Abstract: The present invention relates to electrospray thrusters, processes of making electrospray thrusters, and methods of using such electrospray thrusters. Applicant's thruster incorporates a unique geometry for the emitters and extractor grid that effectively eliminates ion interception on the grid, which is the primary failure mechanism of current devices, yet maintains the electric field conditions necessary for ion emission to occur. Without grid impingement, the thrust produced by the thruster is increased and thruster operational lifetime is increased substantially. Additionally, this non-traditional geometry also allows for higher electric fields at the emitter tip for a given applied voltage, thus enabling lower operational voltage of the thruster as compared to conventional designs.

Abstract: A method for making a selective-area lift-off thin film comprises depositing a van der Waals (vdW) buffer on a substrate; depositing a thin film material (or device structure) on the van der Waals buffer; depositing an adhesion layer on the thin film material; forming a stressor layer on top of the thin film layer; and bonding a handle layer to the stressor layer. Force may be applied to the layered structure by one or more of rolling, bending, and shearing. The area selected for lift-off may be defined by one of laser cutting and mechanical scribing. The vdW buffer includes one or more of hBN, graphite, and graphene. The handle layer is a one of a polyimide tape, thermal release tape, UV release tape, water- or solvent-soluble tape, Kapton tape, and Scotch tape. The stressor layer is a metal film, e.g. Ni, Cr, Ti.

Abstract: A star tracker includes imaging optics comprising a folding mirror, a lens, and a detector. The folding mirror bends light received from an optical axis through the lens that focuses the bent light onto the detector. The star tracker includes a steering mechanism that steers light from an adjustable field of view (FOV) to the optical axis of the imaging optics. The steering mechanism includes: (i) a first photonic crystal element comprising beam pointing spatially variant photonic crystals (SVPCs); (ii) a second photonic crystal element comprising beam pointing SVPCs that is positioned adjacent and axially aligned with the first photonic crystal element; and (iii) a housing that receives the first and second photonic crystal elements for independent rotation.

Abstract: Passive location of an emitter is achieved by sensing a signal propagated from the emitter at multiple sensing locations and determining its phase at each sensing location. A three-dimensional region is searched to find an emitter location for which phase estimates of the signal at the emitter location are in good agreement among the sensing locations. An iterative search from a set of starting points in the region may be performed. The region may be subdivided and each region searched in parallel using multiple processors in parallel. Phase at the sensing locations may be determined locally, using synchronized clocks at the sensing locations, or at a common receiver. In the latter case, signal propagation time from the sensing location to the receiver location is taken into account. The emitter may be a wireless endoscopy capsule, for example.

Abstract: The invention is a secure logic chip with resistance to hardware Trojan induced data leakage. The invention solves the untrustworthy fabrication risk problem by introducing a secure logic chip design such that even when the design is entirely known to an attacker and a data leakage Trojan is injected subsequently, no useful information can be obtained. This invention contains several features including randomized encoding of binary logic, converting any combinational binary logic into one with randomized encoding, and partitioning a randomized encoded logic for split manufacturing.

Abstract: A system includes a control station that enables efficient human collaboration with automated object tracking. The control station is communicatively coupled to an aerial vehicle to receive full motion video of a ground scene taken by an airborne sensor of the aerial vehicle. The control station spatially registers features of a movable object present in the ground scene and determines motion of the movable object relative to the ground scene. The control station predicts a trajectory of the movable objective relative to the ground scene. The control station tracks the movable object based on data fusion of: (i) the spatially registered features; (ii) the determined motion; and (iii) the predicted trajectory of the movable object. The control station presents a tracking annotation and a determined confidence indicator for the tracking annotation on a user interface device to facilitate human collaboration with object tracking.

Abstract: The invention is a secure logic chip with resistance to hardware Trojan induced data leakage. The invention solves the untrustworthy fabrication risk problem by introducing a secure logic chip design such that even when the design is entirely known to an attacker and a data leakage Trojan is injected subsequently, no useful information can be obtained. This invention contains several features including randomized encoding of binary logic, converting any combinational binary logic into one with randomized encoding, and partitioning a randomized encoded logic for split manufacturing.

Abstract: An aircraft having an empennage rotatable about a longitudinal axis via an electric motor drive is disclosed herein. A pair of horizontal stabilizers extend from opposing sides of the rotatable empennage and are independently rotatable via electric motor drives. The rotatable empennage is operable for controlling yaw, pitch and rolling moments without a traditional vertical stabilizer and rudder system which can reduce weight as well as the radar cross section of the aircraft. This technology can also be applied to a weapon control system such missile such as a missile.

Abstract: The present invention relates to single crystalline NaUO3, hydrothermal growth processes of making such single crystals and methods of using such single crystals. In particular, Applicants disclose single crystalline NaUO3 in the R32 space group. Unlike other powdered NaUO3, Applicants' single crystalline NaUO3 has a sufficient crystal size to be characterized and used in the fields of laser light, infrared countermeasures, nuclear fuel material, nuclear forensics and magnetic applications.

Abstract: Single-domain antibodies (SAbs) against three Yersinia pestis surface proteins (LcrV, YscF, and F1), nucleic acid sequences encoding the SAbs, and polypeptides comprising two or more SAbs capable of recognizing two or more epitopes and/or antigens. The present invention further includes methods for preventing or treating Y. pestis infections in a patient; methods for detecting and/or diagnosing Y. pestis infections; and devices and methods for identifying and/or detecting Y. pestis on a surface and/or in an environment.

