This proposal seeks to overcome one of the fundamental limitations associated with flextensional piezoelectric actuators. These unique components offer very high physical displacement due to the presence of internal stresses accomplished during manufacture. However, high voltages are required to achieve these displacements, often precluding their use in aerospace systems. This work will produce high-displacement actuators that can operate efficiently at 50V or less, for application in satellite, aircraft, and commercial systems. The proposed devices will reduce the voltage required to operate flextensional actuators from 400V or more to 50V or less. Power consumed will also be significantly reduced. Applications in smart structures for spacecraft and aircraft, diesel engines, and industrial manufacturing equipment exist Over the past decade the growth of data, information and knowledge has been accelerating and search engines and simple automation have proven to be inadequate at addressing the ensuing information glut. This points to the opportunity to apply Intelligent Agent technology to the problem by using them as assistants in managing data/information and developing the needed knowledge. Our proposed "Agent-based Knowledge-design Assistance (AKA) Environment" concept is a significant opportunity for the creation of an integrated environment for rapidly formulating knowledge bases utilizing agents in conjunction with design pattern concepts. The AKA concept provides an environment for hosting knowledge design pattern agents, called Template Agents (TA) and using XML as a run-time tool for conversion, storage, and maintenance of knowledge. The environment presents the user with an integrated view of the available TAs using an orchestrating agent, called Design Assistant Agent (DAA), which manages, arbitrates and negotiates with the TAs. All the agents act autonomously to promulgate their design pattern and agenda within the context of the AKA environment and the knowledge base content. We believe that the application of design patterns with the AKA environment will reduce risk, lead-time, complexity and level-of-effort associated with creation of knowledge and management of information. We expect the AKA project to be on a FastTrack due to commercialization plans of our teammates, Boeing and KnoWave, both of whom have immediate need for the technology. The AKA is targeted at the "solution seeking" market which is projected to grow from $240M in 2000 to about $1.9B in 2002. Triton Systems is responding to the DTRA need to ensure the survivability of future military C4I and weapons systems by hardening them against damage from HEMP and HPM weapons, using primarily COTS shielding materials for flexible electromagnetic shields. Triton's unique approach is to integrate our conductive polymer technology into flexible thermoplastic polymer films and foams that will be highly reflective and attenuate HEMP and HPM electromagnetic radiation with improved broadband performance. In Phase I, Triton will show the feasibility by compounding conductive-enhanced polymers and laminating conductive fabrics for EM hardening, and will use reticulated foam with matched properties to fabricate textile laminates which will result in flexible, chemical/biological protective, low Q electromagnetic shields. In Phase II, with the cooperation of a major manufacturer of flexible structures and soft shelters, and with the support of SBCCOM's Fabric Structures Group, Triton will develop compounding to pilot scale level and develop one or more prototype flexible electromagnetic shielding structure(s) for large scale EMI testing. Products for the military and commercial sectors will be developed and sold late on the Phase II program, and on a Phase III program.This Phase I Program, and following programs, will develop new lightweight materials that will provide hardening protection against HEMP and HPM interference for C4I and the U.S. Army Future Combat System. The primary commercial application will be to the Military for use in rapidly deployed soft shelters and individual warfighter systems. The secondary commercial market will be to civilian ground, air and space equipment, for improved operations in strong electromagnetic fields. Mission Research Corporation (MRC) proposes to develop and demonstrate a solution to the single event effects (SEE) problems which result in data loss in deep submicron microcircuits used in space environments. We describe a unique hardening technique, which we refer to as a "temporally redundant latch." This approach provides immunity to SEE related upset effects with a minimal impact on microcircuit design methods and circuit performance. The objective of our proposal is to demonstrate the viability of the temporally redundant latch technique in a microcircuit that is important to the military and commercial space industry. The selected microcircuit will be fully hardened for space applications. It will serve as a proof o principal for the hardening technique and lead to other temporal latch insertions in microcircuits developed for space missions. The temporally redundant latch will permit microcircuits with deep submicron feature sizes to be used in space environments. The design technique eliminates single event upsets (SEU) and prevents single event transients (SET0 generated in combinational logic from disrupting microcircuit operation. The objective of this project is to develop a seismic event location procedure that utilizes initial and secondary seismic arrival times computed with the Gaussian beam method. Software to compute Gaussian beam synthetic seismograms for complex three-dimensional velocity structures will be developed. This software will be integrated with existing hypocenter inversion software to produce new event location programs. The Phase I project will use th iterative least-squares inversion method. Software to compute phase travel times and travel-time derivatives from Gaussian beam synthetic seismograms will be developed. A travel-time grid method based on Gaussian beam seismograms will be developed in Phase II. The nonlinear inversion method of Tarantola and Valette will be used to compute the hypocenter and location error estimates. The two location programs using Gaussian beam travel times will be compared to other methods of computing event locations for three-dimensional velocity models. The software developed will have immediate application in the CTBT monitoring effort. Commercial applications include monitoring the induced seismicity in oil fields as well as rock-bursts and collapses in mines, and earthquake hazards reduction. Spinnaker Semiconductor will develop its proprietary Schottky barrier CMOS technology (SB-CMOS) for space and other radiation hard environments. SB-CMOS offers a dramatic reduction in parasitic bipolar gain and therefore unconditional immunity to latch-up. It also has greatly increased hardness to node-discharge and other single-event-effects. The proposed SB-CMOS technology features MOS devices with minimum channel lengths of 50 nm and will therefore be ideal for high-speed digital and mixed-signal applications. Anticipated Benefits: 1) Unconditional immunity to latch-up 2) Greatly increased tolerance to node-discharge and other single event effects 3) 50 nm minimum channel length devices for high unity gain frequency 4) Silicon based, planar technology. Survivable shields are a necessary part of many soft x-ray debris mitigation systems that provide ultra clean test environments for nuclear weapons effects testing. Existing test requirements demand ultra large area survivable shields (12 inch diameter). Existing designs are limited to relatively small areas at low fluences and/or impose severe x-ray attenuation penalties. A methodology for the design of ultra large survivable shields is proposed. The Ktech technical approach to optimizing the design of an ultra survivable shield is to optimally minimize and accommodate the shield response to each of the loads imposed on the shield by the PRS radiation and debris environments through geometric configuration and material selection with the constraint of low soft x-ray (K line) attenuation. The loads on a survivable shield are a combination of UV induced blow off, pressure loads exerted by expanding plasmas from the PRS source region and from UV filters, particulate debris impacts and radiation induced line loads and moments. Techniques to eliminate or minimize to the extent possible each of these loads are presented.Survivable shield/window technology is required for nearly all of the test facilities examining the response and survivability of stock pile components/systems to hostile (man made or natural) environments. Large area survivable shields are required for all PRS simulations, for many electron and ion beam tests and for NIF. Survivable window technology is also a critical element in the design of ion or electron beam pulsers for surface hardening of materials, waste remediation, semi-conductor fabrication and for medical applications. Triton Systems responds to the DTRA need to ensure the survivability of military C3 and weapon systems by hardening them against damage from HEMP and HPM weapons, using primarily COTS shielding materials for electronic equipment. Triton's unique approach is to integrate its conductive polymer technology into new epoxy-carbon composites and adhesives that will strongly reflect and attenuate HEMP and HPM electromagnetic radiation. In Phase I, Triton will show the feasibility by making conductive-enhanced polymer composites for EM hardening, and will use an adhesive with matched properties to bond panels which will result in low Q enclosed structures. In Phase II, in cooperation with a major composite manufacturer, Triton will develop one or more prototype EM housings for DoD electronic hardware, products for the military and commercial sectors will be developed and sold late on a Phase II program, and on a Phase III program. This Phase I Program, and following programs, will develop new lightweight materials that will provide hardening protection against HEMP and HPM interference. The primary commercial application will be to the Military for use on aircraft, missiles, and space vehicles in potentially hostile environments. The secondary commercial market will be to civilian ground, air, and space equipment, for improved operations in strong EM fields. Nuclear denotations generate low frequency infrasound, which can be detected using infrasound sensors and used to assess the yield and location of an atmospheric nuclear explosion. However, the current infrasound sensors do not provide satisfactory performance because of a number of inherent limitations.Prime Photonics, Inc. proposes to develop an optical fiber sensor technology for highly-sensitive detection of infrasound under all-weather conditions. The proposed sensor is based on the self-calibrated interferometric/intensity-based (SCIIB) technology recently developed at the Virginia Tech's Photonics Laboratory, the subcontract collaborator of the proposed Phase I program. The SCIIB method for the first time successfully combines fiber interferometry and intensity-based devices into a single sensor system so that it possesses all the major advantages of the two types. The successful completion of this Phase I will lead to a clear demonstration of highly-sensitive infrasound detection with full compensation of undesired optical and environmental changes.Prime Photonics, Inc. will collaborate with Virginia Tech's Photonics Laboratory, where the SCIIB sensor technology was invented and an advanced CO2 laser-based SCIIB sensor fabrication facility is available. In the event of a Phase award, Virginia Center for Innovative Technology will provide $18K match funding to support the subcontracted research to Virginia Tech. The proposed research will lead the development of ruggedized acoustic sensors, which will have a wide range of industrial applications. One of these is fiber instrumentation for on-line detection and location of partial discharges in high-voltage power transformers. It is believed that initiation of partial discharges is responsible for about 1% of annual failure rate, and no sensors that can be used directly inside transformers are currently available for this application. As a new start-up, Prime Photonics is committed to the development of products for instrumentation in harsh environments, and has identified sensors for electric utilities as its first target market. Following successful field demonstration of prototype sensors during the Phase II program, Prime Photonics will seek investment capital to put in place the infrastructure necessary for product manufacture and marketing. A magnetic flyer plate impact can be designed to accurately simulate the x-ray induced stress profile in a re-entry body (RB) heat shield very near the irradiation surface. With the accurate simulation of the near surface stress history all subsequent vehicle responses must then be a good representation of those induced by the nuclear threat. A Mag Flyer impact at atmospheric pressure is the highest fidelity simulation shapes the induced stress wave profile. A major limitation on the accuracy and repeatability of magnetic flyer plate experiments is that the load magnitude and temporal history are sensitive functions of the flight distance. When operating in air, the desired loading conditions can only be achieved with short flight distances and the normal RB tolerances limit the accuracy of the experiment. This proposal presents unique experimental solutions that allow the flyer plate distance to be significantly increased while maintaining the desired load magnitude and temporal history. These changes decrease the sensitivity of the magnetic flyer technique to flight distance changes due to experiment assembly and/or within tolerance dimensional variations and eliminates a major limitation of the magnetic flyer technique. The feasibility of using alternate gases and modifying the capacitor bank to tailor the "gas spring" response to allow larger flight distances will be examined in Phase I. Ktech's analyses have determined that the flight distance can be doubled by the use of an alternate gas such as neon. Capacitor bank modifications that modify the ringing frequency of the bank and/or shape the current pulse will also be examined because achieving constant flyer velocity at early times also facilitates the use of large flight distances. A Phase Ii program plan will be developed that describes the necessary modification to the DTRA Mag Flyer Facility to implement gas spring technology and the required facility characterization program. The gas spring technology will decrease the sensitivity of mag flyer techniques to dimensional tolerances of the test articles and will significantly increase the Mag Flyer Facility capabilities to meet specific experiment requirements in terms of peak stress and specific impulse. Additionally, load uncertainties will be reduced. The improved facility will provide a cost effective AGT capability for selection and hardness evaluation of new materials and the certification of modified systems. Theoretical and computational modeling will be used to describe a new technology concept for designing penetrators for use against deep, hardened targets. The prototype design should produce metal ejecta with penetrating capability superior to conventional munitions of equivalent size and/or weight. Calculated performance characteristics will be compared with existing experimental data from other sources to estimate the lethality against selected targets. Alternative designs, not achievable with current warhead systems, will be compared in order to find the most promising design. The technology concept can be applied to the design of penetrators to defeat hardened, underground structures. Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities are thought to limit the pulse-width compression ratio, power coupling from driver to pinch and radiation efficiency, for z-pinches at 4 MA (Double-Eagle), 9 MA (Saturn) and 18 MA (Z). Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation proposes to use a train of 150 ps laser pulses to capture snap-shots of the density structures in an imploding z-pinch. These snap-shots will reveal the structure of instabilities in the pinch and allow us to correlate improved power coupling to the pinch and higher radiation efficiency with mitigation of such instabilities. The technique we propose to use is called Laser Shearing Interferometry. LSI gives information on the sheath shape, stability and implosion velocity. The Phase-I project will concentrate on just these measurements on Double-Eagle. In Phase-II, the same hardware, with a few modifications, may be used to augment the sheath measurements to provide a detailed study of the implosion dynamics of the pinch. The Phase-II instrument will thus be a more comprehensive tool for z-pinch development. The Phase III effort will commercialize the instrument and supply models to DoD and DOE laboratories engaged in PRS research as well as modify the instrument for other commercial applications such as the combustion diagnostic tool. This program could improve the capabilities of existing and higher current simulators (Decade, Z and beyond) and provide design criteria for future simulators. Commercial applications include non-invasive monitoring of fuel droplet-vapor mixing in combustion chambers including rocket engines and of x-ray lithography and microscopy system reproducibility and reliability. This research address the present limitations of inductive energy storage and transfer systems used in various pulsed power applications. It particularly addresses power-multiplying circuits utilizing capacitor banks energizing a switched inductive store into an inductive load. Presently, such systems have overall efficiencies below 10%. The present research addresses this efficiency problem with a novel scheme that promises between 100 and 15 percent improvement. The dominate cost in such system reside in the capacitor bank and prime power. Thus, the expected savings are of the same order. In applications where the over all performance is related to some power of the load current such as radiation sources the projected cost reduction may reach factors of between 3 and 4%. In Phase I we performed a preliminary design of the switch physics and circuit parameters including tradeoffs in key parameters. Our design includes a discussion of techniques to increase current to the load and in minimizing adverse effects, such as instabilities. In Phase II we propose to work with national engineering laboratories to implement the new technology in existing pulsed-power devices. The technology will hasten the realization of full simulation capability which will enhance the defense posture of the country. Smaller commercial variations will be used for lithography, x-ray sterilization and radiography of large systems. We propose a method to enhance the energy density of capacitors and other dielectrics by the creation of intermediate layers between the electrodes and the energy storing dielectric proper. The solution is applicable to applications where the charge and discharge time are defined. Once defined, a tailored layer is fashioned which will drastically reduce the field enhancements at imperfections for the specified charge an discharge times. Since most circuit installed capacitors operate in a fixed temporal region defined by the circuit designer, such a solution is applicable to most applications of capacitors. They do not apply to capacitors used experimentally where the operating regime changes from use to use. The successful application of this technology may increase energy storage by as much as an order of magnitude with application extending from major facilities and utility power factor corrects on application to MOS gates of semiconductors. High level protection of DOD high power systems against electromagnetic threats that include high intensity radiated fields (HIRF), electromagnetic interference (EMI), electromagnetic pulse (EMP), electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and electrostatic discharges (ESD) is highly desired to improve equipment reliability and personnel safety. The option of using conventional shielding materials for electromagnetic radiation hardening tends to exhibit several limitations such as limited frequency range of application, excessive weight, high cost, or low flexibility. Sigma Technologies proposes a novel highly effective approach for improving substantially radiation hardening of DOD aerospace systems. The concept consists in the development of a ceramic/metal nanophase multilayer composite which will be effective over a wide range of frequencies. In Phase I of this program, Sigma will establish proof-of-concept that the proposed composite will provide improved immunity to electromagnetic effects. In the Phase II work, the process will be transferred to larger scale equipment that is already in place at Sigma to produce large quantities for field tests.The proposed material composite is expected to have superior electromagnetic shielding properties which can be readily transferred to the civilian sector. Applications may include shielding from hazardous electromagnetic radiation of sensitive equipment found in commercial aerospace vehicles, government buildings, hospitals, homes, and schools To protect the US against limited nuclear attacks, the NMD system must operate successfully in nuclear-disturbed environments. A key to successfully negating nuclear threat is selecting a battleplan that ensures that NMD system performance is not too severely degraded by nuclear effects. While prompt nuclear effects are easy to plan around, persistent nuclear environments are more problematic, especially with the fast-running, lower-fidelity algorithms that BMC2 must use. MRC has long been among the nation's leaders in predicting nuclear environments and their impacts on system performance. We will combine this experience with expertise in artificial neural networks (ANN) to develop and train an ANN for use as a real-time decision aid in selecting optimal battleplans that minimize direct and collateral nuclear impacts. We will develop our decision aid so it can be used as an integral element in the BMC2 battleplanning process, dynamically responding to an evolving threat and providing risk assessments that would not otherwise be available. It will assess multiple battleplans, then inform a human in control (HIC) of the probability of success and costs/benefits of each plan so they will be adequately informed when selecting an actual battleplan. The Phase I effort will demonstrate that a neural network can be trained to predict the outcome of a candidate NMD battleplan in the presence of possible nuclear bursts. It will provide the human-in-control with an assessment of the nuclear-induced risks to the performance of vital elements in the system. Similar decision aids could be developed for other ballistic missile defense program, such as THAAD, Navy TMD, or even the Israeli Arrow program. The concept could also be applied to TMD deployment planning to minimize the risks of nuclear, biological, or chemical collateral damage to civilian or military assets. OptiSwitch Technology Corporation proposes the development of a high-power, optically activated solid-state switch for the replacement of the rail gap switches on DTRA's Fast Marx Generator (FMG). The switch is packaged into 200kV/250kA modules that directly connect to the output plates of the fast capacitor. The switch is based on direct connection of thyristor elements, a technique that would offer the opportunity of both a high degree of compactness as well as of manufacturability for switch applications. The optical switching results in ultra-low jitter (ps) between switch modules and enables parallel configurations of the FMG for mega-ampere and mega-voltage applications. The switches do not require replacement or refurbishment, drastically reducing the cost of ownership and downtime. This advanced switch technology also makes feasible a new type of pulse power machine, one based on low impedance transmission lines fabricated from capacitor grade, thin film dielectrics. Such a system will be more efficient, less costly to build and maintain and more compact than current pulse power machines. This pulse power technology, enabled by the switch, is flexible such that one machine would deliver the required currents and voltages for both BRS and PRS load with pulsewidths of less than 100ns.The development of this advanced solid-state switch will enable simulators to be less costly to build and maintain, more compact, and higher performance. Commercial applications are numerous; some include protecting electric utility and telecommunication systems from high current surges caused by lightning strikes and switching transients. Within the proliferation of biological weapons, the outbreak of food poisoning occurrences, and the spread of antibiotic resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria, the demand has arisen both in military and civilian environments of portable systems capable of rapid, specific, and quantitative detection of biological agents. During the Phase I program, "Long Period Grating (LPG)-Based Optical Fiber Fluorescent Sensors for the Detection of Biological and Chemical Agents," #DTRA01-99-M-0432, Luna Innovations, formerly F&S, successfully demonstrated direct detection methods and fluorescent methods to measure captured targets. Results were demonstrated down to ng/ml detection levels for proteinaceous targets. Fluorescent response was obtained by sandwiching fluorolabeled confirmatory antibodies to bound molecules. Direct detection was determined with LPGs through the measurement of refractive index changes resulting from the selective binding of target mass. The orthogonal measurement techniques will reduce false-positives through independent confirmation of binding events. Advantages of Luna's optical fiber technology include low-cost mass fabrication techniques, robust field-portable implementation, and multiple target capabilities. In the proposed Phase II program, Luna Innovations will utilize these methods to determine the presence of warfare targets in deployed field test. Luna Innovations is addressing dual-use applications in the military and private sector for markets involving field portable, multiplexed instrumentation. Focus areas for medical and non-medical defense include monitoring battlefield conditions for the release of hazardous materials, measuring decontamination, training to respond to exposure events, and verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Medical areas include the diagnosis agent exposure in the preclinical state so that an immediate response can be established. Luna is also exploring commercial markets that include pharmaceutical screening, medical diagnosis, food safety, and process control. Triton Systems, Inc., proposes to apply its innovative electrochemical deposition method for fabricating field use-compatible vapor and aerosol concentrations monitors that provide significantly improved species selectivity. This proprietary process, with which we have succeeded in upgrading dramatically the performance of an