Abstract: Apparatus and method for non-contact temperature measurement of a film growing on a substrate which accounts for the change in emissivity due to the change in film thickness. The system employs an adaptively calibrated pyrometer wherein the substrate emittance is continuously computed so that the temperature measurement is accurate regardless of the emittance variation. The new system is easily constructed by adding data processing system software and hardware to conventional pyrometers.

Abstract: A detector assembly for use in obtaining alpha-track autoradiographs, the detector assembly including a substantially boron-free substrate; a detector layer deposited on the substantially boron-free substrate, the detector layer being capable of recording alpha particle tracks and exhibiting evidence of the alpha tracks in response to being exposed to an etchant, the detector layer being less than about 2 microns thick; and a protective layer deposited on the detector layer, the protective layer being resistant to the etchant and having a thickness of about 0.5 to 1 microns.

Abstract: An adaptive sheet structure with distributed strain actuators is controlled by a dynamic compensator that implements multiple input, multiple output control laws derived by model-based, e.g., Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control methodologies. An adaptive lifting surface is controlled for maneuver enhancement, flutter and vibration suppression and gust and load alleviation with piezoceramic elements located within, or enclosed by sheets of composite material at a particular height above the structure's neutral axis. Sensors detect the amplitudes of lower order structural modes, and distributed actuators drive or damp these and other modes. The controller is constructed from an experimental and theoretical model using conventional control software, with a number of event recognition patterns and control algorithms programmed for regulating the surface to avoid instabilities.

Abstract: An ionic liquid-channel charge-coupled device that separates ions in a liquid sample according to ion mobility characteristics includes a channel having an inner wall that has a matrix liquid disposed within. An insulating material surrounds the channel, and an introduction element introduces a liquid sample into the channel. The sample is preferably a liquid solution that has at least one ionic specie present in the solution. The device further includes a gating element that establishes at least one charge packet in the channel in response to an externally applied input sisal, and a transport element that induces the charge packet to migrate through the channel. The gate element can be a plurality of spaced-apart, electrically conductive, gate structures that are alternately disposable between a high voltage state and a low voltage state. The transport element further includes an application element that applies a variable voltage to the gating element.

Abstract: An airport surface traffic surveillance and automation system addresses a wide variety of airport surface conflict scenarios using a combination of runway-status lights, controller alerts, and enhanced controller displays. Runway-status lights, composed of runway-entrance lights and takeoff-hold lights, provide alerts directly to pilots and vehicle operators, to prevent runway incursions before they happen. Controller alerts are used to direct a controller's attention to existing conflicts between aircraft on or near the runways. Enhanced displays present symbology to describe aircraft position, size, direction and speed of motion, altitude, aircraft flight number, and equipment type. Aircraft on approach to runways are also depicted on the displays.

Abstract: An illumination system includes an artificial radiant source that emits energy in the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum. A radiation splitter splits the majority of the visible energy from the majority of the infrared energy to form an illumination beam and a heating beam. A light conductor conducts portions of the visible light to at least one area to be illuminated, and a heat recovery system recovers energy from the heating beam and provides it at an energy output. A solar collector may direct a solar beam on the radiation splitter to supplement the artificial source beam. A supporting portion may support a lighting fixture. An artificial illumination source is placed at a position that is unsupported by the supporting portion, and a light conductor provides an optical path for radiation produced by the source to the fixture.

Abstract: An audio type signal is encoded. The signal is first divided into bands. For each band, a yardstick signal element is selected. The yardstick may be the signal element having the largest magnitude in the band, the second largest, closest to the median magnitude, or having some other selected magnitude. This magnitude is used for various purposes, including assigning bits to the different bands, and for establishing reconstruction levels within a band. The magnitude of non yardstick signal elements is also quantized. The encoded signal is also decoded. Apparatus for both encoding and decoding are also disclosed. The location of the yardstick element within its band may also be recorded and encoded, and used for efficiently allocating bits to non-yardstick signal elements. Split bands may be established, such that each split band includes a yardstick signal element and each full band includes a major and a minor yardstick signal element.

Abstract: The individual outputs of a large laser diode array are combined using an optical transformer of diffractive optics. To allow for the tolerances in the laser array and combining optics required for mass production, the system further includes corrector optics. The corrector optics includes individual lens elements which are fabricated to provide specific correction of faults in the individual lasers and associated combining optics resulting from manufacturing tolerances. The preferred corrector lenses include diffractive lenses fabricated by laser milling.

Abstract: Oxidation and sulfidation resistant alloys and mixtures including chromium and niobium as well as oxidation and sulfidation resistant articles including chromium and niobium present as either an alloy or a mixture are provided. A method for preparing an oxidation and sulfidation resistant article by preparing a material including chromium and niobium and either forming an article directly from the chromium and niobium containing material or forming the article from a base material and coating the material with a coating including a chromium and niobium-containing material is provided.

