The power signal is integrated with respect to time to provide a signal proportional to the total energy dissipated within the superconductor which is then compared against a critical reference signal so that a quench signal is generated to immediately disconnect the superconducting coil when the reference signal is exceeded and to allow the coil to discharge its energy into an external device to prevent coil damage. An exemplary circuit for implementing the method is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for testing nonlinear axicons utilizing holographic interferometry with simple, low cost, optical elements and with a new technique illuminating the entire surface under test.A similar method and apparatus are also disclosed as useful in testing plane or convex mirrors.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for detecting propagating normal zones in a superconducting coil or magnet by monitoring the energy consumed by the magnet/coil per unit time and comparing that value with a previously recorded or stored value of energy consumed per unit time. The monitoring is done outside the cryostat and external quench detection circuitry configurations are disclosed for carrying out the method.