electrochromic polymer-based switch for rf electromagnetic waves, allows formation from its appropriately functional group-altered monomer of virtually any electroactive polymer, rather than the very few that lend themselves to casting from solution. Triton is therefore able to design miniaturized conductimetric chemisensors with bandgaps tailored for differential response to the redox potentials of chemical-biological warfare components and ambient interferents. We are able to confine deposition of the polymer film to the spaces between interdigitated metallic electrodes by making use of a company-developed thermally activated mask. This production method both allows precise control of the (submicron) thickness of this volatiles-sensitive layer and further increases its change in resistance with analyte arrival rate by giving it a highly porous exposed surface. The objective of Triton's research will be to formulate robust, long shelflife sub-ppm threshold response microsensors with enhanced discrimination of specific airborne CBW agents and precursors. Conductive polymer-based vapor concentration sensors are currently being applied for assessing the quality of food products and their as-received raw materials, the protection provided by packaging, and the threat from noxious and hazardous gases or aerosols in workplaces (among others, pesticide-treated areas and the ESA / MIR Space Station crew cabin). Further applications in chemical process control and olfactory medical diagnosis are under development, as are those in the several aspects of detecting toxic agents. The improved species selectivity, threshold sensitivity, and overall robustness of Triton's innovative chemisensor will significantly improve the effectiveness and broaden the scope of this automatic concentration monitoring. On a completed Phase I program, Triton Systems reponded to the DTRA need to develop a new small portable monitoring device that would detect chemical welfare agents (CWAs) in water, for use in Chemical/Biological Treaty Verification. On Phase I, Triton demonstrated proof of principle of a new unique Triton chemi-resistor sensor array that detected CWA simulants and derivatives at < 1 ppm level in water, and identified them by signatures. On Phase II, Triton will develop a unique D-FENSE (tm) device, based on teh Phsae I results with new innovations, which will detect and identify both nerve and blister CWAs, with lower detection limits and improved signatures and analysis. A First Generation prototype device will be built and tested. On Phase III, and advanced prototype DEFENSE (tm) device will be build and field tested. The Phase II program will lead to the development of a new unique prototype portable and user friendly D-FENSE (tm) instrument that will have both DoD and civilian commercial applications in both Treaty Compliance and in environmental monitoring. Secondary evaporation of chemical warfare agents released from structures onto concrete and/or soil surfaces during attacks on chemical production and storage facilities can persist for long periods relative to the lifetimes of expulsion plumes and can account for substantial agent release. The DTRA Hazard Prediction and Assessment Capability (HPAC) and engineering model Structural Expulsion Plume (STEP) include source terms for the amount of chemical agent introduced into the environment by secondary evaporation. A requirement exists for an experimental methodology to determine the amount of chemical agent introduced into the environment by secondary evaporation and for data for chemical agent simulants for the nerve agents GB, GD, and VX. The objectives of the proposed Phase I program are (1) to develop an experimental methodology for determining the rate of secondary evaporation of chemical agent simulant vapor when liquid simulant is released onto surfaces and (2) to implement the methodology for three chemical agent simulants and two surfaces (concrete and compacted soil) for several liquid deposition densities and atmospheric conditions. The methodology will be expanded to address actual chemical agents and additional chemical agent simulants and their transfer hazard during Phase II. The experimental methodology and data will be directly usable by DTRA in its source model development for the HPAC and STEP programs. The experimental methodology will be usable by other military and civilian agencies and industries in their hazardous waste management activities and for simulations of accidental releases of hazardous materials from structures or transport vehicles. Upon successful completion of the proposed program, an accelerant payload concept shall be developed and evaluated. The use of an accelerant payload allows the munitions system designer the capability to exploit a thermal target defeat mechanism, in addition to coupling to traditional high explosive/fragmentation defeat mechanisms, to increase the overall target lethality. The use of a thermal accelerant payload allows for the enhanced defeat of combustible materiel within a target volume including that located outside the primary area of weapon effects due to fire start and fire spread. Additionally, the selection of the accelerant payload composition can result in the actual structure of the target (ex., iron and steel girders and beams, concrete) contributing to the degree of target defeat which are not usually thought to be considered a "combustible" material.If this program is carried to its conclusion, GSI will provide the U.S. Government with information and hardware which will improve our war fighting capabilities through a combiuned effects munitions system. Direct input, for example. can be provided to the on-going Eglin Air Force penetrator program in terms of advanced payload options. Other applications may include shoulder fired munitions, anti-submarine munitions and other applications such as a high-temperature cutting torch. Experimental quantities of metastable Al-Mg solid solutions (Mg contents 10-50%) have been recently prepared using mechanical alloying. Such solid solutions are predicted to be a new type of metallic high energy density materials in which specific phase changes are pre-programmed to occur at a desired temperature and trigger ignition of accelerate combustion rate of the fuel. Preliminary tests have indeed shown that mechanical alloys have significantly reduced ignition temperatures and higher combustion rates as compared to the pure aluminum. The ignition temperatures and combustion rates were shown to depend on the alloy composition, crystal lattice parameter, and crystallite size. It is proposed that these new materials can be used in a new generation of explosives and incendiary devices with the explosion parameters tailored precisely to defeat specific targets. An experimental program aimed at the feasibility demonstration of this hypothesis is described. Samples of mechanical alloys of the aluminum and boron based compounds will be prepared and tested. A constant volume explosion technique is is chosen to characterize performance of the new materials. Analytical instrumentation, e.g., an electron microscope, an x-ray diffractometer, a bomb calorimeter, etc., will be used to characterize structures and compositions of mechanical alloys and their combustion products.An opportunity identifiied in this proposed research is to explore the feasibility Drilling has been an integral part of defense community weapons effects testing for over 40 years. Hard target defeat programs have required specialized drilling technology in the creation of test targets and in the monitoring of weapons tests, that can only be accomplished by directional drilling. Unfortunately the cost of conducting directional drilling, the typical use of large volumes of water during drilling and its subsequent impact on the test environment, and the detrimental effects of the movement of large drilling rigs over the test sites has resulted in the abandonment of the benefits that could be derived from accurately placed instrumentation. The proposed Light Autonomous Directional Drilling System is transportable by a pick-up truck, drills dry, is cost effective to use, and other than the air compressor, the hardware is man portable. The system builds on proven off-the-shelf pneumatic drilling technology and existing position location navigation technology. The key innovation necessary to prove the feasibility of this system is a downhole Pneumatic Advancing Rotational Steering System. A prototype design has been developed and described in this proposal. Phase I involves the refinement of the design, manufacture of the prototype and laboratory testing of its capabilities to prove feasibility.The proposed system (the Pneumatic Advancing Rotational Steering System) has direct application to the drilling of far reaching horizontal oil production wells. Horizontal, slim-hole, and coiled tube drilling started to pick up in activity in the late 1980's and have been on a steady increase of use ever since. Difficulties with coiled tubing include limitations on the amount of thrust and torque which can be transmitted from the surface and the size and expense of their rigs. The proposed systems eliminates these constraints. UTD will work with existing Oil and Gas company partners in the commercialization of this new technology. A six-month Phase I project is proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of a hierarchical method for more accurately estimating the material parameters of constitutive models in DYNA3D, thereby enhancing the fidelity of nonlinear finite element models. The hierarchical approach combines the distinct advantages of coupon, component and system-level testing with Bayesian statistical parameter estimation. Bayesian sequential estimation retains the information gained from previous estimates in a covariance matrix of the estimates, which is updated with test data from each subsequent test. It is also proposed that a one-stage version of the Bayesian estimator be applied to a fragmentation model developed by General Atomics, SAIC and George Mason University. The material representation in the model will be generalized to include stochastically correlated bond strengths between element clusters in an effort to more accurately represent the fragment weight distributions observed in arena tests.The proposed project will build upon a recently completed SBIR Phase II project also sponsored by DTRA, which developed and implemented methods for nonlinear model validation and verification in a MATLABr Nonlinear Model V&V Toolbox. This toolbox is currently undergoing beta-testing at U.S. National Laboratories. The proposed project will extend the toolbox to include a hierarchical method for material parameter estimation. The resulting toolbox should benefit all users of DYNA3D, including the U.S. transportation industry that uses the code extensively for vehicle crash simulations, and the design of roadside safety barriers. Homeland security and first responders need high quality & timely information upon which to make critical decisions. In a number of homeland security scenarios, the information will be a distillation of data gathered from an array of sensors. Such data can consist of temperature, vibration and the like along with the position of each sensor. This project proposes meeting this need through an innovative combination of GPS technologies and wireless sensors using the IEEE 1451 family of standards. Each sensor or actuator will connect to a Transducer Interface Module (TIM) that provides the necessary sensor communications capability. Each TIM contains standard GPS that will be augmented with a variation of differential GPS and inertial navigation to meet the positional accuracy requirements. Regenerative medicine is an emerging, interdisciplinary field that will result in new engineered medical products. The introduction of a high-resolution, non-destructive imaging technique that is capable of penetrating deeply into the highly-scattering scaffold medium has the means to accelerate the development and commercial utilization of these novel materials. Multi-photon microscopy (MPM) is based on the detection of the fluorescence emitted by endogenous or exogenous markers. Optical coherence microscopy (OCM) delivers information on the sample's scattering properties. These modalities provide different imaging contrast mechanisms. It is highly desirable to combine both imaging functions into a single instrument. We propose to design and construct a dual function OCM/MPM platform based on expertise developed building a similar system for a biophysics research program at the University of Illinois. The pressing need exists within industry to accurately measure high aspect ratio microscale structures. For example, diesel injector nozzles are manufactured with microscale holes ranging from 50-200 micrometers in diameter and 3-5 mm depths. One fundamental challenge is to nondestrucvely measure these features in order to validate models, enhance manufacturing processes, and reduce fuel emissions. Current measurement technologies are limited due to probe size (i.e. > 30 micrometers in diameter) and often produce unwanted adhesive forces during the measurement process. The objective of this SBIR program is to develop a 2D high aspect ratio microscale force probe; representing a collaborative effort between InsituTech Inc., a North Carolina based instrumentation manufacturer, and the Center for Precision Metrology at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The sensing technology developed through this program employs revolutionary concepts in probing technologies which include a high aspect ratio probe generating minimal adhesive forces, providing 7 micrometer contact diameters, 5 mm free lengths and 5 nms sensitivity. The objective of this Phase 1 effort is to demonstrate the feasibility of printed circuit assembly (PCA) warpage simulation through a novel combination of advanced AP210-based printed circuit board (PCB) simulation methods and cutting-edge general-purpose mesh generation tools. Our proposed solution, the extended multi-representation architecture (MRA), embodies an innovative approach that combines rich product models based on open standards, idealization knowledge capture, advanced analytical modeling and FEA meshing, and modular architecture. The specific technical aims are to demonstrate the effective integration of MRA and advanced meshing approaches, evaluate the required fidelity of PCB and component models, and compare the simulation results for s simple board-component assembly with experimental results using temperature-dependent shadow moiré. There are emerging markets that are driven by advances in x-ray micro-calorimeters. These detectors allow an energy resolution 10x better than existing commercial x-ray detectors. The primary application is the detection and analysis of nanoscale particle contaminates in IC production. The temperature stability of the micro-calorimeter is critical for real-time analysis and maintaining the x-ray line positions. A cryogen-free ADR is used to provide temperatures less than 100 mK. However, there is not an existing control system that can provide the required temperature stability and complete cooling cycle automation. Lake Shore will develop a complete control system. This includes thermometry, magnet supply, precision sourcing, feedback loop and communication interface within a self-contained rack-mounted instrument. The control system will provide stability required for TES detector applications. Nova Scientific proposes a high-resolution neutron imaging detector having a specialized neutron-sensitive electron amplified detection stage integrated with a cross-strip electronic readout capable of centroid averaging. This detector system will have direct application to two-dimensional imaging of hydrogen fuel cells and support the diagnostic capabilities of the Neutron Imaging Facility (NIF) at NIST. Applications include high-resolution neutron radiography for fuel cells and nondestructive testing, neutron scattering, SANS experimentation, neutron beam diagnostics, and materials research. NIST is using a sensitive optical technique called cavity ring-down detection to permit detection of impurities in semiconductor process gases, which cause substantial losses in manufacturing yield. In order to increase the sensitivity and range of application of this technique, improved single frequency laser sources are required. In particular, lasers providing more power, narrower line-width, better beam quality and access to a wider range of wavelengths would allow detection of a wider range of species with greater sensitivity. Aculight has developed a novel laser technology which meets all of these requirements. As a final result of this program, we will deliver a packaged, fiber-based laser system which provides 1 Watt of tunable, single frequency output between 1.6 and 1.8 um. This is two orders of magnitude more power than diode lasers currently used for the application. In order to verify the utility of the laser for the application we will show that greatly increased efficiency of coupling into a ring-down cavity can be demonstrated when compared with that observed with diode laser. Open Tech proposes to develop a fully extensible collaborative tools framework that combines powerful features, and intuitive user interface, and the ability to easily implement new and imaginative object interaction techniques. The tools will allow users of both local and remote immersive VE systems to join together in a single shared VE that allows them to interact with each other and with objects in the VE simultaneously. Desktop and immersed users can collaboratively leverage the strengths of both platforms simultaneously to conduct research. Communication and collaboration are important aspects in most scientific research, and our proposed collaboration technologies will bring these aspects to a new level in the field of scientific visualization. TDI proposes to produce combinatorial GaN and AlGaN samples library having a wide range of doping and fabricated using a variety of surface treatment conditions. These samples will be grown using novel technological approach based on advanced hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). This method is known to produce bulk GaN materials with low defect density. Recently, TDI has demonstrated high throughput HVPE growth for both (1) doped GaN and AlGaN layers and (2) undoped layers with record low background impurity concentrations. These results opened an opportunity to develop GaN and AlGaN samples library to optimize material sheet resistivity and minimize ohmic contact resistivity using a multi-parameter space experiments. Phase I project is focused on HVPE growth of n-type and p-type samples having wide doping range and investigation of several metallization schemes for ohmic contact fabrication. Unique ability of HVPE to control defect formation in grown layers will allow us to investigate defect influence on sheet resistivity and contact resistance. The main goal of the Phase I is to prove the concept and demonstrate p- and n-type GaN and AlGaN materials with continues and discrete variation in sheet resistivity. Novel sample preparation schemes allowing combinatorial experiments on samples produced under the same conditions are proposed. Doping in grown layers will be varied from 5x1015 to 1x1020 cm-3. Fabricated samples will be delivered to NIST for testing and evaluation. APDs offer tremendous potential for the numerous applications in which photon densities are extremely low and the ability to count single photons is essential. Researchers have recently found that the optimization of InP-based APDs for counting photons may require innovative design approaches that are quite distinct from those shown to optimize APD linear mode performance. For this program, we propose to design and fabricate InP-based APDs for which the avalanche dynamics are optimized specifically for photon counting using design concepts that incorporate novel bandgap engineering approaches. In particular, these concepts will allow us to achieve increased detection efficiency at 1.5 um with simultaneous reduction of the dark count rate through the use of impact ionization engineering multiplication regions. One of the standard analytical tools on almost all electron microscopes (EM) is an energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) detector used for chemical analysis. However, there are many limitations with the current generation of EDS detectors for EM. The best potential for achieving larger detector active areas, superb energy resolution and an order of magnitude higher count rate compared with conventional EDS detectors, comes from a new detector technology - the silicon drift detector. We will develop a large solid angle detector (up to 0.8 srad), with low noise electronics, specifically for the high vacuum, demanding environments of the analytical EM. Phase I will include evaluation and selection of one of three preliminary spectrometer designs; Phase II will include optimization of the selected design, construction and full evaluation of the prototype spectrometer on the NIST analytical EM. A SMART Life Science prototype that facilitates the management of instrumentation data has far reaching implications. As much as the benefit is to an individual scientist, the greater impact affects the entire economy by facilitating the rapid launching of new scientific discoveries that cure disease and product new economic channels for firms. By improving process efficiencies in R&D organizations, SMART research environments will greatly improve the competitiveness of US firms by clearing the administrative barriers associated with innovation. RSI will develop a technology to improve fire fighter visibility and enable tracking of position/identity. The Coded Alternating Micromachined Retroreflector Array (CAMERA) will use RSI's microscale retroreflectors, a near-infrared (IR) coating and near-IR sources pulsing on alternating video frames to encode fire fighter identities, and a near-IR video camera. These grain-of-sand-sized markers would have different spectral signatures. To filter out IR-emitting fires and provide spectral information, a pulsed light interrogation scheme will be used. The IR diodes will alternate, and an inexpensive near-IR-capable camera will be used to observe the scene. The ratio between the signal on alternating frames will identify the target. The Phase 1 program will involve improvement in the optical quality, creating a unique IR coding scheme, development of a laboratory interrogation unit, and a demonstration of the concept. NIST desires to develop a standard of pressure in the range 0.3 MPa to 10 MPa based on measurements of the dielectric constants of gaseous helium and argon. This requires capacitance measurements having a better linearity than can be made with any currently available product. It is proposed that the design of the currently most precise commercial capacitance bridge be modified to improve its linearity by at least an order of magnitude. Resolution, stability and temperature coefficient are also to be improved. Adopting open standards such as the X3D and H-Anim reduce costs and ensure the longevity of applications involving human avatars. However, graphics hardware currently requires customized of vertex shader programming to optimize rendering. Yumetech, Inc. and Vcom3D propose the H-Anim+ Browser API: a generic vertex-skinning scheme for the H-Anim specification. The Phase 1 objective is to develop a generic scheme for applying a vertex-skinning program to an H-Anim compliant model using NVIDIA's Cg language. The technical approach for Phase 1 is to adapt the Xj3D Toolkit-a Java-based, open source API for creating VRML 97 and X3D applications-for the prototype H-Anim+ browser. Both companies will perform benchmark performance tests and document Phase II objectives and tasks based on results of the proof-of-concept implementation. We will focus our diode based multiplier technologies toward achieving a source suitable for the NIST imaging system in the 200 – 400 GHz band. To date our best doubler to 200 GHz generates up to 55 mW of (CW) power with 30% efficiency and 15% (3dB) bandwidth. However, the NIST imaging system requires pulsed performance with more than an order of magnitude higher peak input power. Thus, the multipliers must be fundamentally redesigned. This will include optimization of components for pulsed operation, a vast increase in the peak power handling and reconsideration of the fundamental design trade-offs. Through our innovative terahertz integrated circuit designs and fabrication technologies we will create an innovative new multiplier that will enable the final development of the proposed NIST imaging system and also be useful for a host of other important scientific and commercial applications. Homeland Security/First Responder networks require increased bandwidth and reliable connectivity. Future networks such as Project SAFECOM may deploy software-defined radios (SDR) compatible with Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Software Communications Architecture (SCA). We leverage our SCA compatible, high assurance “Smart Radio” prototype being developed under an AFRL sponsored Phase II SBIR as a infrastructure testbed accesible by academic and industry researchers. Our prototype includes a CC EAL4+ laptop with SCA core framework, PCMCIA module with NSA Type I AIM CS/S, Xilinx Virtex II Pro FPGA, and a High Assurance Wireless Computing System (HAWCS™) security layer which defeats blended wireless and Internet hacking attacks. In Phase I we define requirements and design cross-layer optimizer components, using MATLAB/SIMULINK to simulate their performance. This proposal focuses on developing Distributed Automatic Reconfigurable Trasponder (DART) system that is capable of achieving distributed multi-nodal voice/data communication for firefighters. Specifically, Williams-Pyro, Inc. proposes to develop an enhanced prototype of distributed Automated Reconfigurable Intelligent Radios, which consists of a series of distributed nodes that will relay voice transmission and data to the incident commander located outside the building. The proposed DART system will allow several distributed DARTs to communicate between individual team members inside the structure, as well as with the incident commander located outside the structure. This system will allow faster, more accurate information transmission, resulting in timely fire detection and safer firefighting. During Phase 1 Atometric developed and demonstrated principles of a four-axis micro machine. This machine is capable of machining metal parts that are sized within 50mm cube to an accuracy within one micron. Our goal is to develop a micro machine that is applicable to a broad commercial market. Three additional features need to be added to make the machine fully commercially viable. These three features are: an automatic tool sensor; an automatic tool changer; and, automatic part programming utilizing data from computer aided design programs. The proposed Phase 2 research focuses on developing those three features. Our proposed research will also focus on developing a micro machine that is to be operated in an office or laboratory