Abstract: A method for creating a stable protein/antibody ionic liquid, comprising: (a) cationizing aqueous proteins/antibodies by addition of an excess of a positively-charged crosslinker in the presence of a coupling reagent; (b) purifying the cationized proteins/antibodies; (c) titrating the cationized proteins/antibodies with a corresponding biologically-compatible counter anionic polymer to create at least one protein/antibody cation/anion pair in aqueous solution until the cation/anion pair solution becomes negative by zeta potential measurement; (d) repeatedly dialyzing the protein/antibody cation/anion pair in water to remove excess anionic polymer using at least one molecular weight cutoff 7000 dialysis membrane; (e) lyophilizing the protein/antibody cation/anion pair to remove most of the water, forming a lyophilized solid; and (f) heating the lyophilized solid until a protein/antibody ionic liquid is generated. The antibody may be any desired antibody, and the anion may be any biologically-compatible anion.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide systems, methods, architectures, mechanisms, apparatus and/or computer implemented method configured for automatically managing En Route Care (ERC) transport patient and medical equipment loading.

Abstract: A method of determining a refractive index of a material sample comprises removably mounting the material sample into a sample holder having a thermal control mechanism, a thermal expansion compensation mechanism, and a rotation mechanism; projecting a laser beam into the material sample, wherein the material sample has a predetermined orientation and temperature, wherein the material sample has parallel sides defining parallel planes for entry and exit of the laser beam into and out of the material sample; collecting a refracted laser beam from the material sample, and determining the refractive index for the material sample at the predetermined temperature. The laser beam may be a visible laser and/or an infrared laser. The thermal control mechanism comprises a thermal controller coupled to an induction coil apparatus and a temperature sensor. The sample holder comprises a refractory metal consisting of one or more of a niobium/molybdenum alloy and a tantalum/tungsten alloy.

Abstract: A passive microscopic Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (FPI) pressure sensor includes an optical fiber and a three-dimensional microscopic optical enclosure. The three-dimensional microscopic optical enclosure includes tubular side walls having lateral pleated corrugations and attached to a cleaved tip of the optical fiber to receive a light signal. An optically reflecting end wall is distally engaged to the tubular side walls to enclose a trapped quantity of gas that longitudinally positions the optically reflecting end wall in relation to ambient air pressure, changing a distance traveled by a light signal reflected back through the optical fiber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microfluidic flow process for making monomers, monomers made by such processes, and methods of using such monomers. In such process, microfluidic reaction technology is used to synthesize cyanation reaction products orders of magnitude faster than is possible in batch and continuous syntheses. The aforementioned process does require strictly regulated, highly toxic cyanogen chloride. Thus the aforementioned process is more economically efficient and reduces the environmental impact of thermosetting resin monomer production, and produces thermosetting resin monomers in greater purity than obtained through typical processes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a synthetic method, apparatus, and system for the continuous-flow synthesis of 3,4-dinitropyrazole from pyrazole in a microfluidic environment. This synthetic strategy consist of three (3) synthetic steps, including (1) N-nitration of pyrazole, (2) thermal rearrangement into 3-nitropyrazole, and (3) 4-nitration of 3-nitropyrazole. The current technique produces 3,4-dinitropyrazole in yields up to 85% in particular embodiments, in comparison to 40-50% yields demonstrated by the current state of-the-art batch process for large scale synthesis from pyrazole.

Abstract: A method for reducing outgassing from a metal surface comprises applying energy from an energy source to the metal surface sufficient to melt the metal surface; and allowing the metal surface to re-solidify, wherein the re-solidified metal surface comprises larger grains and fewer grain boundaries, reducing outgassing sites for a trapped gas. Applying energy from an energy source is performed in a raster scan pattern. Adjacent passes in the raster scan pattern overlap sufficiently to melt the entire metal surface. The energy source is a laser, such as a CW Yb fiber laser. A spot size and applied energy of the laser energy source applied to the metal surface is sufficient to melt the entire metal surface (appropriate for the absorption and reflection characteristics of the treated material). The application of energy from an energy source releases at least some of a gas trapped in the metal. The trapped gas is atomic hydrogen. The metal surface comprises an electrode of a high power system device.

Abstract: A passive microscopic Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (FPI) sensor includes a three-dimensional microscopic optical structure formed on a cleaved tip of the optical fighter using a two-photon polymerization process on a photosensitive polymer by a three-dimensional micromachining device. The three-dimensional microscopic optical structure having a hinged optical layer pivotally connected to a distal portion of a suspended structure. A reflective layer is deposited on a mirror surface of the hinged optical layer while in an open position. The hinged optical layer is subsequently positioned in the closed position to align the mirror surface to at least partially reflect a light signal back through the optical fiber.

Abstract: An integrated decision making and communication system includes a memory to store a list of resources necessary to execute a mission; a transceiver to send and receive data between communicatively linked devices; and a processor to identify a set of available resources capable of executing the mission based on the data received from the devices; compare the list of resources necessary to execute the mission from the memory with the set of available resources; and identify a combination of the devices to execute the mission based on the comparison of the list of resources necessary to execute the mission and the set of available resources.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an early warning reentry system comprising a high efficiency module for determining spacecraft reentry time and a highly efficient method for determining spacecraft reentry time. The method permits more accurate, earlier spacecraft reentry time determinations using publicly available trajectory information without the need for accounting for the actual design configuration of the spacecraft in question. Thus, a module for making such determinations can easily and inexpensively be added to an early warning reentry system.