Abstract: A method for producing an article including a refractory compound by infiltrating a preform with a liquid infiltrant and initiating a reaction between the preform and the liquid infiltrant to establish a reaction front which propagates in a direction opposite to the direction of flow of the liquid infiltrant is provided, as are articles prepared according to this method.

Abstract: The roof assembly for a structure including a number of support elements including walls, columns and beams includes a plurality of complementary shaped roof panels which are selectively secured to each other as well as a support beam and the support elements of the structure. Also disclosed are standard designs for the support beam and roof panels which have modifiable parameters as well as methods of designing the roof assembly, assembling the roof and its constituate components, and manufacturing the roof panels.

Abstract: An interconnection network is embellished with express channels that serve as parallel alternative paths to local channels between non-local nodes of the network. The use of the express channels increases throughput and diminishes latency experienced by the network. A single express channel may be used for a given sequence of nodes or alternatively multiple express channels may be utilized. Furthermore, express channels may be oriented in more than one dimension. Interchanges act as routing interfaces between the express channels and the conventional channels. The interchanges may be used as interfaces that adjust the wire density signalling level and speed at the boundaries of modules.

Abstract: Retroviruses are used as genetic tools to isolate transcriptionally active chromosomal regions. The retroviruses have a promoterless protein coding sequence located in U3 or U5. The retroviruses may be used to infect cells under conditions which permit selection for instances when the retrovirus integrates in close proximity to and under the control of a cellular promoter. The promoter and its associated gene then may be identified and isolated. In this manner, the retroviruses function as promoter-traps. Related methods and products including vectors, kits and assays provided.

Abstract: A gain medium is disposed between two mirrors to form a resonant cavity. The cavity length is selected so that the gain bandwidth of the gain medium is less than or substantially equal to the frequency separation of the cavity modes and such that a cavity mode frequency falls within the gain bandwidth. A nonlinear optical material is disposed either inside or outside the cavity to generate new laser wavelengths. The nonlinear optical material may be contained in a cavity which is resonant at the microchip laser frequency. Alternatively, the microchip laser may be tuned, for example thermally or by the application of a longitudinal or transverse stress, to the frequency of the resonant cavity. The laser is optically pumped by any appropriate source such as a semiconductor injection laser or laser array. Suitable gain media include Nd:YAG, Nd:GSGG and Nd pentaphosphate, and suitable non-linear optical material include MgO:LiNbO.sub.3 and KTP.

Abstract: A method of producing sheets of crystalline material is disclosed, as well as devices employing such sheets. In the method, a growth mask is formed upon a substrate and crystalline material is grown at areas of the substrate exposed through the mask and laterally over the surface of the mask to form a sheet of crystalline material. This sheet is optionally separated so that the substrate can be reused. The method has particular importance in forming sheets of crystalline semiconductor material for use in solid state devices.

Abstract: Representing weather data with elliptical or polygonal representations for transmission or reception. Ellipseticity may be determined, vertex coordinates may be shuffled, or polygons may be continuously fillable or filled based on filling flag values. Sides may be replaced within the polygonal representations. Certain storage requirements or transmission orders may be variable.

Abstract: A double beam cyclotron maser comprising two electron guns for introducing two electron beams traveling parallel to each other at different speeds into an electron drift tube/waveguide. The beams have respectively different electron cyclotron space-charge harmonics. A solenoid maintains a magnetic field parallel to the direction of propagation of the electron beams while a magnetic wiggler field initially imparts a transverse force to the electrons such that they propagate down the drift tube with a helical gyration. The magnetic fields, electron beam velocities, and beam space charge harmonics are adjustable to set the interaction frequency at which amplification of electromagnetic radiation can occur. The waveguide is a slow wave structure so configured as to slow the signal from the magnetron to match the phase velocity of the double stream cyclotron space-charge wave.

Abstract: A resist exposed to a micron or sub-micron pattern of highly absorbed ion beams forms a highly crosslinked barrier layer in the exposed regions of the resist surface. The complementary surface regions are silylated in a silicon-containing reagent, and the exposed regions are then removed by a plasma etch. Pattern definition is enhanced by limiting the exposure and the silylation to the surface of the resist. The process allows feature definition below 1000 Angstroms using a relatively inexpensive single element low energy ion source.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for spin coating films on a surface. The apparatus includes a chamber capable of being closed to the atmosphere, a spinnable member within the chamber capable of supporting the surface and a pump capable of reducing the pressure within the chamber. The method includes depositing a liquid on the surface, reducing the pressure in the vicinity of the surface and spinning the surface.

Abstract: DNA structure specific recognition protein of eukaryotic origin and DNA encoding such a factor, as well as probes specific for DNA structure specific recognition protein or DNA encoding it and methods of detecting DNA structure specific recognition protein in eukaryotic cells. In particular, a mammalian cellular factor that selectively recognizes and binds DNA damaged or modified by a drug (the anticancer drug, cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) or cisplatin) has been identified.