environment, away from the usual manufacturing factory settings. When this capacity is fully developed a significant reduction in initial investment, energy usage, shipping costs and delay times will occur, with corresponding benefits throughout this now untapped market. Detector Technology will develop and manufacture a 10cm2 large format cone. The cone will be based on a ceramic substrate then coated with glass frit. The cone will then be attached to a standard single channel multiplier. Detector Technology will also investigate different low work function coatings to improve the first strike statistic of fluorescence. Simultaneous research in conjunction with sub-contractor, Nova Scientific, will include a large format microreticular, microfiber, or microsphere plate, which would also be enhanced by Detector Technology with a low work function coating. The final unit will be tested at Brookhaven National Labs for efficiency of the detection of fluorescence. A method to take three polymers with varying viscosities and mixing those polymers together at the point of interest or more specifically through a micro dispensing nozzle, is being proposed. An active mixing scheme to ensure proper mixing at the pen tip is a feasible approach to this problem. The materials being mixed will not only range in viscosity but also in particle loading, which will be handled appropriately without clogging the tip. The mixing, polymer ratios and dispensing volume will all be under computer control for consistent and repeatable results. This will also allow for a combinatorial approach to material discovery. While many applications and benefits will be observed, one true benefit will be the small volumes required for testing. The dispensed material will be less than micro liters in volume. We propose an uncooled infrared detector for the 8 to 12 micron wavelength range utilizing an integrated image converter with a thermal sensitivity as small as 2 millidegK based on modeling by independent research groups. Highly stable thin films coupled to a silicon readout additionally provide the desired spatial uniformity, linearity, dynamic range, and reduced cost for the detector representing an improvement in all areas over the commercial HgCdTe-based systems presently available. During Phase 1 a prototype detector will be delivered to NIST for proof-of-concept evaluations. Cyrano Sciences, Inc. proposes to develop and demonstrate a distributed sensor network that uses arrays of traditional and non-traditional detectors with data fusion to improve system performance and to perform a real-time survery of the fire ground to better protect and inform firefighters. Each node consists of multiple detectors, including a polymer-composite sensor array and other detectors, to reduce the incidence of false alarms and provide faster fire detection capabilities. Data fusion occurs at each node and alarm fusion occurs at a system-wide level, providing robust alarms and the ability to locate the source of a fire. The overall architecture of the system allows sensors to be added after installation and provides a communications center for mobile devices with GUIs. We envision using non-traditional sensors, such as video and force sensors, that will be installed in the structure and integrated with the system to provide complete and new information to first responders. We also envision that firefighters will have GPS and residual life indicators (for respirators) on their person and that these sensors will communicate with the building communications center, providing full information to the firefighter command center about the fire, the building, and personnel. Channel electron multipliers are used in a variety of applications including synchrotron research facilities. It is imperative that channel electron multiplier technology be improved for this type of application. Currently, the manufacturing process of channel multipliers is very inconsistent. When running an array of detectors each detector must act similarly. If the detectors are not matched then results may be skewed. During the shaping processes of the glass, contamination and surface imperfections can occur. Both causes inconsistency in the electrical characteristics of channel electron multipliers. In this project Detector Technology, Inc. will specifically concentrate on perfecting the manufacturing processes that contribute to inconsistencies. The resulting technology will provide a manufacturing process that will produce array detectors with matched electrical characteristics. Launch vehicles for the Space Based Infrared System will include Titan Launch vehicles and the Air Force Space Operations Vehicle(SOV). Composite structures on the SOV (the military version of NASA's Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) will be too large to cure inside existing autoclaves. Electron Beam processing is one of the most promising approaches for out-of-autoclave composite curing and bonding. Recent technology demonstration programs have shown potential cost savings and the ability to make large parts using EB curing at low temperature. However, additional development of EB-cured materials is required to meet RLV and SOV mechanical and thermal design specifications. Science Research Laboratory will work with the University of Dayton Research Institute to fabricate EB cured composites and to test the properties of these composites over a wide range of temperatures from 250øF to -423øF. These materials promise to meet or exceed the properties of Cytec Fiberite 977-2 (baseline for RLV cryotank composites) and to exceed the properties of the EB curable cationic epoxy currently used in the Lockheed Martin EB program. Electron beam curing and electron beam curable composites, adhesives and coatings have applications as reduced cost materials and processes for fabrication of large and small commercial and military aircraft structures, reusable launch vehicles, space operations vehicles, helicopters, cryotanks for liquid propellants, ground vehicle structures for military and civilian applications, in the fabrication of commercial automobiles and in the fabrication of composite shelters for military and humanitarian use. The total market is estimated to be at least $20M over the next five years. This Phase I SBIR proposal describes high dimensional data classificationalgorithm applicable to the problem of real-time intrusion detection. Ourapproach to this problem involves using generic, robust data classificationalgorithms for very large sets of high dimensional data vectors. Thealgorithm is based on three successful projects in data clustering carriedout in recent years by researchers at the University of Massachusett. Ourphase I goal is to test our clustering algorithms on ground truth data ina mutually blind fashion and to clarify the concept of similarity used inthe particular case of intrusion detection. The algorithms are developedindependently of the ground truth data and will be generically applicable. Applications of this technology include protecting government, military and private computer systems against unauthorized intrusion. Visual object recognition has been an active research topic for decades, but a robust solution to this difficult problem is yet to be identified. During this Phase I SBIR project, we propose to approach object recognition from a different point of view, by applying to it a technique that has worked very well for speech recognition, namely Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). HMM's success with speech recognition can be attributed to its flexibility and ability to solve two problems at once, namely segmentation and recognition. This is precisely the case with object recognition, as well. In the HMM based object recognition technique we propose, the hypotheses formation and verification steps of traditional object recognition architectures are thus merged without a mandate for a priori segmentation: HMM receives a set of image features in context, and in response, produces an "object word." The words may be connected to form sentences. Two or three dimensional "object sentences" may be synthesized from object words. Hierarchies of object primitives defined in this manner will further embellish the extent of the object description.During Phase I, we will design feature detection and analysis algorithms and define hierarchies of HMM topologies for object recognition. The work will also include an investigation of the impact of occlusion, lighting, and shadows on the proposed architecture. Object recognition, especially in real dynamic environments will be benefit many commercial and military applications. A specific application that analyzes existing video footage to label objects can create virtual representations of real world data and at the same time allow for searchable databases of visual information - much like text keyword search on the Internet. Fibre Channel(FC) is a high-bandwidth, high-performance network technology which is gaining market momentum in both commercial and military arenas. For routing topology flexibility, today's system area networks require switches. To date, however, the FC technology has not been developed to efficiently support real-time quality of service (i.e., guaranteed bandwidth and latency) in a switched environment. Such real-time quality of service is needed to meet future commercial and military requirements. In Phase 1, we determined that virtual circuits would meet our goal of developing a real-time FC switch. We further specified the architecture and protocol necessary to implement switch FC virtual circuits. For Phase 2, with a combination of FasTrack and SBIR funds, we propose to build a 4x4 prototype FC virtual circuitry real-time quality of service switch. The tasks will be comprised of completing the engineering and protocol design specifications, keeping the FasTrack-funded and SBIR-funded tasks synchronized, developing the prototype switch hardware and firmware components, integrating the prototype switch components, testing and debugging the prototype switch, and conducting a final demonstration of the prototype switch. The prototype will be designed such that it can be moved into an ASIC implementation during the post-Phase 2 activities. Fibre Channel was a $1+ billion industry in 1999. Estimates are that by 2010 Fibre Channel will be a $10-20 billion industry. Applications that can make use of a real-time quality of service switch include system/storage area networks, tape/disk jukeboxes, video broadcasters, videoconferencing, real-time systems(avionics, data acquisitions, etc.), e-commerce transactions, and interactive databases (airline/hotel/car reservations,. credit card processing, banking, etc.). Since commercial Fibre Channel switch companies do not currently support real-time quality of service switch include system/storage area networks, tape/disk jukeboxes, video broadcasters, videoconferencing, real-time systems (avionics, data acquisition, etc.), e-commerce transactions, and interactive databases (airline/hotel/car reservations,. credits card processing, banking, etc.). Since commercial Fibre Channel switch companies do not currently support real-time quality of service in their products, our switch's capabilities will meet future demanding commercial and military real-time network requirements. Mitigation of Single Event Upset (SEU) to electronic devices and components has traditionally been and expensive problem to overcome. Dramatic improvements in electronics technology have rendered many prior SEU solutions ineffective and have created the need for more advanced and innovative design tools. One of the more promising SEU solutions has been triple modular redundancy (TMR), where each processing and control circuit path is tripled and voted, such that when the outputs of the three circuit paths are not the same, assuming single failure, the odd circuit is disregarded. Through an algorithmic approach, the same results can be obtained with single circuits by reusing idle clock cycles. Such an approach is far more economical, and more reliable, became there is no need to triple the circuit. Except for a small increase in area and power, a radiation hardened circuit can be produced for the same cost, area and power as a non rad-hard commercial component. The feasibility of developing a tool named ART (Automatic Reconfiguration Tool) to create Virtual Redundancy in circuits was proven during Phase I, which included a demonstration at Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Alabama on September 12, 2000. Improve reliability and radiation tolerance of electronic devices efficiently through automated circuit reconfiguration in design phase. Specifically, the program will create a tool able to modify a completed design to add tolerance even to Single Event Upsets(SEU), the radiation effect which eludes most hardening techniques. The concept allows a completed design to be reconfigured with minimal added overhead to provide radiation tolerance and improved reliability through circuit design. A comprehensive rigorous unified physical formulation and accurate efficient robust computation technique are described for simulating complex compressible viscous reacting multiphases flow phenomena which can affect or control the performance or signature of a flight vehicle during al phases of operation. The method is designed to enable continuous seamless predictions for internal, external, and unbounded subsonic and supersonic flow regions (nozzle, plume, body, wake) from ground to space including turbulent, laminar, and noncontinuum regimes and transitiooons. The computations provide flow properties for evaluting engine propulsion/products, body aerodynamics/heating, plume/wake signature, etc. This unique fully-automated computation capability combines the efficiency of special-purpose tools such as the BMDO standard plume codes with the utility of more general tools such as commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes. Advanced enabling technologies include a automatically the local flow features and boundary conditions (surface or free) and is ideally suited for treating coupled nonequilbrium reactions and transport phenomena. Benefits to BMDO include enhanced capability, fidelity, and speed for flow computation to support target optical signature analysis and simulation with application to detecting, tracking, typing, targeting, and intelligence. Potential commercial applications include advanced computational fluid dynamics and imaging methodlogies with broad utility for investigating flow-dependent physical phenomena and related optical effects. EDAptive Computing, Inc. presents a solution to the problem of effective high-frequency, mixed-signal system design, using a hardware description language (HDL), under the subtopic of "Very high-level language (VHLL) design for development and testing extremely large systems." Through our RF Applications in VHDL-AMS Environments (RAVEN) approach, we can enable VHDL-AMS to simulate RF designs as well as merely low-frequency analog and digital designs. This will provide an order-of-magnitude improvement in RF sensor system design effectiveness, enabling more efficient and less costly development of the RF sensors which are so vital to missile defense systems. Our RAVEN program will apply the standard constructs of VHDL-AMS, embellished by supporting tools and applications, to the problem of simulating secondary RF effects such as coupling and interference. This will permit immediate use of VHDL-AMS for RF design, without the need for any language revision. Our Phase I Objectives are to (1) define requirements, (2) prepare a preliminary design, (3) develop and test an experimental prototype (using an actual RF receiver design and test results for comparison), and (4) assess commercialization potential. The results will be an experimentally-tested and analytically-quantified feasibility assessment, a working, demonstrable prototype, and a preliminary design to carry into Phase II. By enabling VHDL-AMS to function as an RF design tool, we open the potential for significant government and commercial sales. Military RF systems developers (RADARs, ESM receivers, warning receivers, etc.), and commercial RF product developers (CBs, wireless communications, cell phones, radio and television, etc.) will be our markets. By enabling HDL-based RF design and simulation, RAVEN will enjoy immediate market demand as an extension to already-popular VHDL/VHDL-AMS tools and design suites. Survivability countermeasures against nuclear, laser, EMI/EMP and radar/microwave radiation are needed, particularly with the strong dependence of US defense on more complex microcircuitries incorporated in the various military components. Furthermore, the increasing use of composites, which do not incorporate conductive elements, in electronic equipment, aerospace and other hardware requires radiation hardening. In the absence of inadequate hardening, failure of electronics could result due to, for example, changes in frequency characteristics of the various components such as capacitors, resistors and inductors. In this program, we will develop novel products that encompass several materials with different electromagnetic properties at the particle level, which can be easily processed in one layer into the desired shape. The materials will be engineered for specific applications with performance throughout a wide frequency range, in collaboration with our industrial and military partners. The Phase I program will address materials fabrication, processing and characterization. Our partner Lockheed Martin Skunkworks will perform absorption/reflection measurements. The Phase II program will be geared towards material optimization so that it meets the necessary electrical and mechanical requirements. The successful materials will be easily commercialized due to the existence of a wide market for their use through our commercial partners. Low cost, easily processable and multifunctional radiation hardening materials in one single layer, with high performance in a wide frequency range, will be beneficial for immunity in a large number of military and commercial components. Aeronautic, telecommunications, missiles and electronic equipment are examples of potential markets for the proposed technology. A comprehensive rigorous unified physical formulation and accurate efficient robust computation technique are described for simulating complex compressible viscous reacting multiphase flow phenomena which can affect or control the performance or signature of a flight vehicle during all phases of operation. The method enables continuous seamless predictions for internal, external and unbounded subsonic and supersonic flow regions (nozzle, plume, body, wake) from ground to space including turbulent, laminar, and noncontinuum regimes and transitions. The computations provide three-dimensional nonsteady flow properties for evaluating engine propulsion/products, body aerodynamics/heating, plume/wake signature, etc. This unique fully-automated computation capability combines the efficiency of special-purpose tools such as the BMDO standard plume codes with the utility of more general tools such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes. Advanced enabling technologies include a finite-element flow-conformal computation grid which is coupled to the flow and determined simultaneously. The grid captures automatically the local flow features and boundary conditions (surface or free) and is ideally suited for treating coupled nonequilibrium reactions and transport phenomena. The proposed Phase I effort is intended to demonstrate the essential proof-of-concept and validation for each enabling technology as a basis for full implementation in Phase II. Benefits to BMDO include enhanced capability, fidelity, and speed for flow computations to support target optical signature analysis and simulation with application to detection, tracking, typing, targeting, and intelligence. Potential commercial applications include advanced computational fluid dynamics and imaging methodologies with broad utility for investigating flow-dependent physical phenomena and related optical effects. Survivability countermeasures against nuclear, EMI/EMP and radar/microwave radiation are needed, particularly with the strong dependence of US defense on more complex microcircuitries incorporated in the various military components. Furthermore, the increasing use of composites, which do not incorporate conductive elements, in electronic equipment, aerospace and other hardware requires radiation hardening. In the absence of inadequate hardening, failure of commercial and military electronics could result due to, for example, changes in frequency characteristics of the various components such as capacitors, resistors and inductors. Following a successful Phase I effort, we will develop in this Phase II program novel shielding materials that encompass several materials with different electromagnetic properties at the particle level, which can be easily process in one layer into the desired shape. The materials will be engineered for specific application in agreement with our industrial and military partners, and will have the capability of absorption and dissipation of electromagnetic radiation throughout a wide frequency range. Our efforts will be geared towards material optimization through extensive testing so that it meets requirements of potential end users. Scale up efforts towards commercialization of the products will also be undertaken in this program in collaboration with our commercial partners. Low cost, easily processable and multi-functional radiation hardening materials in one single layer, that are efficient in a wide range, will be beneficial to the shielding industry in a large number of military and commercial components. Aeronautic, telecommunications, surface-mount and electronic equipment are examples of potential markets for the proposed technology. VLSI systems implemented in VDSM technology are vulnerable to radiation effects such as neutron, total ionizing dose, transient dose, and Single Event Upsets (SEU). ASC proposes to develop an EDA tool for the reconfiguration and optimization of behavioral VHDL into RTL synthesizable code for radiation hardened designs. This will require an extension of the proven technology that was developed for reducing power in DSP in fixed architecture semiconductor circuits. Off-line testing and on-line fault-tolerance techniques will be applied to detect errors and correct them "on the fly." ASC will use XML information architecture and methods for these EDA tools. A comparative study of existing XML resources and methods will be conducted. The goal is to create and utilize spare capacity for error checking. The validation laboratory at Boeing will be used because this independent resource has the facilities and expertise to validate the functional performance of new Rad Hard designs that have been optimized by the new ASC Reconfiguration Tool. The ASC Reconfiguration Tool will equip designs for radiation tolerance by creating and utilizing spare capacity for error checking. Both military and commercial markets can benefit from radiation tolerance achieved through circuit design rather than expensive foundry qualification. Calculations of radar scattering, acoustic scattering, electromagnetic interference,high frequency circuit's properties, antenna patterns, etc. often strain or arebeyond the capabilities of even today's computers. Roughly half of the computerprograms used in these fields are based on integral equations, and result in a largefull matrix which must be stored and inverted. Wavelets can compress the matrix toreduce storage requirements. However, they are difficult to use for generalgeometries and at best require extensive rewiring of existing programs. An algorithmhas been discovered for taking the matrix from existing computer programs andtransforming it to reduce storage requirements by two orders of magnitude. This isdone one block of the matrix at a time, so all of the original matrix is never storedat once, resulting in a new matrix in a wavelet like basis. Our new algorithm allowsthis transformation to be computed from readily available information. Thetransformed matrix is sparse, and the locations of the non-zero elements allows arapid sparse inverse of the matrix to be calculated by well known methods. A solverbased on this algorithm will be tested as a way to speed up existing computerprograms. We have discovered an extremely efficient algorithm which allows the solution ofwave scattering problems in realistic times with very high accuracy on objectssignificantly larger in size than possible with currently available methods. Ouralgorithm can be implemented in existing computer programs with minor changes tointerface to our solver module, in a way transparent to the end user. There is noexpensive retraining of the user. The wave scattering problems to which our solvermodule applies include radar scattering, antenna design, circuit design, acousticswhether for undersea for medical ultrasound or for nondestructive testing, syntheticarray performance modeling, electromagnetic interference, etc. Our solver removesthe need to rewrite each computer program to improve its speed and memoryrequirements. This Phase II SBIR project will design and implement visual object recogniton modules based on Hidden Markov Models (HMM). HMM is a technique that has worked very well for speech recognition and genetic discovery. HMM's success with these problems can be attributed to its flexibility and ability to solve two problems at once, namely segmentation and recognition. This is precisely the case with visual object recognition, as well. In the HMM based object recognition technique demonstrated in Phase I portion of this project, the hypotheses formation and verification steps of traditional object recogniton architectures are merged without a mandate for a priori segmentation: HMM receives a seeet of image features in context, and in response, produces an "object word." The words may be connected to form sentences. Two or three-dimensional "object sentences" may be synthesized from object words. Hierarchies of object primitives defined in this manner further embellish the extent of the object description. Visual object recognition, especially in real dynamic environments will be of great benefit in many commercial and military applications. A specific application in the commercial domain is the audio visual speek recognition and enhancement system we will develop for automotive telematics and hand-held devices. Many additional uses grow out of this audio visual interface, such as user authentication, tracking and logging of access, and customization of user safety features, such as speed and other features of airbag deployment in vehicles. A military application to be demonstrated in Phase II is the automated analysis of video footage to label airborne objects and create their virtual representations. The basis of current optical computation involves nonlinear optical materials for optical switching, mass storage and other related functions. Current nonlinear optical (NLO) molecular materials, however, are relatively inefficient and subject to environmental and thermal degradation. Thus, new classes of highly efficient NLO materials are required in order to make feasible certain components of optical computation. In this application, recently discovered polyhedral-based NLO molecules are proposed as a new class of optical materials with potentially very high second-order response and significantly improved chemical and physical properties. These materials have several distinct advantages for NLO applications arising from their synthetic availability and accessibility, the diversity of available three-dimensional structures, the extreme chemical and thermal stability of the polyhedral units, the aromatic electronic nature of the polyhedra, their stability to photochemical and neutron irradiation, and the UV-visible and infra-red features of the polyhedral species. New NLO materials would find a significant number of direct commercial applications to areas such as frequency doubled lasers, video displays and optical computation-based markets. The ultimate goal of the proposed Phase I work is to demonstrate the feasibility of miniaturized compact 1.55 mm acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTF), and to establish the technical foundation for the fabrication of the tunable filter. This proposed innovative approach will permit the development of compact tunable filters capable of advanced performance for commercial and military applications. This tunable filter could be met by a WDM International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard grid for channel spacing of 100 GHz, higher spectral resolution, a tuning range covering the entire EDFA, and a very fast response time. This filter also permits simultaneous and independent selection/routing of many wavelength channels, and is designed for multi-channel dense WDM filters/routers/switches or fast scans optical spectrum analyzers. This acousto-optic tunable filter will permit simultaneous and independent selection/routing of many wavelength channels, and is designed for multi-channel dense WDM filters/routers/switches or fast scans optical spectrum analyzers. The tunable filters can be applied to both circuit-switched networks, and to packet- and cell-switching networks. This proposal addresses the fabrication of a novel uncolled IR detector array having significant spectrum coverage, size, weight, speed , and cost advantages over the current ones. The innovation is based on the utilization of micromechanical-system (MEMS) of high figures of merits and Si monolithic integration compatibility. The proposed simple MEMS photon detector structure allows both electrical and optical read-out design. Optical read-out is an attractive alternative to uncooled IR imagers, which potentially eliminates the major drawback of electronic means that inevitably introduce additional thermal loss to the signal due to the contact made to the detector element. Based on a Phase I feasibility demonstration, we propose to further develop this new technology realizing commercial products. The proposed Phase II work is in collaboration with Rockwell Science Center, a leading IR imager producer, and with VC matching funding. Success in the Phase II effort will indentify a viable manufacturing route for advanced uncooled IR imaging array fabrication. These devices have a wide range of "dual use" applications, from various DoD's space-based applications to commercial applications of fire fighting, law enforcement, industrial control, and driver's aid. This Phase I SBIR project will develop an innovative new technology to enable the implementation of robust, high-performance adaptive beamforming wireless communications receivers using low-cost digital signal processing (DSP) hardware. Athena possesses an advanced DSP technology capable of performance levels well beyond those of conventional DSP technologies. This project will adapt well-known robust beamforming algorithms to enable their optimization within Athena's DSP technology. Beamforming algorithms have historically been developed in the context of general purpose computing environments featuring floating-point arithmetic. Athena's DSP technology is not suitable for general purpose computing and does not use floating-point arithmetic. Therefore, it will be necessary to carry out significant reorganization of the selected beamforming algorithms to implement them using Athena's DSP technology. The commercial value of the developed technology is substantial. Affordable beamforming antenna array processing could potentially be retrofitted onto any existing cellular communications system. The benefits of applying beamforming to a cellular communications system include increased performance and quality of service, increased handset to basestation range, and increased system capacity. The result would be lower cost and greater quality of service. Contamination due to incomplete combustion of effluents can cause a reduction inefficiency of spacecraft propulsion systems and instrumentation. For example,liquid droplets from spacecraft verniers can condense on surveillance sensors suchas infrared detectors, or reduce power generation of solar panels. While suchproblems have been addressed for large scale propulsion systems through extensivediagnostic analysis, the results cannot be extrapolated to small scale systems,because the physical principles involved cannot be applied to such small dimensions.Also, because of the large scale of diagnostic equipment, most propulsion system measurements have been ground-based. However, the extrapolation of these results toflight conditions remains uncertain.Rice Systems, Inc. propose to resolve many of these problems with the developmentof miniature nonintrusive optical diagnostic sensors for measuring the flowcharacteristics of microthrusters. These microdiagnostic sensors are based onmonolithic silicon optical bench technology, and can be made an integral part ofmicrothruster walls, providing real-time, in-situ measurements, even in flight.This project will result in the design of an integrated optics microsensor capableof nonintrusive monitoring of combustion exhaust parameters, to increase thrusterefficiency and control sensor contamination. The ultimate goal is the reduced costof miniature satellite propulsion systems used for surveillance, communications, andother applications. The development of surveillance and communications microsatellites would greatlybenefit from the development of the proposed microdiagnostic sensors, in terms ofreducing contamination, increasing efficiency, and ultimately lowing the cost ofproduction. An ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) with a discharge ionization source will be coupled to a gas chromatographic (GC) column for fast gas chromatograph analyses. Provide a fast GC/IMS capability with a selectivity better than GC or IMS alone. Molecular biology, particularly the identification of microorganisms by their nucleic acids, is becoming an essestial tool in biowarfare defense, clinical diagnostics, environmental characterization, and food safety testing. Nucleic acid identification has excellent potential for automated instrumentation that, due to the fundamental basis of DNA and RNA, will be more universally applicable than the species-specific customizations of cell culture and immunoassays. Therefore, we are developing a compact, rapid nucleic acid identification system for bacteria, rickettsiae and viruses. In Phase I, we successfully demonstrated feasibility by: 1) isolating ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from bacteria, 2) disrupting the bacteria with a novel, electromagnetic "blaster", 3) developing oligonucleotides for specific 16S rRNA fragments, and 4) detecting fluorescent oligonucleotides probes with a hand-sized optoelectronic fluorometer. RNA identification has multiple advantaes including intrinsic amplification from thousands of intracellular rRNA copies, and direct application to hazardous RNA viruses such as Ebola, HIV, Rubella, rabies, and polio. Our Phase I accomplishments demonstrated key components of the prototype instrument to be developed and delivered in Phase II. In contrast to alternative systems, the proposed approach is compact, robust, and converts collected samples to data in 15 minutes or less with potential for significantly shorter times. While nucleic acid identification of microorganisms is currently restricted to controlled, trained laboratories, the proposed system would allow routine and rapid field measurements. Specific applicatiions would include viral and bacterial identification in isolated geographic locations and medical field clinics. Food and water safety testing is another important potential application. Modern chemical-protective clothing must provide effective protection from chemical agents while avoiding undue thermal stress on the wearer under battlefield conditions. Currently, design of protective garments relies on slow and costly trial-and-error laboratory or field testing to assess performance. The proposed project will develop advanced computational models for a clothed human that will enable the military to develop new and improved protective clothing more rapidly and less expensively. The models utilize state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to model the transport and sorption of chemical agents and the heat transfer due to convection, diffusion, and phase change through the clothing layers. In Phase I, proof-of- principle models of a clothed human were developed and demonstrated. During Phase II, more detailed models for a clothed soldier will be developed and applied to specific clothing design issues. BENEFITS: The proposed models reduce the cost and time required to develop new protective garments while helping to improve their performance. These models have direct and immediate application in development of improved garments such as JPACE. Commercial applications include industrial protective garments and advanced outdoor clothing. Q-Peak, Inc. proposes to develop a broadly tunable, l0-W-average-power IR source suitable for use as a DIAL system transmitter and based on the combination of a Nd-doped pulsed pump laser and optical parametric oscillators (OPO) The laser source, a compact, diode-pumped, 5-10 kHz pulse-repetition-rate, Q-switched Nd:YLF laser, will pump a tandem OPO system consisting of an angle-tuned, 3-5 um KTA OPO, and a pump-tuned, 8-12 um CdSe QPO pumped by the KTA OPO idler. Diode-pumping and nonlinear conversion will substantially increase the efficiency of the proposed source whereas high pulse rates and fast wavelength switching will allow the possibility of reducing the data acquisition time. The Phase I effort will demonstrate a laboratory breadboard 2.5-5 W JR transmitter and develop a design for a higher-efficiency l0-W, 3-12 um tuning range IR-source. BENEFITS: Laser Source will enhance selectivity and sensitivity of chemical and biological agent identification in a low cost standoff detector. In the commercial sector the applications include wide-area pollution monitoring, process control and general scientific investigations. This SBIR proposes the development of a new hood material as an alternative to bromo-butyl rubber for an aircrew B respirator application. This new material provides for a significant improvement for dispersi on of water vapor and heat generated by the head. The new material r etains all the necessary material performance characteristics for Hea d-Eye-Respiratory (HER) protection. The feasibility of bonding this hood material to polycarbonate will be demonstrated. This prototype would represent achievable performance and producibility goals for in corporation into a aircrew respirator hood. Technologies will also b e researched for complimentary approaches to manage head heat transfe r for the combined respirator and flight helmet systems. DOD documen ted data will be used for threat information, aircraft platform IPE r equirements, shipboard operational and maintenance conditions, and CB design/material guidelines. Technical analysis and Phase I evaluatio ns will be accomplished for the new hood material. Current CBW protective flight handwear consists of three pairs of glo ves: an inner cotton liner glove for comfort and perspiration absorpt ion, a 7mil butyl rubber glove for agent protection and a nomex fligh t glove for fire protection. These three pairs of gloves when worn t ogether are very bulky and cumbersome making it very difficult to per form aircrew tasks that require high tactility, such as depressing sm all buttons and switches. The current Nomex glove is particularly bul ky due to the cut-and-sew technique used, which results in extra mate rial on every finger and in every crouch. Federal Fabrics - Fibers (F FF's) will evaluate the current state-of-the-art CB flight glove ense mble technology. Develop and recommend an integrated glove for use b y aircrew and submit material samples. A report shall be delivered t o NAWCADPAX on the recommended design concept. The first task of this project will be to test and evaluate the current CBW three glove syst em. Testing will encompass the areas of comfort and dexterity, chemi cal protection, insulating value and finally fire protective ability. The first task of this project will be to test and evaluate the curre nt CBW three glove system. Testing will encompass the areas of comfo rt and dexterity, chemical protection, insulating value and finally f ire protective ability. The second task is to produce a glove that p rovides equivalent or better protection than the current three glove system with improved comfort and dexterity. FFF will produce, test, a nd deliver both material samples as well as several pairs of gloves. FFF will make our internal test data available to NAWCADPX for compar ison with current system. In addition, FFF will deliver material sam ples and several pairs of gloves to the Navy so they can be evaluated and compared to the current three glove system at There is a critical need for the detection and identification of toxic industrial materials (TIM). This proposal concerns the development of an array-based chemical sensor that has a real time response, is highly sensitive and inexpensive, and requires a minimal attendance and maintenance. The array-based sensor will be composed of incrementally diverse conducting polymers. They are formed by a new lithographic fabrication method, and have unique advantages and detection capabilities compared to existing gas sensors. By controlling the properties of the Triton Systems Inc. proposes to develop a new generation of SAW sensor coatings for the detection of TIMs. The proposed innovation employs a convenient, highly-controlled, and reproducible method to deposit conductive and nonconductive substrate coatings on SAW sensors. Since the proposed coatings can be used to operate on different transduction modes, they exhibit a high level of chemical Independence leading to enhanced selectivity and sensitivity. In Phase I, both conducting and non-conducting coatings will be deposited on SAW crystals and their response to TIMs will be characterized. Systematic changes in coating properties will be examined in order to optimize their response characteristics. Since these coatings have high chemical flexibility, introduction of specific chemical functionalities to further increase their chemical diversity will also be attempted. In phase II, the most promising coatings identified in phase I will be used to construct and demonstrate a TIM sensor. We will also examine the viability of using these conductive coatings in chemiresistor sensors.The proposed family of coatings will expand the collection of chemically independent interfaces available for SAW sensors. When incorporated in electronic noses, the proposed SAW sensors will find commercial applications in the food, beverage, and cosmetic industries. These sensor are also well suited to environmental pollution monitoring and industrial process monitoring. The Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) Agency needs a coating for MCU-2/P and MBU-19/P facemasks that provides 24 hours of protection against such chemical warfare agents as GD, HD, and VX. Such a barrier material is expected also to provide protection against many toxic industrial materials. The MCU-2/P and MBU-19/P masks are made from silicone rubber EPDM rubber, respectively. Both rubbers are flexible, so the desired barrier coating must exhibit comparable flexibility. The coating also must adhere to the mask while it is subjected to flexing and stretching over a range of temperatures between -48 and 49 oC. METSS proposes to develop at least one polymer-based coating that will provide the desired level of performance and protection for each mask. The approach is to identify candidate polymers from the general classes of barrier polymers discussed in the proposal, and to experimentally verify the performance of one or more barrier polymers or polymer composites that meet(s) the requirements set by the CBD Agency. METSS plans to use its extensive knowledge in CWA resistant materials to select and examine the performance of pure polymer coatings as well as polymers whose barrier performance has been enhanced by the addition of exfoliated nano-scale platelets.The benefits of improving the protective capabilities of the rubbers currently used in making facemasks will be considerable. Chemical warfare is insidious and deadly. All efforts to protect soldiers and civilians in targeted areas will result in the saving of lives and reduction in long-term, detrimental health effects. In addition, there are numerous commercial and industrial applications related to working with toxic chemicals where improved protective equipment can increase worker safety and health. Emergency response personnel also will benefit from improved personal protective equipment. The chemically resistant barrier materials developed in this program may even find use in the growing area of biological protective equipment. METSS has identified a potential commercial partner and a manufacturer of facemasks to assist in the commercialization of innovative coatings that are developed in this SBIR program Spray applied acrylic coatings are proposed as barrier materials for the Air Force MCU-2/P and MBU-19/P gas masks, to provide protection against a broad range of chemical warfare agent (CWA) threats. The MCU-2/P and MBU-19/P are fabricated from silicone and EPDM rubber, respectively. They afford exceptional comfort, durability and fit. However, these materials offer only limited protection against chemical threats. The acrylic-based coatings will address this shortcoming by providing continuous thin film barrier coverage of the rubbers. The coatings are formed by spraying of mixtures of commercially available monomers and then curing using ultraviolet initiators. The coating process will be both rapid and inexpensive. The versatility of the acrylic polymerization process will allow the coatings to be specifically tailored to optimize compatibility with the substrate rubbers, while maintaining high barrier properties. An investigation will be conducted to assess the viability of acrylate coatings as barriers for silicon and EPDM rubbers. Samples will be directly compared to standard fluoroelastomer coated materials. Coating adhesion, rubbery modulus, mechanical robustness and strength will be measured. Tests will also be conducted to determine the resistance of these barrier coatings when exposed to a wide range of solvents, chemicals and chemical warfare agents.Many of the hoses used in automotive or industrial applications are made of rubbery materials. These are often used to carry aggressive chemicals or are exposed to harsh chemical environments, which attack or otherwise decompose the rubber. Easily applied, elastomeric coatings would do much to prolong the life of these materials and might eliminate the use of more expensive rubbers in some applications, resulting in substantial cost savings. Almost all rubbers are subject to oxidation and ozone attack, which causes the rubber to crack and fail over time. A mechanically robust barrier coating might prolong the life of rubbers used in such demanding applications as vibration or shock mounts. The threat of military and terrorist deployment of chemical weapons has increased alarmingly in recent years. A universal decontamination system is required for safe and effective neutralization of standard and thickened chemical warfare agents (G, V, and H). The system must be non-toxic, non-corrosive, and non-hazardous to equipment and personnel. For effective implementation, the system must be stable, inexpensive, and easy to transport and deploy under field conditions. Current decontamination systems such as DS2 and supertropical bleach are toxic and corrosive. Physical Sciences, Inc. proposes to develop an inexpensive, stable, non-toxic, non-corrosive polymeric decontamination system for G, V, and H agents. The system will be formulated as a water-soluble dry powder to reduce logistical burdens. The system will be effective in either dry or aqueous (reconstituted) form, and will provide a colorimetric indication of the progress of the decontamination reaction. The system will be safe for use on a variety of material including medical decontamination of skin and wounds. In Phase I a prototype system will be formulated and used to demonstrate the rapid, effective decontamination of a material surface coated with standard and thickened agent simulants. A preliminary formulation of the Phase II decontamination system will be completed. The ability to detect minute quantities of toxic biological substances will provide the ability to quickly assess a situation so that an appropriate response to exposure can be orchestrated. Not only will the development of this technology be important in toxic agent warfare detection, the biological sensors would be pertinent in commercial applications such as process control and point-of-care diagnostics. Because rapid diagnosis of medical situations can result in better patient care, there is a great desire to have portable test facilities, bases on affinity sensing technology, that can produce analysis instantaneously. The main advantage of affinity sensors is that separation procedures are not required thereby providing results with specific binding of select target molecules. Devices can be small, rugged, and can demonstrate sensitivity levels equal to or greater than traditional instrumentation. Interest in these devices has grown steadily with the recent advent of inexpensive, mass-produced MEMS devices. More specifically, microcantilevers can now be produced to detect the presence of biological samples through changes in resonance frequency, deflection, amplitude, and Q-factor. F&S proposes to commercialize a microcantilever sensor that is capable of measuring intermolecular binding forces. Recent events in the Middle East have focused worldwide attention toward the escalating threat of chemical and biological warfare. Naval Aviators exposed to potential CBW threats need a means to rehydrate themselves in the cockpit. Numerous studies have shown that proper hydration is essential for maximum physical and mental performance. Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc. (TRI/Austin) will team with Trelleborg Viking, Inc. to produce the most CBW resistant water pouch ever devised. A two layer design will result in the best possible agent protection, durability, flexibility, and water potability. Candidate inner bladder materials and threaded penetrator materials will be tested, and the best materials will be selected for the design. The integrity of the mechanical seal between the outer CBW barrier material and the threaded penetrator will be evaluated, along with the integrity of the edge seals in the inner bladder material, using chemical agent simulants as the challenge media. Viral penetration tests and pressure tests will also be performed. The prototype pouch will be further tested against altitude change, temperature, and drop resistance. A draft specification will be prepared that will allow complete replication. A prototype CBW resistant water pouch will be delivered to the Navy. ChemMotif has developed several new colorimetric vapor sensors. These will be tested as end-of-service-life indicators for carbon-filter gas-masks in Chemical Biological Defense applications. Current geopolitical strategies require effective warfare countermeasures to protect U.S. forces against biological and chemical threats. Today's molecular biology and immunological detection technologies cannot be used to produce automated biodetectors useable in the battlefield. New, improved detection technologies are needed to minimize the impact of chemical and biological weapons on Army personnel and provide a means to construct automated biodetectors that can identify a very few particles of any hazardous agent, regardless of interferant background. The final objective of the work proposed is to develop a highly sensitive RNA probe methodology to identify pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The methodology will underlay the foundation of RNA based tests that will be easy to perform as a simple enzymatic reaction at 37 degrees C under isothermal conditions in a single test tube format and can identify less than 100 target molecules in a specimen. Because of its extreme simplicity, the test could ultimately be incorporated into a small, portable, personal deviceuseable in battlefield environments without special training. This technology goes beyond normal evolutionary development approaches because it breaks the existing paradigms of the diagnostic industry by demonstrating the technical feasibility of detecting a non-nucleic acid target using a nucleic acid detector system. Electrochemical systems are among the most promising candidates for the miniaturization of chemical and biological sensors due to their close association with today's advanced semiconductor technology. Further miniaturization of the electrochemical part is expected to enable on-chip integration of the sensors. The result will be a highly portable microanalytical sensor system with fast response time and high selectivity. It is proposed to use arrays of carbon nanofibers as ultimate nanosize electrodes. The fibers can be produced well aligned and with good mechanical strength on a variety of substrates. MER's experience in the fabrication and tailoring of carbon nanofibers will be utilized to produce nanofiber structures, which meet the requirements for nanoelectrode arrays. Existing electronic designs will be used to interface the microelectrode arrays and to obtain electrochemical data. Redox modifying compounds will be immobilized on the electrode surface to improve selectivity and sensitivity of the electrode arrays towards biological agents. BENEFITS: Besides an improvement of the safety of battlefield personnel, handheld biosensors with fast response time and good selectivity could be used in clinical health care applications, pharmaceutical production and in agricultural applications. These devices could also be used for the detection of chemical agents. CombiMatrix employs CMOS integrated circuitry to produce analog VLSI arrays of individually addressable electrodes. Existing electrode array chips will continue to be upgraded to make arrays of nanometer-scale ultramicroelectrodes. These chips will be used to develop multiplexed assays for chemical and biological agents, from small molecules such as saxitoxin to cells as salmonella. Assays to be developed will use highly sensitive immunochemical methods and electrochemical detection. The advantageous electrochemical properties of nanodes will be exploited to improve the limits of detection and speed of these biochip sensor devices. Furthermore, CombiMatrix hardware and manufacturing methods allow for multiplexing numerous assays on a single biochip. Multiplexed assays will be part of the final product. BENEFITS: This proposal will have direct application to development of portable environmental sensor devices, as well as biochip applications such as genomics, proteomics and drug discovery. Chemical weapons are highly lethal, inexpensive weapons of mass destruction. Present methods for detection of exposure to sulfur mustard are expensive and time-consuming. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for the development of rapid, simple, and reliable detection methods capable of monitoring of toxic compounds for clinical treatment and diagnosis after exposure to sulfur mustard. In phase I, we propose the syntheses of four analogs of bis ((2-acetylamino-2-carboxyethylthio) ethyl) sulfone and their conjugates with two carrier proteins (KLH and BSA) for production of antibodies and immunoassay development. Haptens will be coupled with carrier proteins through either the central sulfur atom or terminal amino group via a linker. BENEFITS: An immunoassay for rapid determination of exposure to sulfur mustard would contribute to improved diagnosis and treatment of individuals during military or terroristic acts. A hapten based upon the molecular structure of a metabolite of sulfur mustard (HD), namley bis(2-acetylamino-2-carboxyethylthio)ethyl) sulfoximine, (dimercapturate)2S(O)Nhwill be synthesized. This will be conjugated with proteins to yield the antigenic haptens (dimercapturate)2S(O)N-HSA,BSA and-PTG. Preliminary studies will be carried out using the know (CH3)2S(O)NH. A phosphorus atom marker unit will be covalently attached to each hapten protein conjugate and the hapten: protein ratio will be determined by 31p NMR. A hapten will be synthesized using the terminal carboxyl group of the same metabolic substrate as the site for conjugation to BSA. The antigenic haptens will be used for the production of monoclonal antibodies, which in tLLm will be applied to the development of a noninvasive immunodiagnostic test for exposure to sulfur mustard. Such a test device would be use fill for the detection of sulfur mustards used in chemical warfare agents in combat or by terrorists. Commercial applications would result from use of the detection device forensically by local, state and federal agencies. BENEFITS: Device for sulfur mustard(HD) fits a need for early detection of this chemical agent in the battlefield as well as in terrorist activities. This device would be acquired by local, state, and other government agencies. Foreign governments involved in combatting terrorism would be candidates for this method. This Phase I Proposal aims to maximize gene transfer by means of polymeric-based micellar and nanoparticulate delivery vehicles in order to elicit protective immunity against Brucella. In-vitro cell mediated cytotoxicity and in-vivo pathogen protection in a challenge test will be demonstrated. For Phase I Option we will further characterize the protective immunity by means of cellular and humoral responses and analyze the protective effect over an extended period of time. BENEFITS: Development of protective (and therapeutic) vaccine against Brucella as a commercial product MesoSystems Technology, Inc. and Battelle Memorial Institute propose to design, fabricate, and evaluate a miniature plasma reactor (MPR) system as an augmentation of the current gas mask filter. A laboratory prototype demonstration (Phase I) will be followed by the development and demonstration of a lightweight, partially ruggedized, fieldable unit (Phase II) which will be delivered to the millitary for further evaluation. The proposed technology effectively treats chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents simultaneously. The preponderance of biosensors under development today rely on labeling reagents such as fluorescent, radioisotopic or enzymatic tags. As a result, the added complexity of these reagents and their incorporation into the detection system has resulted in designs that are difficult to implement or that require significant sample preparation steps before introduction into the detection instrument. While increasing signal, these labels also increase noise, can negatively impact on specificity and overall in the signal-to-noise ratio. In short, the need for reagents by current systems has created significant obstacles to fielding a truly portable, reliable and easy to use biosensor, i.e., one that can be used by the warfighter without significant training or preparation. To meet these needs, Agave BioSystems proposes to develop a truly labeless and reagentless biosensor based upon the optical diffraction of analyte bound to reflective silicon. Key to this effort is the innovative, proprietary microcontact printing technology of Agave BioSystems and its collaborator. This technology allows the precise placement of arrays of biological recognition molecules to form gratings which coupled with optical defraction allows the reagentless detection of multiple targets. InMat will develop multilayer chemical protective gloves (CPGs) that provide the function currently provided by several separate gloves. The key material in these gloves is aqueous nanocomposite elastomeric coatings specifically optimized for this application. The objective of this Phase I proposal is to develop novel decontaminating adsorbents based on Reactive Nanoparticle Technology to address chemical and biological threats. Nantek's reactive nanoparticles have demonstrated excellent results as reactive decontaminants for of both chemical and biological agents. Building on this research and success, Nantek proposes development and extensive evaluation of non-toxic nanoparticle formulations to be used to decontaminate personnel, cargo and airspace. A hand-portable prototype will be developed, various nanoparticle metal oxides and propellents will be evaluated as surface decontaminants against mimics of chemical and biological warfare agents. Thus, at the completion of Phase I, technical feasibility for the nanoscale metal-oxide based hand-portable waterless decontamination system for personnel, surfaces and airspace will be demonstrated.Successful completion of this research will lead to the development of emergency decontamination technologies to address contaminated airspace, personnel and surfaces for military and industrial applications. In a collaborative effort with one of the pre-eminent microwave chemistry research groups in this country, this project offers novel and simple approaches to kg-scale microwave remediation of three types of hazardous wastes: Chemical warfare (CW) agents; Biological warfare (BW) agents; and infectious medical waste. The unique microwave methodologies to be applied include: For CW agents, unique hydrolysis and heterogenous oxidation methodologies developed in our labs and demonstrated successfully with a variety of relevant organic substrates; for BW agents, unique remediation procedures demonstrated in our labs very recently for anthrax-like bacteria and related methodologies; for infectious medical waste, an array of a combination of methods demonstrated in our labs and more effective than extant shred-steam-and-microwave methods; and for all three waste types, an additional array methods selected from microwave-induced organic reaction enhancement (MORE) techniques pioneered and refined in our labs and especially apt for the targeted remediations. The Phase I work will demonstrate the viability of the techniques for each of the above three waste types, scale up to a medium (100 g) scale, and select the microwave configuration and equipment to be used for further studies. Wearable, passive detectors for toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and chemical warfare agents (CWAs) will greatly improve the safety of military personnel operating in chemically-threatened environments. Cyrano Sciences, Inc. (CSI) uses polymer-composite sensor technology to construct sensor arrays, that are uniquely positioned to address applications, such as detector badges for TICs and CWAs, that require compact, light-weight, wearable, rugged, stable, low-cost, low-power, analyte-general detectors. CSI manufactures the Cyranose 320 (C320), a COTS handheld vapor identification system that consists of: a polymer-composite sensor array that returns a signature pattern for a given vapor; a pneumatic system; and pattern recognition algorithms to identify the vapor based on the array pattern. The C320 has been successfully tested as a detector for a small number of TICs and CWAs. In addition, CSI has developed wireless badge-type detectors without pneumatic systems for proprietary consumer applications that have stringent requirements for size, cost, power requirements and ruggedness. The proposed Phase I work will determine the feasibility that a badge detector using a polymer-composite sensor array can meet requirements for detection limit and accuracy of appropriate CWAs and TICs, and will also develop design requirements and a preliminary design for such a badge detector. This type of personnel monitor has readily extensible application in the emergency response market place and homeland defense. Further commercialization could result in monitors for widespread marketing to the general public. A suite of modular, rugged, easily deployable, field maintainable sensor pods capable of acquiring weather, chemical warfare agent, pollution, geographic and seismic data that can be tailored for multiple missions would provide essential battlefield intelligence. These sensor pods would auto-network together to relay spatially and temporally stamped data back to a central hub with little user set-up. The variably configured sensor pods could be rapidly deployed by hand or aircraft. Data from the system could be fed to modeling software to obtain source attribution and determine meteorological conditions without having to rely on outdated ground force or satellite information. The Department of Defense Chemical and Biological Defense Program has a need for a highly effective, relatively low cost, low human toxicity coating or surface treatment that can be applied to fabrics and other surfaces to render them self-decontaminating to chemical and biological warfare agents. ETEC has identified a novel chemistry that promises to be a highly effective self-regenerating decontaminating agent at room temperature. The chemistry can be applied as an active coating or as a modification to cellulosic fibers. The novel agent will fully neutralize both chemical and biological agents, and it will have very low toxicity to humans. The Phase I effort will demonstrate the feasibility of this agent through preparation of the new chemistry on cotton cloth and as a coating on a metal substrate, decontamination effectiveness testing, and cost estimation. The Phase I effort includes selecting the best embodiments, determining decontamination effectiveness using simulated contaminants, developing the bonding and coating chemistry, estimating cost, and reporting results. Phase I will determine the feasibility of the novel chemistry. The result of Phase II will be two products, a self-decontaminating fabric treatment and a durable self-decontaminating surface coating. The benefits of the products will be greater operations efficiency and lower cost, better availability and increased life of equipment and clothing during CBW scenarios, and greater personnel safety. Potential commercial applications are for faster, easier, and more effective decontamination of certain types of medical equipment (particularly emergency and field equipment), equipment for civilian emergency response personnel, and perhaps hazardous materials response equipment. The estimated market is $50 - 500 million per year. The current methodology for testing the penetration resistance of textile materials to various chemical agents has a number of drawbacks, including significant uncertainties in the resulting data, inefficiency and expense, risk to test personnel, and limited range of test conditions. The objective of the proposed work is to develop a new system for testing of these materials that remedies these problems by incorporating real-time sampling, automated sample changing and agent challenge, and precise control of test conditions. In Phase I, key aspects of the system design will be developed and demonstrated using simulants. During Phase II, the full system will be developed and tested using live agent. The proposed swatch test system will dramatically improve the accuracy and repeatability of penetration measurements as well as improve the throughput and range of test conditions and reduce the cost of the tests and personnel exposure to agents. It will provide immediate benefit to the large-scale testing laboratories that serve defense and homeland security needs as well as offer improvements for research and development into improved protective materials. The early genomic responses of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to in vitro infection with specific microbial pathogens will be assessed by DNA microarray technology. Host gene expression "signature" to microbial pathogen exposure and distinct host responses will be characterized. Detailed in vitro studies will permit forecasting/predicting expected early molecular markers of in vivo infection with biological warfare agents of high interest with regards to bioterrorism threats (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] Category A biological agents). Phase I will evaluate differential immune response of PBMCs to Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli and will validate in vitro studies by evaluating in vivo immune responses to Bacillus anthracis vaccinations and Escherichia coli urinary tract infections. Investigation of other pathogens to generate a comprehensive database of human genomic response to various types of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and viruses will be undertaken in Phase II in a larger group of subjects at multiple sampling times after infection. Our company goals and plans are to develop a biomedical sensor (or sensors), a field kit or other device for rapid detection of early differential immune responses (lymphokines, cytokines, or other serum markers) to specific microbial pathogens. Understanding the human genomic response to specific infections and identification of key molecular markers will allow rapid detection of human exposure to specific microbial pathogens and biological warefare agents to allow early intervention. These findings will enable development of biosensors to rapidly detect early human exposure to biological agents which will have tremendous utility both within the DOD and the private sector (both nationally and internationally). Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) offer a particularly insidious threat to both military and civilian populations. The U.S. DOD uses a series of tools at the troop level including individual detection, point detection, and standoff detection to warn of CWA attack. These technologies are prone to various problems, including scuffs, lack of selectivity, and lack of sensitivity to gas-phase CWAs. Of particular interest to the Army under this SBIR solicitation is a lightweight, wearable device for detecting and alerting the wearer of low-level exposure to Chemical Warfare Agents and high priority Toxic Industrial Compounds, TICs. The present obscurants used in the smoke are in the range of submicron to micron-size. Recent theoretical calculation suggests that the ideal obscurants will be conducting nanorods having diameter of 20 nm and length of 4 micron. Nano Interface Technology, Inc. (NITI) proposes to develop monodispersed metal-coated silica nanorods of above size using self-assembly technique. The core of silica nanorods will be developed by the self-assembly of lipids/phospholipids/surfactants. These lipids/phospholipids are obtained from biological system. The nanorods will be made conducting by the electroless coating of the metal. Using self-assembly technique, NITI has successfully synthesized core silica nanorods having diameter of 32nm and length in micron size and the preparation method can be reliably used for synthesizing larger quantities. The thin coating of metal will oxidize easily and the inner core of silica will be nontoxic. In the Phase I feasibility study, the company will synthesize various sizes of metal-coated nanorods (diameter = 20-40nm and length = 2-4 micron) and its physico-chemical properties will be characterized. The multi-spectral range of the smoke can be broadened by mixing nanorods having different aspect ratios and/or different types of metal coatings. We at NITI have worked out that the proposed obscurants will be highly economical because of its production via the self-assembly route. Father, owing to the use of the self-assembly route, the nanorods produced will be monodispersed with a yield as high as 95%. In the Phase II, the company will optimize the production process and nanorods will be produced in kilogram quantities. The packaging of nanorods in the tape form will be worked by an innovative approach as discussed in the proposal so as to enhance the efficient delivery of obscurants along with smoke. The proposed innovative self-assembly technique will significantly reduce the cost of obscurants and as predicted in the recent calculations, this technique will be most effective in threat reduction. Further, it will broaden the multi-spectral range, simplify storage, and transport. The potential benefits to the Army will be significant in saving life of force and reduction in the cost of smoke generation and dissemination. The other potential application of these nanorods will be as ultra-light, nano-structured ballistic materials. The present proposal describes strategies leading to the development of an array-based universal biosensor for detecting and differentiating microbial species, or differentiating at the DNA or RNA level between cell types of the same species. The proposed strategy relies on the differential hybridization of genomic DNA, extrachromosomal DNA, mRNA, or ribosomal RNA from different sources to a common, intelligently designed oligonucleotide probe set to produce a useful or diagnostic pattern or fingerprint. The rational design of the probe sets may be accomplished without a prior knowledge of specific sequence information, but will account for principles governing nucleic acid hybridization with regard to genome complexity and base content. Furthermore, the described approach allows for and, in fact, exploits deviations from predicted ideal hybridization behavior for individual probes. Interrogation of multiple species or sources of complex nucleic acid populations as systems using such common arrays allows for the design of universal-type biosensors or other bioanalytical devices without explicit prior knowledge of sequence content and without the use of cumbersome and, in some instances, unreliable bioinformatic tools for individual probe design. Successful implementation of the principles outlind in this proposal may lead to the development of an array-based universal biosensor for detecting and differentiating microbial species without explicit prior knowledge of sequence content and without the use of inefficent bioinformatic tools for individual probe design. This technology may enable many applications, including bio-defense, agricultural and food processing monitoring, and biomedical research and diagnostics. Ultimately, this approach may find other diverse applications, where complex and uncharacterized nucleic acid populations need a first tier, but sophisticated, approach toward a greater understanding of their systemic characteristics. While stand-off detection of chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents is a critical component of CBW defense, the military has no established capability for stand-off detection of liquid agents on surfaces. Low vapor pressure chemical agents such as VX can persist on surfaces and pose a lethal contact hazard many days after they are dispersed. The technical innovations to be demonstrated in Phase I will be hardware and software to enable Physical Sciences Inc.'s Adaptive Infrared Imaging Spectroradiometer technology to detect liquid contamination on surfaces as well as chemical vapor plumes. In order to facilitate data analysis and software development, we will develop physics-based models to predict and account for the infrared spectra of liquid-contaminated surfaces. The hardware and software developed in Phase I will be refined and integrated with an AIRIS unit in Phase II to provide the Army with a prototype sensor capable of detecting both liquid and vapor phase chemical warfare agent. The proposed program will lead to a single sensor for performing sensitive, selective stand-off detection of both liquid AND vapor phase chemical warfare agents. AIRIS's imaging and adaptive spectral sampling capability will enable wide areas to be surveyed more rapidly than with conventional stand-off sensors, e.g., imaging and non-imaging FTIR and grating spectrometers. In addition to military applications, the proposed sensor will be useful for surface contamination/composition measurements in industrial environments as well as for screening of biological samples (biopsied tissue) for medical applications. A thermal infrared imaging spectrometer is proposed for the remote detection of surface contaminants. The instrument will use pulsing lasers to vaporize liquids The threat of terrorist or military attack using biological or chemical warfare agents is one of the largest concerns to U.S. military forces. Development of defense initiatives that can be implemented to decontaminate personnel, equipment and buildings are required to counter the effects of such an attack. A series of dendrimer-quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) biocides have been identified that demonstrate potent antimicrobial activity against bacteria. These materials are more than 100 times more effective at killing E.coli than a comparable amount of free QAC. It is anticipated that these materials will be able to decontaminate chemical agents also. We propose an innovative combination of machine learning techniques and pragmatics modeling in pursuit of high accuracy, domain- and language-independent First Story Detection. Our Topic-Oriented Pragmatics and Invariant Chaining (TOPIC) system will automatically construct topic category models that explicitly capture the pragmatics of how topic cohesion is maintained across the stories that constitute a news topic. These models will be used to generate predictions about the types of stories expected on diverse news channels, providing a hitherto untapped source of novelty discrimination. Central to our pragmatics-based approach is the idea that the invariant entities and events that constitute a topic are better determinants of topicality than full-text similarity measures. Our model-based techniques combine with statistical text-similarity algorithms to provide independent perspectives on story topicality. Committee-based methods arbitrate these multiple classification viewpoints. TOPIC also exploits redundancy in pragmatics expression across news channels and source languages. Phase I research and development of a proof-of-concept limited prototype will demonstrate the feasibility and utility of TOPIC's First Story Detection capability and will lay the groundwork for its Phase II implementation and eventual commercialization. Besides being an important tool for intelligence analysis, TOPIC would also prove useful in numerous commercial domains (e.g., competitive market analysis and epidemiology) where the identification and monitoring of topical news articles is a requirement. Another exciting application is in the creation of individually customized news reports. To reduce total life cycle costs of Army munitions, state-of-the-art health monitoring technologies are being applied in the diagnosis and prognosis of missile system health. Due to size and cost, MEMS technology has the potential to enable advanced health monitoring systems. However, energy storage is at a premium, and even though MEMS devices consume extremely small amounts of power, the power budget is still too tight to easily meet system requirements. Therefore, the use of no power sensors and limit detectors is potentially invaluable in the development of low-maintenance health monitoring. This proposed Phase I effort will determine the feasibility of a particular no-power transduction mechanism that can be applied to inertial, chemical, temperature, and humidity sensors. The approach can result in advanced functionality including device arrays, programmable limits, and settable latching modes. This first phase will develop simulations and perform proof-of-principle experiments to verify the approach. In addition, designs and process flows will be developed in anticipation of a Phase II award. Phase II will then prototype, package, and integrate a sensor array into a health monitoring system. The MEMS devices proposed in this effort have a number of military and commercial applications. As individual devices, they would find application as trigger sensors for packages in transport, food, and health monitoring systems for missiles, rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, automobiles, and other high-value assets. When implemented as arrays, the devices could function as triggerable electronic noses and wide dynamic range discrete-value environmental sensors. Wireless communication systems are normally designed and optimized for line-of-sight propagation. In reality, however, the propagation scenario may be very complex involving a multitude of terrain features and obstacles, which generate multipath reflection, diffraction and scattering. An accurate evaluation of the communication channel performance would not be possible without a detailed knowledge of the physical features of the propagation medium. This Small Business Innovation Research project proposes a physics-based approach to channel propagation modeling. The input to the model is a database that includes topographical information, terrain features, natural and man-made scatterers, etc. A user friendly software environment will be developed to interface the physical database with an advanced ray tracing code enhanced with a comprehensive library of full-wave scattering and diffraction models. Special emphasis will be placed on polarization characteristics, fading statistics and spectral and temporal decorrelation of the channel. The proposed software package will be used for evaluation of channel performance and reliability in military mobile distributed networks as well as palnning of commercial communciation system. Rainbow Communications proposes to investigate a compact, high-output-power, cost efficient, light-emitting diodes (LED) based on III-V nitride materials, quantum-well, and a tapered-optical-amplifier structure for applications in pathogen eliminations, wound healing, and tissue regeneration. The LED will be capable of producing more than 50-mW output power in the UV and/or visible wavelength region. Several unique features distinguish it. First, Rainbow will monolithically integrate a light emitting waveguide, and a tapered optical amplifier into a INGaN/AlGaN quantum well substrate. Second, a tapered waveguide structure will increase the coupling efficiency between the LED section and the optical amplifier section, and improve the optical amplifier efficiency. Third, by providing different wavelengths and broad-beam characteristics, the LED source will be a superior method for wound healing and tissue regeneration comparing to traditional suturing or lasers. Forth, the LED source can be used to excite visible fluorescence from the light sensitive detergent, thus providing the residual distribution of pathogens. In Phase I, Rainbow will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed Gallium Nitride (GaN) LED source for medical usage. In Phase II, a LED source based sensing, decontaminating, and regenerating system will be developed and demonstrated under in In response to DARPA's request for a new technology that provides: 1) rapid detection and elimination of pathogens in contaminated traumatic skin wounds (including thermal, radiation and chemical burns) and 2) accelerates wound healing in a sterile environment using light emitting diodes (LED), Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a unique Photodynamic Decontamination and Biostimulation (PDB) system. The system is based on the topical application of lipid-coated microbubbles (LCM) enclosing Methylene blue as a photosensitizer and illumination of the wound with two NASA light-emitting diode (LED) arrays. One of the LED arrays is used for photosensitizer excitation and generation of antimicrobial reactive chemical species. The second array will produce a powerful biostimulating effect on wound healing. LCM formulation of the Methylene blue allows eradicating both extra-and intra-cellular pathogens. Decoloration of a small portion of the dye (released from the LCM during light irradiation) will indicate the presence of a pathogen and/or an active inflammation. The PDB system integrates three major components: an LCM generating subsystem, an LED array subsystem, and a transparent wound bandage. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the PDB system's ability to eliminate pathogens and stimulate wound healing within vitro experiments. The successful completion of this project will result in a reliable, portable, and cost-efficient device using a novel technology for open wound decontamination and treatment, which's also suitable for a wide range of commercial applications, notably treatment of serious burns, crush injuries, traumatic ischemic wounds, radiation tissue damage, compromised skin grafts, and hospital infection. In the published scientific literature, various articles have described the process of "photobiostimulation". This process involves the irradiation of tissue with infrared light sources resulting in the improvement in such conditions as wounds and arthritis. Some authors have described the improved healing of wounds and arthritis not only at the irradiated sight but also on contralateral limbs. These findings suggest the presence of a humoral substance which may be formed as the result of tissue irradiation by infrared light. DARPA is seeking to develop an advanced omnidirectional beacon-eye for robotic applications. Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new compact Omnidirectional Robotic Beacon-eye (ORB) based on a solid panoramic head, which will transfer an input area of ñ7ø in elevation and 360ø horizontal to a conventional conical input field where it can be imaged to the receiver. In the reverse path, the receiving beacon-eye can be used as a beacon. The special orthogonal grooved structure can provide retroreflection of incoming beams. This allows members of the robotic team to use another robot for triangulation even if the other robot is disabled and without power. The proposed ORB offers several advantages including compact design involving eye, beacon and retroreflection in one device modular design easily mountable on the robot and low cost. In Phase I POC will design, fabricate and evaluate the prototype of the proposed ORB. In Phase II the beacon-eye will be integrated and tested in an actual multicommunication scheme. The proposed robotic beacon-eye can be used in the commercial sector in a variety of multicommunication schemes including security systems, law enforcement and many other current and future potential applications. Net Exchange proposes a Phase I DARPA SBIR study into the use of combinatorial information markets as decision support tools. The specific application studied will be the estimation of international military instability. The efficiency of U.S. troop deployment can be significantly improved if better estimates of international stability can be made. We will test whether information markets can do this. International stability, as well as many other military and commercial applications, involves the estimation of separate events that are, none the less, complexly inter-related. To provide probability estimates of interrelated events, an information market must be able to handle conditional probabilities. Simple information markets, exemplified by the Iowa Political Stock Exchange, do not and cannot deal with conditional probabilities. A combinatorial market can. In the case of an information market, this functionality is precisely what is needed to handle conditional probabilities among future events. The founders of Net Exchange, while still at Caltech, designed, built, and operated their first combinatorial market in 1992 to assist NASA in R&D resource allocation for its Cassini Saturn mission. The firm was spun out of Caltech in 1994 and has since been a pioneer in the development and commercial use of combinatorial markets. Information markets based on combinatorial processes offer promising solutions for problems and concerns within the DoD and the private sector. Within the DoD, information markets can augment the extensive wargaming activities undertaken by the various services and other DoD functions. In this role, the information market pools the opinions of a broad array of spectators and can be used to compare the actions taken by the wargame participants with the predictions formed from the aggregation of spectator opinions. An information market that can handle conditional probabilities among interrelated and contingent actions provides the level of detail needed in this sort of wargaming application - such functionality is exactly what combinatorial processes bring to an information market. Also within the DoD, but directly affecting actual military operations, is the potential to apply information markets to allocating operational resources. An operational extension of the international military instability application proposed in this proposal could be used to help direct the strategic positioning of resources. More sophisticated and dynamic combinatorial information markets could be used for increasingly fine tactical situations, including, in the extreme, battlefield management functions. Within the private sector, combinatorial information markets offer great potential for improving the management of certain key business processes. The management of a portfolio of internal research and development (R&D) efforts would be a high-valued and rather straightforward application of a combinatorial information market. As the critical information required to make the portfolio decisions is held by the researchers involved with each effort while the portfolio decisions must be made by levels of management above these researchers, an information market is motivated. Many industries have similar R&D structures and many business processes in addition to R&D can benefit from combinatorial information markets. This Phase I SBIR to DARPA brings together five remarkable elements relevant to elastic protein-based polymers for the development of diverse nanosensors: i. the incomparable protein compositional control of biology, ii. a consilient mechanism of energy conversion utilizing inverse temperature transitions capable of eighteen classes of pair-wise energy conversions, iii. polymers that develop the highest known acoustic absorption on undergoing the transition, iv. polymers with perfectly reversible elasticity for efficient mechanics-based transduction, and v. adding dynamic force spectroscopy capacity to atomic force microscopy for monitor the free energy transduction. Intelligence organizations want to know when an unprecedented event or new information is reported. While there is good technology for searching, tracking, and filtering on known topics, current methods do poorly at detecting something new. The chief mechanism of search and topic tracking, spotting important words, is innapropriate-new stories are not ones with no important words. Because the degree of difference of new and old is different for different topics, uniform thresholds for overlap, as used in current filtering technologies, are also inapproriate. DARPA recognizes the need to capture and transform human experience and, based on those experiences and incoming information, develop a schedule of actions to augment the cognitive abilities of humans. One reason for capturing human experience is to alleviate the increasing number of demands on the warfighter who has a limited cognitive capacity. Another reason for capturing human experience is to allow knowbots to perform the work of the warfighter on the battlefield. Biology provides a vast number of examples of nanostructures produced at a level of precision that is superior to those that we can produce in the laboratory. The diversity of naturally occurring S-layers suggests that the nature of these self-assembled structures is genetically controlled and can therefore be manipulated through recombinant processes. In this Phase I research plan, Agave BioSystems proposes to combine S-layers, a self-organizing component of bacterial cell walls, with newly described luminescent nanoparticles to generate novel structures containing regular arrays of photoactivatable fluorescent materials. This approach can yield complex optical nanostructures much faster and much cheaper than by other nanofabrication techniques. Of particular interest is the use of these optical nanoarrays for high-density data storage. Data storage using this technology would not only yield significantly greater capacity, but would also increase access speeds, improve reliability and reduce manufacturing costs. Revolutionary new electronic and optical devices could be made possible with the ability to reliably create large arrays of nanoparticulate systems. Possible applications include optical data storage devices, deep UV and x-ray diffraction devices and optical components, and novel biomedical fluorescent detection devices. Once the technology is fully developed, these nanostructures could have a significant impact on the multi-billion dollar computer, optoelectronics, and communications markets. An ultra-dense wavelength-division-multiplexed optical communications system is proposed which utilizes a patented technique for optical injection-locking of multiple laser diodes to an optical reference comb generated by a mode-locked laser. The injection-locked laser diodes form an ultra-dense array of transmitters that are individually modulated with independent data streams. Locking of laser diodes to a MLL comb with frequency spacing of 1 GHz was demonstrated under a previous DARPA contract. Novel detection schemes are proposed to be investigated for separating the channels at the receiver, as well as system performance issues.The proposed ultra-dense WDM system will enable very high aggregate data rates, while allowing each channel to run at data rates less than 1 GB/sec. In addition to the benefits of interfacing with low-cost, low-power CMOS circuitry, the proposed technique will permit ultra-long distance transmission at improved data transfer rates on installed legacy fiber/amplifier chains. A project to explore extending electronic prediction markets for use as a decision aid tool. Investigation focuses on issues of a military interest but has broader implications. Issues explored include methods to identify suitable issues, relevant events, screen events for suitability for electronic markets, identification of market participants, and identification of appropriate incentives. Related issues of legality, acceptance, regulatory restrictions, and adjunct decision making benefits are also explored. Test markets are designed and demonstrations planned. Improved accuracy of predictions resulting from aggregation of individual knowledgeable inputs, even when knowledge is of limited scope. Responsive nature of predictions offered to users with minimum intrusion on responding individuals. Anonymity and potential for personal reward provides envrionment for honest response. Methodology offers improvements over surveys. XCom Wireless is developing a novel packaged RF MEMS relay that can be incorporated into a wide variety of RF systems. The primary goal of this program is to develop these relays such that the relay actuator is encapsulated between an RF circuit and a protective package; the circuit and package are integral parts of the relay itself. The relay structure combines an RF circuit, actuator, control ASIC, and package coverplate in a way that promises the superior RF performance typically found only in fully integrated devices while retaining the manufacturing and design flexibility inherent to discrete components. The package provides electromagnetic interference shielding and a hermetic seal for complete environmental protection against humid or corrosive conditions. This novel XCom Wireless design promises military ruggedness combined with RF design flexibility for high performance integrated systems.Commercialization of the technology to be developed in the present SBIR proposal represents a fundamental component of the XCom Wireless business strategy. RF MEMS relays with environmentally secure packaging and low insertion loss are enabling elements for each XCom Wireless product, and sales revenue for all subsequent products may be attributed to the present initiative research. The estimated time to first product release is 18 months, with profitability possible in three years with sales estimates of 200,000 units at $10-30 each from defense industry customers. Production facilities require expansion by the end of the fifth year of operation to deliver high-volume products for consumer applications; this expansion is likely to require an initial public offering at that time. A strategy of continuous patent development is instrumental to XCom Wireless growth and strength in the RF community, with two or three patents expected to result from the Phase II effort of this proposal. This proposal seeks to conduct exploratory research to develop hybrid locomotion techniques that enable a wide range of traction capabilities at small scale to achieve the Compliant Surface Robotics (CSR) goals. The concepts we intend to examine extend current capabilities of wheeled vehicles into "morphable" articulated systems, with overdetermined legs, feet or other motive actuation and that can traverse otherwise impassable surfaces. The uniqueness of our proposal is our:- breadth of kinematic exploration of variable volume techniques- utilization of a MEMS-based, "from the ground up" custom design methodology(MEMS - Micro Electro Mechanical Systems)- utilization of electro active polymer technologies in several of our concepts to develop systems that transform between configurations to comply with the current surface terrain.Our goal is to build a system that is back packable (~5 kg) and supports two phases of operation by transforming from one kinematic configuration to the other, each tuned for the appropriate operational phase, which are:INITIAL PHASE (0 - 10+ miles range). Transit over hard pack ground to light gravel or dirt, desire higher speed transit (20+ kph), stealth of track left (if any) is not critical.FINAL PHASE (0 to several miles). Mission Configuration ("Loiter, Survey, Recon &/or Deliver Payload" , over mushy surfaces from sand, to light snow, at lower speed (0 to 10 kph, and the need to leave "no track" or a "bio-track" that does not appear man made, but appears animal like for the indigenous locale.small robots that are robust to ground surface terrain, including otherwise impassable terrain such as soft snow, deep mud, swamp land, will provide considerable enhancement to Search and Rescue efforts for many applications. Moreover, the development of MEMS integrated designs to support the goals herein will have a broad range of applicability in many aspects of commerce and industry. Current robotic platforms lack the versatility in mobility that is required to fulfill future semi-autonomous missions. Although many creative developments have been introduced that enable robots to mimic insects, crustaceans, reptiles, etc. in terms of locomotion, that work has largely focused on specialization rather than versatility. Missing is a means to incorporate multiple forms of complementary locomotion so that platforms can take advantage of each modality's strengths without suffering from their weaknesses. Creare proposes a traction management system (TMS) that uses a robot's suite of organic sensors to determine the optimal modality in real-time, autonomously, and on a continual basis. Creare's TMS enables a platform with multiple forms of locomotion to expand its range of autonomous mobility to the superset of the modalities involved. Phase I will develop the TMS and prove the feasibility of the concept with a hardware demonstration. Creare is well suited for this work; with considerable experience in hardware and software development, signal processing, robotic control systems, and extensive facilities.The proposed innovation greatly expands the autonomous mobility of robotic platforms through a system that provides an intelligent bridge between the platform's organic sensors and its multiple forms of locomotion. Higher autonomy provides reliability during periods of lost communications, and enables missions that demand stealthy maneuvers. Higher autonomy also permits a broader range of missions in which real-time human-assisted navigation and obstacle-avoidance cannot be provided; such as remote explorations, security inspections, search and rescue activities in rural and urban settings, the delivery of blasting explosives, etc. Furthermore, the automotive industry could benefit from the traction management system to optimize comfort and fuel efficiency while providing traction when needed. DARPA seeks innovative processes for fabricating novel composite materials exhibiting microwave properties superior to conventional ferrites in antenna or rectenna applications. At microwave frequencies (> 1 GHz), ferrites are used in microwave devices and media. Ferrites have been used in soft magnetic applications for five decades without major innovation despite significant power loss as the key factor limiting the miniaturization of magnetic devices. InframatO Corporation proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of exploiting novel soft magnetic nanocomposite materials for significantly improved performance in microwave applications. Insulator (SiO2 or polymer) coated Co nanoparticles will be chemically synthesized using Inframat's economically viable aqueous solution method. The synthesized metal/insulator nanocomposite will be consolidated into desired magnetic component shapes, tested, and compared with conventional ferrite materials in the microwave frequency range for performance. The design of the Co/SiO2 nanocomposite is based on exchange coupling, a quantum effect taking place between neighboring nanoparticles. The Co/SiO2 nanocomposite is expected to possess higher permeability, higher electrical resistivity, higher Curie temperature, and lower core loss than ferrite materials. This advancement can be useful in an entire series of magnetic nanomaterials, including Fe-, Fe-Ni-, or Fe-B-based magnet/insulator- nanocomposites, which is expected to have a major impact on the electronics industry.Commercial applications of the proposed technology include: microwave antenna or rectennas, high frequency electronic parts made by ferrites, such as inductors, chokes, sensors, core-shape transformers, ultra high radio frequency telecommunications, planar transformers, and hybrid circuits. Other applications include telecommunications, industrial electronics, computers, entertainment, automotive, and multimedia equipment. The purpose of the proposed DARPA SBIR program is to demonstrate the feasibility of forming artificial ferrite materials for next generation microwave frequency electromagnetic field control devices. NanoSonic, Virginia Tech and a major U.S. materials and instrumentation company would work cooperatively to investigate molecular-level self-assembly methods to form magnetic nanocomposite metamaterials compatible with microwave frequency waveguide and antenna structures. Such self-assembly processes allow the incorporation of multiple molecules into a unified multilayered or three-dimensionally structured material with macroscopic properties different from those of the individual initial molecular species. NanoSonic has demonstrated the ability to form such self-assembled nanocomposites and to control their optical, magnetic, electronic, mechanical and other macroscopic functional behaviors through design at the molecular level. In particular, we have demonstrated the ability to form magnetic nanocluster-based materials that exhibit giant magnetoresistance and control over permeability and magnetization properties. During the Phase I program we will study how such self-assembly processes may be extended to incorporate a wide range of molecules, determine design rules relating molecular and macroscopic magnetic properties, and form and evaluate initial prototype materials. This will allow us to design and fabricate specific artificial ferrite device components for evaluation for specific applications during Phase II.Metamaterials offer new opportunities for the design and implementation of electronic, optical, magnetic and other devices with functional properties not obtainable using native materials alone. Magnetic ferrite nanocomposite devices have immediate and widespread military and commercial applications in mobile and portable radio systems, antenna systems and microwave engineering devices, including isolators, rotators, circulators, phase shifters, mixers and parametric amplifiers. Thin film ferroelectric materials are being heavily studied for potential applications as electrically tunable microwave devices including resonators, filters, and phase shifters. Phase shifters play an essential role in phased array antennas, for example. As opposed to the conventional ferrite-based devices, which rely on magnetic fields to vary the magnetic permeability of the material, ferroelectric devices possess an electric permittivity (or, correspondingly, dielectric constant) that is varied by an applied electric field. Electrical rather than magnetic tunability allows more compact and power-efficient devices. Thin film ferroelectrics have further advantages over bulk ferroelectrics in that they operate at lower voltages. Work on ferroelectric materials for microwave applications has concentrated primarily on ceramics such as barium strontium titanate. In this Phase I SBIR project, Luna will develop a new class of materials for electrically tunable microwave device applications that are based on organic polymers rather than ceramic ferroelectric materials. These films are easily fabricated using the simple spin-coating technique. The advantages of polymers include low cost, good processability, low dielectric constant and loss tangent, and the versatility of a wide range of potential materials that can be optimized for a given device through organic synthesis.This technology would revolutionize the fabrication of microwave switching and phase shifting components by reducing size, cost and power requirements while improving performance compared to existing component technologies. Current technology for defense against coordinated computer system attacks is passive, trying to perform analyses on attack fragments with limited information. One major problem is that the relationship between fragments-for example, the relationship between a port scan and a later buffer overflow attack-is unknown. The defenders' lack of information about the overall structure of an attack hampers attack assessment and response. In this Phase I SBIR, we propose to create Active Smart Targets (ASTs), which feed "marked cards" to attackers during the reconnaissance phase of an attack. The marked cards serve both to identify later phases of the attack, regardless of how many IP addresses are used, and to influence the attacker's choice of target machines, possibly away from valuable resources. By identifying all IP addresses involved in an attack, the AST approach facilitates early warning, attack assessment, including attack redirection and countermeasures.The main benefits of this technology are twofold. First, when used in conjunction with existing security mechanisms, this can provide enhanced protection and earlier warning of vulnerable systems with lower false alarms than is currently possible. Second, attackers can be identified and redirected away from important systems. The main beneficiaries of this technology are sites with large installations of systems, which have a high risk of attack. Commercial applications of this are applications for administrators of such large systems to provide a higher level of protection. Modus Operandi and Professor Sushil Jajodia propose an innovative approach - called the Intrusion Isolation Virtual Network (IIVN) - that takes a pro-active defense posture to intercept, track, redirect, and respond to system intrusions. IIVN assists in gaining intelligence on the source, identity and goals of an intruder and provides an informative view of the intruder's actions. This information is used to formulate a set of responses and to recommend alternative courses of action to decision-makers. IIVN is a virtual space that represents a network topology, complete with various services that are commonly found in an information system environment. IIVN's virtual network is a single computer with multiple IP addresses, running virtual services that seem legitimate when viewed from the Internet. IIVN implements techniques to isolate and confine intruders and possible damage to the information system from an attack. However, instead of providing services that may/will have vulnerabilities, IIVN provides an emulation of systems and services by supplying request/response actions that take place in a real system and that would be expected by an intruder during an actual system intrusion. This allows tracking and possible identification of the attacker without exposure to the inherent vulnerabilities of actual system services.Vulnerabilities and intrusions into military systems have their counterparts in commercial and other government organizations. Intellectual property, trade secrets, monetary transactions, and the ability to do commerce are all at risk from cyber attacks. The IIVN system adds one more level of defense toward a comprehensive security solution. The IIVN system assists in tracking, identifying and prosecution of intruders, as well as, protecting information systems from damage using isolation and confinement techniques. All branches of the military, corporations that are vulnerable to industrial espionage, from the outside and from within, banking and financial institutions, and other entities identified in the report by the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection can benefit from this technology. The Phase I effort will investigate the utilization of MachineLearning (ML) and Statistical techniques for active detection andintent inference of malicious insider activity. These data-driventechniques will be combined with domain knowledge at two levels. Atthe bottom level, the raw data of system calls and commands will becoded into a more semantically meaningful vocabulary. At the toplevel, domain knowledge will be used to set up a hierarchicalstructure for fusing the detection blocks, and for ranking thedetections according to lethality. ML and Statistical methods willenable the following capabilities: (1) Sensitivity to the temporalrelation among events; (2) Reasoning with intermediatedegrees-of-belief; (3) Adaptive Thresholding according to variationsin the environment; and (4) Optimal combination of multiple detectionsystems. Aprisma Management Technologies (manufacturer of SPECTRUM)will provide consulting in network management and network security,and access to real datasets. These datasets will be obtained on aresearch testbed combining SPECTRUM, and attending systems managementsoftware. Professor Wenke Lee from North Carolina State Universitywill provide consulting in machine learning and computer security. The best techniques will be further developed on Phase II, whereschemes for active monitoring and response will be designed andprototyped.The National Center for Computer Crime Data reports that maliciousactivities from Insiders is responsible for far more damage toInformation Systems than attacks from outside. Protectinginstitutional networks from malicious activity accounts for about 25billion US dollars each year. 95 percent of the DoD communicationspass through the National Information Infrastructure (NII) at somepoint. The proposed technology has the potential to provide the NIIwith a much needed capability for detecting malicious activity fromInsiders. Maliciously constructed boot firmware is a threat to our information infrastructure that has largely been ignored. Boot firmware controls the power-up procedure initializing a computer's hardware and loading its run-time system. This code, embedded in all third-party device drivers, can easily be corrupted and then exploited to undermine security engineering and enforcement implemented at the operating system, protocol, application, or enterprise levels. Authentication techniques (e.g., digital signatures) provide limited protection by ensuring the provenance of the firmware. Efficient Code Certification (ECC), the technique we propose, can establish the trustworthiness of code regardless of its origin. ECC guarantees certain dynamic safety properties of compiled code by performing efficient static checks. A single ECC module would verify the safety of all boot firmware (before it is run) every time a system is booted. It relies on a certifying compiler that produces particularly well-structured code, so that a verifier can perform the static checks. The user need only trust the verifier, a particularly simple program that can be persuasively validated by inspection. By applying ECC to boot firmware based on the widely used Open Firmware standard (IEEE-1275) we can provide an effective countermeasure to potentially devastating attacks.At the end of this project we will have a practical new technique for detecting malicious code in boot firmware. Our result, based on direct examination of the code for safety properties, will be complementary to existing and proposed schemes that employ digital signatures. Our technique is targeted at Open Firmware, which is an IEEE standard for boot firmware, and will be able to detect malicious fcode programs within such systems. The total integration of micro/nano-systems with several different technologies (such as chemistry, biology, fluidics, electronics, optics, mechanics, etc.) on the chip scale presents a daunting challenge for engineers and scientists. There are currently no computational modeling tools that can simulate fundamental experimental measurements and predict microsystem performance over a range of operating conditions. Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc., with its unique combination of skills in biolayer deposition, optical waveguide biosensor design, and high-accuracy modeling of the collection and propagation of optical energy in guided-wave systems, proposes to develop a highly innovative optical biochip microsystem computation model (MCM). The proposed optical biochip modeling system will provide a method for researchers to develop a quantitative understanding of the interaction between the guided light, optical waveguide cahnnels, and biological layers, will and also provide a tool for the routine analysis and design of integrated optic microsystems. The primary goals of this Phase I effort will be to obtain a quantitative characterization of 1) the integrated optic chip configuration, 2) the bio-molecular recognition process, and 3) the transduction of the molecular recognition signal into an optical signal.Integrated microsystems have become the new generation of bio-medical and military analytical devices. The proposed MCM technology will lead to the development of new sensing devices and applications. Significant potential markets include chemical and biological warfare agent detection, medical diagnostics, high throughput drug screening, environmental monitoring, chemical process control, and food process control. There is an urgent need for fast, man-portable point chemical and biological agent detection technologies for both civilian and military applications. Microsystems employing high volume air samplers integrated with microfluidics and highly specific detectors show great promise but many issues need to be resolved to develop this new lab-on-a-chip technologies. To facilitate the development process, MRC will develop a Web-based, expert-assisted graphical user interface called a "Virtual Instrument Development and Test Suite". This comprehensive software package will encompass fundamental sensor component physics and scaling laws, full sensor and sensor system modeling, functional requirements definition and CONOPS models. The finished product will be compatible with the Virtual Proving Ground. MRC will perform the project in collaboration with the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the City College of New York.The Phase I program will develop the prototype software with specific emphasis on dielectrophoresis separation of bioagents from natural species with Raman detection. Phase II will incorporate the full range of microsystem configurations from sample collection to detection and will include key supporting experimental measurements. At the end of the program, the completed software will be compiled on a CD-ROM and made available to technology developers and the Virtual Proving Ground.We anticipate a limited number of sales of the VIDTS software to biological and chemical agent technology developers. A broader market will result from the extension of this technology to other systems engineering applications. Visidyne proposes to address the design of a wideband, low noise photonic RF frontend to improve on the trade between a channel's signal-to-noise or capacity and its aggregate channel count. The underlying technology to do this is a photonic parametric amplifier, where an optical carrier is linearly deviated over a large phase angle with a modulation index approaching unity, and powered by a laser diode. In recent history, battle damage has tended to be large-scale, and battle damage assessment (BDA) from a distance has been effectively done through manual interpretation of imagery. However, modern smart munitions are designed to do surgical strikes on targets of military significance, and are not meant to do large-scale damage to surrounding areas. Thus the BDA problem has become more difficult. Battle damage assessment must now involve detection of very small physical changes in the target in question. Vexcel proposes here to explore advanced SAR signal processing techniques to this new BDA challenge. In particular, we will explore the application of coherent change detection, dynamic imaging and other advanced techniques. We expect to rank the potential of the techniques with regard to type of damage, extent of damage, and signal processing requirements. Furthermore, we will consider the existing SAR capabilities as well as offering insight into the value of future SAR architectures for the BDA problem. Vexcel will prototype the various algorithms and provide a summary of their performance using GFI data.The type of applications we are proposing to develop under this SBIR will be capable of measuring very small change in targets using SAR. There are a number of military and non-military applications to which this basic ability would be applicable. Some examples include remote monitoring of facilities and storage yards, as well as change detection in urban areas. These can be used for tax assessment, structural health assessment as well as automatic enumeration. Impact Technologies, in cooperation with the Penn State ARL, propose the development and validation of prognostic tools for predicting the remaining useful life of complex mechanical systems through fusion of stochastic physics-based failure mode models, relevant system or component level health monitoring data and inspection results. The proposed life determination and prediction strategies will be implemented within a probabilistic framework to directly identify confidence bounds associated with specific component life consumption. A major thrust for improving the accuracy of structural integrity predictions that is addressed in this proposal is related to minimizing the current level of uncertainty that exists in the critical parameters that drive specific component failure modes. The link between advanced health monitoring, feature extraction, inspection results and model-based prognostics is key to determining and reducing this uncertainty thus enabling effective risk-based maintenance practices, higher system availability and improved safety. With the ever-increasing demands on engine performance, emissions reduction and better fuel economy, reliable pressure transducers are needed for in situ aircraft turbine engines. To meet these needs, Orbital Research Inc. proposes an in-situ pressure transducer enabled via a thin film ternary shape memory alloy sensing element. The proposed sensing element theoretically outperforms the most promising SiC transducers by at least 800% at high temperatures (400-600øC). Conventional adaptive optics systems employed to compensate wavefront errors introduced by atmospheric index of refraction variations are limited to correcting relatively small turbulence errors due to the physical limitations of the corrective devices available. A high density deformable mirror actuator array using piezoelectric single crystal MPB PMN-PT would provide far greater stroke to correct large turbulence errors at high spatial frequencies. In addition, it would be applicable to error correction in a host of optical communities who have a direct and current need for such a device. The objective of this Phase I program is the development of MPB PMN-PT single crystal high density deformable mirror actuator array prototype to demonstrate higher authority actuation response, dimensional stability, and wavefront control.Higher Amplitude Error Correction in Satellite Surveillance Systems High performance fiberoptic switches are in critical demand for use in the ever-growing communication networks and modern defense systems. Fiberoptic switch is the key component to enable much simplified and higher performance Active Optical Networks, where optical signals/channels are dynamically switched, routed, reconfigured, multiplexed, protected and restored all in the optical layer, eliminating the current very expensive optical-to-electronic-to-optical conversions. Current fiberoptic switches do not simultaneously meet the requirements of high speed, low loss, high extinction ratio, and high reliability. The recent progress in single crystals of relaxor that exhibit extraordinary properties opened an unprecedented opportunity to realize state-of-the-art optical switch. Our unique design overcomes all the major drawbacks of competitive technologies. Such a device will drastically reduces network complexity leading to lower cost and high reliability. For defense applications, this switch is also a key enabling element for ultra-wideband optical signal processing applications, including programmable single mode fiber-optic switched delay lines, optical transversal filters for wideband true-time-delay elements, and optical filters for microwave electronic surveillance and radar phased-array antenna beam forming. The development of this advanced state-of-the-art switch will greatly increase the feasibility of these systems applications. A prototype switch will be demonstrated in the Phase I.Telecommunication is currently the fastest growing industry. The anticipated commercial communication switching market is very large with forecasted reaching billion dollars by year 2006 By exploiting the unique properties of single-crystal peizoceramic, STI will develop a new class of device for suppression of structural vibration. The proposed device, a frequency agile vibration absorber (FAVA), will be compact, robust, and demand minimal power for operation. Unlike today's adaptive absorbers the FAVA will tune over a wide range of frequencies and respond rapidly to controller command. The magnetic field distribution in a current carrying plasma, such as Z-pinch, can be used to infer the currents flowing in the pinch and to study physical process such as the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) instability during the implosion phase. The current commutation process is particularly difficult to measure in nested array loads and in concentric magnetic flux compression experiments. Faraday rotation techniques are too insensitive for measurements during the implosion phase. Similarly, the Zeeman splitting of spectrally resolved line profiles are difficult to infer when the Zeeman shift DlZ is much smaller then the absorption line width Dla. HY-Tech proposes to infer the Zeeman splitting from recorded spectra of the right and left circularly polarized s components. The spectra are recorded while viewing the plasma along the field direction using a polarimeter to spatially separate the two circular components at the input slit of the spectrometer. Radially or axially resolved spectra with a 1 mm resolution at 10 spatial locations will be used to study the R-T instability and current commutation during the implosion phase. Science based assessments of the response of systems and material to hostile nuclear environments require detailed verified material response and failure criteria for confident results. Consequently there is a need for the development of experimental techniques to measure low pressure equation of state parameters accurately and economically using radiation simulators. The development of a soft x-ray driven flyer plate (XFP) technique is proposed as the solution to this problem. Present reflex triode (RT) design performance is limited by debris shield response. The shield designs were derived empirically to satisfy specific experiment requirements. Optimizing the RT design will double target dose. Debris shield deformation defines the closest permissible location of the test object and therefore determines the maximum dose achievable. The deformation of the debris shield can be reduced without sacrificing transmitted fluence by (a) minimizing the debris shield stimulus and (b) by designing a low Z debris shield that minimizes the transient deformation. Ktech proposes to reduce converter and cathode foils impulse by optimizing the material selection, configuration and thickness. Hydrocode analysis will be used to model converter blow off and define the debris shield dynamic loads. Ktech has pioneered the development of thin, large area, high Z foils. Advanced low atomic number, composite honeycomb shield designs achieve a high effective bending modulus and therefore minimize deformation. This reflex triode optimization approach increases the useful output of existing pulsers without changing the pulsed power systems to provide a needed high fidelity simulator for the examination of thermomechanical response of weapon and delivery system components.Optimizing the reflex triode and debris shield design will achieve factors of 2 increase in dose allowing simulators to meet customer requirements. Debris shield technology has a myriad of applications including armor systems, blast resistant structures, automobile crash protection systems and personal safety devices. The team of Visidyne, Inc. and Mission Research Corporation proposes to develop a high-fidelity, real-time Nuclear Optical Dynamic Digital Image Generator (NODDIG) to support the development and testing of algorithms for the mitigation of optical clutter in nuclear environments. The NODDIG concept is a software/hardware digital scene generator. It will complement and support infrared sensors under test by DTRA's Nuclear Optical Dynamic Display System (NODDS). Presently available image generators are either too slow or afford incomplete models of the burst-disturbed backgrounds from high-altitude nuclear events (HANEs). The IRSim code, developed and maintained by Visidyne, is the DTRA standard for producing high-fidelity structured scenes and scene sequences. However, IRSim is several orders of magnitude too slow to be used in "real time" for hardware-in-the-loop sensor testing. Other, faster stochastic methods have been used to generate background clutter images, but they lack the fidelity and traceability inherent in DTRA's IRSim. In Phase I Visidyne demonstrated that nuclear background structure can be displayed on a PC at frame rates exceeding requirements using a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) 3-D graphics accelerator. In Phase II the Visidyne Team proposes to develop and demonstrate a novel, real-time nuclear digital image generator to complement the NODDS display system. The innovation consists in adapting the key algorithms from IRSim to be evaluated as instructions on a COTS 3-D graphics accelerator and in dividing the work across multiple processors. In the Phase I SBIR program OptiSwitch Technology Corporation (OTC) demonstrated that an advanced solid-state switch composed of a purely optically triggered switch and a purely electrically triggered switch can replace the rail gap switch in DTRA's Fast Marx Generator (FMG). Being solid-state it will have longer life, higher reliability, higher reprate and lower cost of ownership than the rail gap switch. The advanced switch utilizes a proprietary combination of a light activated switch and an advanced thyristor. To achieve superior switching performance the advanced thyristor incorporates a proprietary diffusion profile that can be constructed using standard integrated circuit processing techniques. This allows the thyristor to be fabricated at numerous foundries using reproducible processes and at a low cost. Arrays of these switches will be necessary for the higher power pulsed systems. Light triggering with its associated low jitter will simplify the triggering of these arrays. In the Phase II program OTC will conduct a credible scalable demonstration of the switch to verify the predicated performance. The Phase II program will be conducted in three independent phases each demonstrating one key aspect of the switching technology. The proposed project will design, demonstrate, and market a very deep submicron cell library and design system for radiation hardened ASICs and standard products. Specifically, we will develop a scaleable 0.18 m, hardened by design (HBD) cell library to support the radiation hardening of ASICs fabricated in commercial silicon foundries, but exhibiting total dose hardness in excess of 300 Krad(Si), single event effects immunity, and dose rate hardness in excess of 1x10^9 rad(Si)/s. The library will support synthesis of ASICs from VHDL or Verilog descriptions of the circuit function. Macrocell and megacell functions to be supported include boundary scan I/O, JTAG, LVDS I/O, ROM compiler, SRAM compiler, phase lock loops, and scan path cells. The performance and radiation hardness will be demonstrated by designing and fabricating a digital signal processor, which will also become an embeddable megacell in the library. Full Circle Research proposes a Phase II SBIR program to continue the development of a new technique for suppressing single event latchup (SEL) in COTS ICs. SEL suppression requires the use of wafer preparation technologies such as SOI, SOS, etc., of fabrication of ICs in an epitaxial layer of silicon on a wafer of heavily doped silicon. The latter is already widely used in commercial IC manufacture, and is much preferred over the former. For epitaxial processing to work, however, the layer must be thin, e.g. less than 6mm¹ thick in today's technologies and thinner still in future technologies. Often this is not the case. FCR's technique involves implanting a heavy ion from the back of the to within a few microns of the top surface. Back-surface implantation could occur at the wafer level, or after the chip is packaged, and thus would be non-intrusive, and would greatly facilitate upgrading COTS ICs to rad-tolerant (RT) chips. Using this technique, space system manufacturers could procure a wider range of part types from a wider range of suppliers, and make them immune to SEL. Space system manufacturers must be able to procure ICs that function in a space radiation environment. Non-intrusive process changes have already been identified that permit many ICs to satisfy space mission requirements for ionizing dose, but single event latchup continues to be a major limiter in attempts to use advanced ICs in space. An affordable method of suppressing SEL in ICs fabricated in commercial processes would dramatically advance the technology for producing radiation tolerant ICs, and permit the use of advanced COTS ICs in commercial and military systems concerned about SEL. A field-usable multi-analyte BW sensing system employing an integrated sample preconcentration stage is proposed. To enable operation in real-world environments, the system employs a particle filter and magnetic immunobeads to clean and concentrate the target analytes in the solution. A highly compact, imaging, optical arrangement subsequently monitors the sample fluid for a large number of analytes in parallel. By using a photo induced immobilization technique, a multitude of different antibodies is immobilized on the surface of a glass carrier, each type being located at a specific position on the chip. When sample fluid containing the analytes is flowed over the sensor surface, the top plane of the optical carrier chip is interrogated by an imaging ellipsometer to provide a spatially resolved measurement of the sample surface. This allows precise monitoring of binding events to the individual sensor fields. Use of semiconductor sources enables highly compact realization; employing several wavelengths further enhance the sensitivity. The imaging technique yields highly resolved information about the binding status of a vast number of different antibody fields without the need for labeling reagents. This system will be of high commercial interest for chemical and biological screening and for environmental monitoring applications. The proposed system is intended to serve as a compact, sensitive tool for analyzing environments on site for a large number of reagents. Combining sample pre-processing with the high sensitivity and labeless operation of multi-spectral ellipsometry methods and the fast readout of an extremely high number of parallel channels, this setup will find multiple commercial applications in drug screening, environmental monitoring, and DNA analysis applications. Physical Sciences Inc. proposes to develop and test a prototype low-cost, small-footprint system for sensitive, class-specific detection of target compounds (TCs) associated with the production and degradation of chemical warfare agents. The device will address critical DTRA needs in CWC treaty monitoring operations, particularly in pre-screening and location of samples containing TCs. The detection system will utilize a novel disposable sensor chip containing arrays of polymeric microsensors for key classes of TCs associated with G, V, and H agents. The Phase II sensor array will build upon the polymer technology successfully demonstrated in Phase I. The detection system will provide a rapid, real-time assessment of TC concentration and identity in solid and vapor samples containing multiple chemical species. The Phase II program will result in the implementation and field-testing of a field-capable TC detection system, and delivery of 10 systems to DTRA for further evaluation and testing. The effort will provide a small rugged device for rapidly assessing TC concentration in field environments. Commercial applications of the device include high-throughput screening of pharmaceutical candidates, personal protection, breath analysis for rapid medical diagnostics, regulatory compliance, and monitoring of hazardous waste sites during remediation efforts. This proposal addresses the need for a fast running, multi-purpose fire simulation computer code for Weapon System Safety Assessments (WSSAs), with direct applicability to the evaluation of threats to/from weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This proposal would extend the Isis-2D fire code to 3-dimensions while maintaining its "fast running" attributes essential to practical risk analysis. The proposed effort would also extend the code's existing flexibility to address issues related to hazards associated with WMD. In its present form as a 2-dimensional code, Isis-2D has limitation relative to accurately representing complex "real world" problems. Due to (a) the highly 3-dimensional nature of fires, (b) the 3-dimensional complexity of "real world" environments, and (c) the 3-dimensional interactions between the fires and the real world, the evaluation of "real world" fires requires a 3-dimensional mechanistic code. In addition, to support the scoping nature and thus the requirement for large number of risk-compatible evaluation, Isis also satisfies the necessary requirement of flexible modeling attributes and fast computational run times. The results from this research have several anticipated benefits to DTRA. First, a fast-running, 3-dimensional fire model would help reduce uncertainties and reliance on engineering judgment. Second, we have identified many conditions or phenomena where a 3-dimensional tool would provide a defensible method to reduce requirements for conservatism. The ultimate objective is to reduce the likelihood of needless recommendations for costly procedure or hardware changes. Finally, completion of such a tool will allow, with little additional effort, a general-purpose code for the analysis of fire challenges and subsequent behavior (e.g., transport, decomposition, inhalation, and deposition) of biological and chemical agents in weapons of mass destruction. The objective of this Small business Innovation Research Phase I project is to devise accurate techniques for predicting turbulent mixing with a view toward estimating the effectiveness of strategies for neutralizing bio/chem hazards. Recent, substantial progress by Krispin Technologies, Inc., in developing 3D vortex methods for turbulent flow simulation as part of a DOE supported SBIR Phase II project will be leveraged to yield immediate application to realistic hazard scenarios of interest to DTRA. Among these are scalar plumes emanating from multiple sites within confined or open air domains. The unique capabilities of vortex methods derive from the versatility of their grid-free character; their computational speed; and, their capacity to represent essential physical properties of turbulent flow. In particular, they are better positioned to model the essential effect of small scale vortices on scalar mixing than traditional grid-based closure and large eddy simulation techniques relying on unphysical diffusive models. The accuracy of the proposed methodology will be tested for scalar plumes in atmospheric flows under a variety of conditions as well as for turbulent jets. Subsequently, methods for quantifying mixing between species will be devised and then applied to problems for which scalars originate from separate sources. The proposed new technology is important to DTRA interests and is applicable to a broad range of DTRA and defense applications. It can be readily adapted for civilian use; it can be utilized for better analysis and control of numerous industrial activities, ranging from chemical to energy applications, natural and industrial pollution, and other health hazards. The dispersal of special nuclear material (SNM) from US nuclear weapons has been given high level attention from the executive and legislative branches of government since the early 1990s. The studies and assessments to date have focused on abnormal environments initiated by accidents during normal peacetime military operations. These studies have identified some abnormal environments in which disposal is likely to occur. These environments can be initiated by accident or intentionally by terrorists. Dispersal by intentional means is likely to have the same health and political consequences with respect to public consequences as dispersal by accidental means. Phase I research will develop a methodology to assess intentional actions such that the quantified risk of these actions is comparable with the risk quantified by accepted methods for accidents. The specific objectives are to assess the likelihood and effectiveness of a terrorist attack and support their integration into DTRA's Nuclear Weapon System Safety Assessment. The primary objective of this proposed research is to develop a new detector that uses the wavelet transform for accurate, reliable and automatic detection of secondary phases such as Pg, Lg, and pPn. We propose to extend the semi-automatic wavelet detector of Tibuleac and Herrin (1999) to an automatic, multi-component detector for use on both single-component array data as well as three-component seismic data. Additional research tasks include developing a rigorous statistical framework to evaluate the wavelet detector's performance on seismic data recorded in regions of high monitoring interest, where Pg and Lg propagation ranges from highly efficient to complete blockage. We will demonstrate that a wavelet detector offers significant improvement in secondary phase detection by comparing the method to traditional Fourier-based detectors. The final task will be to demonstrate the capability of wavelet detectors to detect and identify regional depth phases, primarily pPn, including a parallel comparison with Fourier-based depth phase detectors. Based upon the preliminary successes demonstrated by Tibuleac and Herrin (1999, 2001), we believe that arrival times determined from automated wavelet processing will produce a higher level of accuracy in the hypocentral estimates for small-to-intermediate magnitude seismic events than has previously been achieved. A major challenge for nuclear monitoring organizations is the detection, location, and identification of small seismic events at regional distances. In regions with relatively few seismic stations and small-to-intermediate magnitude events, traditional location methods cannot provide the location accuracy needed to satisfy existing operational monitoring requirements. Secondary phases, such as Pg, Lg, and pPn, must be considered to improve location accuracy. The development of an automated secondary phase detector that identifies reliable and consistent arrival times would greatly enhance the seismic event location capability of monitoring organizations. The method would provide the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) and the Center for Monitoring Research (CMR) with a technique that would eliminate the well-known inconsistencies associated with human analyst picking of these important seismic phases. There is a pressing need for simplified, user friendly, field level data management and archival tools with which data providers can efficiently archive all forms of test information and which will result in increased utilization of DARE asset. SARA proposes enhancements to the Test Information Management Enhancement (TIME) and similar systems which will benefit both the data provider (DP) at weapons effects simulators, and the archivist, also known as the Data Engineer (DE), responsible for maintaining the data archive. Our enhancements are designed such that the DP will benefit by being provided with reusable web-based tools which simplify logging and tracking of data products during test operations. DARE users will benefit from the prospect of a substantial increase in simulator data becoming available on DARE; and the program which use ARES, PHETS, LB/TS, and NTS facilities will benefit by having secure access to data; and by the potential for a reduction in the number of data management products which DTRA/AO or other DTRA agencies must support. The immediate benefits of this effort are the rapid availability of simulator data to DARE, and improved management and access to photos, test documents, and numeric data for test scientists, engineers, and program managers at DTRA/AO. The long term benefits include acceleration of data loading into DARE, an increase in the number of DARE data providers, an expected resulting increase in the number of DARE users, and reductions in the cost of simulator data management. Power electronic devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) have a wide range of advantageous properties. However, to date, GaN-based electronics have been limited by substrate quality, size and cost. The two substrates that are used most widely are sapphire and silicon carbide (SiC). Sapphire is available in large diameters but has a large thermal coefficient of expansion (TCE) and lattice mis-match to GaN and a low thermal conductivity. This results in high defect levels and reduced device and circuit performance. SiC substrates have high thermal conductivity, but are extremely expensive and available only in small diameters. Also SiC is not lattice or TCE matched to GaN (the mis-matches are smaller than to sapphire however). This proposal describes a novel approach to eliminate these defects, and make highly conductive GaN wafers of large diameter at commercially acceptable cost that are TCE matched to the device layers and provide high thermal conductivity. These substrates will be used for the development and commercialization of GaN-based Schottky diodes. A key application is to replace silicon PIN diodes; in this case GaN Schottky diodes will match the breakdown voltages but provide much higher switching speeds and lower losses. This development will result is a process to make high power GaN Schottky diodes on large area substrates with improved characteristics at a low cost, permitting widespread use of these devices in both Government and commercial applications. M.F.S. units can be used in many Military Aerospace applications such as for Airborne Laser (ABL), Launch Vehicles and Spacecraft (Space Based Infrared). Implementation of this project can result in lower mass and volume. Typical savings can be as high as 70 % depending upon application. It can also result in higher reliability due to reduction of human labor during assembly / testing operations. Enhanced testability is another strong point due to the ability to have redundant test nodes on M.F.S. CBL Technologies and Stanford University propose a VPE growth process and novel GaN epilayer design for electronic/optoelectronic applications. In our low-cost, high-efficiency growth technique, thick GaN and related compounds can be deposited on a variety of substrates. Sequentially, but with altered growth parameters, the process also allows for device quality layers. Typically in other materials systems extremely thick buffer layers provide limited benefits; however, here thick buffer layers of various structures may provide significant electrical contact layers, thermal heat sinking, structural layers for lift-off processes, and improved crystal quality. We believe such a system has a wide range of applications from low-cost light-emitting diodes to solar-blind detectors and high temperature, radiation hard devices. InP-based devices have applications encompassing the entire communication technology including wireless and fiber-optic telecommunications. It is especially suitable for very high frequency (up to 200GHz) operation. Therefore they are increasingly a critical component in all military missions. Their manufacturing costs are high in large part due the high cost of InP substrates, and their much smaller size compared to that of Si. Device throughput per wafer is proportional to the square of wafer diameter, so to gain economy of scale larger wafer size is much more favorable. Furthermore, system performance may benefit from integration of the compound semiconductor devices directly on silicon. We propose an investigation of growing InP on silicon wafers which, when scaled up, could lead to 300 mm wafers for device fabrication. The robustness of the Si substrate will also lower processing costs. Such Si-based wafer platform could make the manufacturing significantly less expensive, and provide advanced architecture for integration of opto- and micro-electronics to silicon-circuits. Larger substrates will produce significantly less expensive devices for optical and microwave communication, automotive electronics, medical equipment, and consumer electronics. The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of large-area aluminum nitride (AlN) wafers for III-nitride substrate applications. The growth strategy consists of growing single crystalline AlN on adequately prepared SiC templates using a sublimation process. We propose to employ a multi-step deposition process to (1) avoid SiC decomposition, (2) prepare the SiC seed surface for AlN growth, and (3) to greatly reduce stress in the overgrown, single crystalline AlN. The use of SiC templates is appealing due to the ability of instantly producing large area growth. In this project, the feasibility of the proposed growth process will be explored on 1" 6H-SiC wafers. The proposed growth strategy will demonstrate the growth of large-area, single crystalline AlN crystals using specially prepared SiC wafers as seeds. The availability of large-size 6H-SiC wafers will enable and expedite future upscaling efforts. AlN wafers that will be fabricated eventually from the grown crystals will find an immediate application as lattice-matched substrates for high-quality epitaxy of III-nitrides and will enable the fabrication of superior quality AlGaN electronic and optoelectronic devices, including blue and ultraviolet solid state laser diodes, high-power and high-frequency transistors, solar-blind UV detectors and surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. Since the epitaxial processes and a variety of III-nitride device structures have been developed during the past ten years on less favorable substrates with large lattice mismatch, the penetration of these new AlN wafers into the market place can occur without delay and to the immediate benefit of device performance. This effort will develop a novel flexible space system simulation architecture for predicting the on-orbit performance of large aperture space systems such as those envisioned for Space-Based Laser and other MDA/DoD applications. The principal objective of this proposal is to develop an architecture for a single unified simulation capability that encompasses all of the effects needed to accurately predict and subsequently control the complex dynamics of future lightweight flexible space systems. Specifically, this architecture will include orbital dynamics and perturbations, attitude dynamics, flexible body dynamics, formation control, and other effects to produce a physics based visualization tool for assessing the behavior of these systems. This effort will provide an improved capability for modeling and simulating the performance of flexible spacecraft and other complex systems (e.g. robotics). Benefits include: higher fidelity models, decreased design time, and visualization tools for understanding the complex dynamical behavior of these systems. We propose to develop a very long wave infrared (VLWIR) FPA (focal plane array) for missile seeker and space surveillance applications, for which the LWIR region is very important. It consists of a 2-D array of micromachined micro Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs), each of which contains a micro airgap cavity formed by two partially-reflecting mirrors, enclosing a micro-volume of air, and a photvoltaic detector sensitive to visible radiation. One of these mirrors is attached to a movable membrane that forms one wall of the cavity. When VLWIR radiation falls on the cavity, the movable mirror moves relative to the non-movable mirror due to the heating of the air by the incident VLWIR. This movement causes an interference of the visible light beam allowed to incident the cavity, and the inteference amplitude proportional to the heating of the cavity is detected by the visble photovoltaic detector attached to the non-movable mirror. Thus, the photovoltaic detector is highly sensitive to the VLWIR radiation falling on the cavity. The proposed FPA is essentially an array of visible detectors operated at room temperature and fabricated with the 0.25-micron CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) process. Its high VLWIR sensitivity is due to the interference effect caused by heating of the micro-volume of air in the cavity. Its fabrication involves the CMOS as well as the MEMS (micro electro-optical mechanical system) process technologies. Phase 1 will define the FPA system requirements, design the FPA system structure and delineate the fabrication processes. Phase 2 will fabricate the FPA using foundries and integrate and test a beadboard FPA system. Missile tracking, weapon systems, medical imaging and gas sensing Recent advances in SiC power semiconductor devices offer opportunities for developing smaller, lighter, and more efficient power converters because of the superior switching characteristics of these wide band-gap devices and their ability to function at high temperatures. However, the state-of-the-art packaging technology based on wire-bonding and solder reflow presents a technical challenge for realizing the full advantages of these devices in a power converter circuit. This Phase I STTR program proposes to develop an innovative nanomaterials technology for packaging these power devices by investigating the use of free-standing nanometal cluster-filled thin films fabricated by a novel ionic self-assembly monolayer (ISAM) process. Since the driving force for densification of a powder compact increases with decreasing particle size, it is theoretically achievable to densify a nanocluster film at low temperatures. Our joint team between Luna Innovations and Virginia Tech consists of researchers with extensive expertise in ISAM process, materials characterization, packaging and assembly, and testing of power devices. Successful completion of this program will provide packaging solutions that fill the gap in the technological development of wide-band gap semiconductor devices for power electronics applications and significantly impact the future growth of the trillion-dollar electronics industry. Successful completion of the proposed project will lead to the development of a novel nanomaterials-based processing technology for high-temperature power semiconductor devices. The technology will enable the military to build more powerful electronic equipments capable of operating at harsh conditions. The technology has a very broad application in any commercial sectors that involve electronic devices, especially in automobile industries. True time delay (TTD) is essential for optically coupled phased array radars. How to implement the phased array is not so clear since a complete manifold of delays for transmit and delays must be implemented without introducing glitches associated with switching. In a continuous transmit and receive mode, it is difficult to interrupt the operation to implement a new TTD delay combination in a noiseless way. However, TTD could be used more directly to eliminate spurious signals such as cancellation of transmitted signals on a separate nearby receiving antenna. In such a case, the TTD delay is fixed. By implementing an adjustable signal gain, with 180,a of phase shift, the delay can be used for cancellation of excess transmitter signal. We introduce an optoelectronic technology in the form of integrated circuits to implement the TTD. The technology provides lasers (at 980nm, 1300nm or 1550nm), directional coupler switches interconnected by passive waveguides, HFET logic and detectors all in GaAs based epitaxy. A single integrated circuit combined with a fiber delay line and a duplicate transmitter on the receive circuit offers a rugged , low power, light weight transmitter canceller. In this STTR, we will develop the integrated components to realize TTD. Successful development of this technology will provide high speed optical delay lines and will enable linear arrays of vertical cavity lasers to be coupled to fibers with controlled rf optical frequencies as required for many potential applications including photonic phase shifters, optoelectronic oscillators and optical beam forming networks. The components also enable interconnect technology required for many commercial applications including multi-gigabit networks, distributed computing architectures and high quality real-time multi-media distribution. An uncooled long wave infrared (LWIR) focal plane array (FPA) is proposed. It is fabricated with ultra-sensitive micro bolometers, micromachined entirely out of silicon using the MEMS (micro electro-optical mechanical system) technology. It consists of a 256x256 array of micro bolometers, each micromachined in a special form to possess an extremely high temperature-resistance coefficient for a detectivity of about an order of magnitude higher than that of the state-of-the-art bolometers. Integrated with on-chip readout and control electronics, the FPA is capable of a thermal imaging sensitivity of 0.001 K, ideal for space interceptor and missile seeker applications, for which compactness and uncooled operation are premium requirements. Phase 1 will define the FPA requirements, design the FPA and delineate its fabrication processes. Phase will fabricate, integrate and test a breadboard FPA with supporting electronics and optics. Interceptors and seekers, medical imaging and gas sensing Electro-optical modulators and switches are needed for increased speed, capacity and flexibility of modern optical communications systems. The designs for these devices exist, as do materials with suitable electro optical properties, such as LiNbO3. However, their potential has not been realized, due to the limitations of diffused structures in bulk LiNbO3 crystals. Recently, our STTR partner at The University of Wisconsin - Madison (UWM) have demonstrated that high quality epitaxial LiNbO3 thin films can be produced by MOCVD. The UWM team has also invented a simple process for defining patterned structures from these films. This technology opens the way for a new class of electro-optical devices, including compact high-speed modulators and optical switches. The goal of this Phase II STTR is to develop a portable multi-spot beam steering system and demonstrate it to potentially interested companies and agencies. The demonstration activities will serve to identify ways that the product can be applied, suggest ways that the hardware and software comprising the system can be improved, and customize the product for specific military and biomedical applications including multi-target laser designation and tracking systems (specifically the DARPA STAB project), and multiple trap laser tweezer systems (specifically in collaboration with the laser tweezer company Cell Robotics.) The development of this portable breadboard and its ability to be customized is critical to convincing system developers, engineers and investors in various business sectors of the feasibility of the system to their specific applications. Though during the Phase I STTR we did demonstrate the feasibility of real-time multi-spot beam steering through a variety of laboratory experiments, extensive hardware and software development is required during Phase II to permit potential customers to focus on evaluating the system for their specific applications. The Phase II breadboard will serve to expedite evaluation by interested parties and further it will help in the identification of many new ways that parallel and independently steered laser beams can be applied. Spot generation for directing light to disparate destinations is needed for dynamic optical interconnects. Controlling focal plane distance which is one of the proposed tasks could be useful for non-mechanically addressing multi-layer optical disks. Wave front correction, for astronomy as well as medical and industrial environments is another potential beneficiary of the proposed technology. Additional possible applications range from laser marking for large scale manufacturing to laser tweezers for bioresearch and medical testing. Organic field effect transistors (OFETs) are gaining rapid attention for their vast technical and commercial potential. Their low cost, low-temperature processing, and compatibility with flexible substrates are key attributes and are especially suitable for large format electronics manufacturing. Although organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) are already in production for displays in cell phones and PDA's, the electrical properties of these organic compounds have not been as well exploited due to technical difficulties. By developing the OFET one can envision the enabling of large area display drivers (together with organic light emitters), electronic circuits on smart cards, and many other commercial and military applications. Here we propose vacuum processing which is more difficult than wet chemistry processes such as spin coating, but allows better control on device structure and interface properties to address the material challenges. In Phase-I, we propose a combination of device modeling and process development for tight control of the process parameters, leading to a better understanding of the material deposition and device performance. Low cost production will be investigated in the follow-on phase. Once the process is developed the OFETs can be scaled up for manufacturing using existing OLED production tools. Organic electronics is an enabling technology for large format displays on flexible substrates and smart cards. It would benefit consumer products from wearable personal computers to secured electronics commerce. The multi-channel, wide-band phased array antenna systems operating at a number of high microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies without the need for switching or reconfiguration are desirable for high volume data transfer in a timely manner. A number of multi-band phased array antennas in a network (on the air platform) will allow instantaneous communication link with the ground stations and with the other airborne systems. The conventional design approaches to phased array antenna generally result in very complex, expensive, narrow-band and less efficient systems because of high RF loss in the diplexer circuits needed at the antenna to isolate the transmit and receive frequencies. This proposal circumvents the problem by an innovative design approach in which the necessary isolation between the-transmit and receive frequencies is achieved partially by the field orientation between the-transmit and receive signals and partially by the low loss filters. The new approach will result in low loss diplexer design thus providing more efficient antenna system design in terms of high EIRP and low receiver noise figure. The system noise figure is expected to be 2 to 4 dB lower than the conventional design at (Ka-band). Low cost beam scan techniques are also described. Such multi-band phased array antenna design will significantly enhance the system flexibility for air platforms. The proposed research will have a far-reaching impact on future high data rate communication systems, cross link communication between the airborne systems, surveillance, planar active arrays, and sensors. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has future missions that require space-based surveillance and interceptor platforms to support the National Missile Defense effort. Rapid, affordable deployment and validation of these platforms is a necessary step toward operational architectures. However this will require lightweight, low-cost solutions to providing power generation and storage on-board these satellites. Ever-increasing power needs for the surveillance and tracking sensors proposed for space-based missile defense platforms are driving the solar energy collection systems to sizes that require large and expensive launch vehicles. Mass and cost reductions are needed to meet these demanding requirements of spacecraft electronic power components. Unfortunately, the state of the art (SOA) rigid space solar cell technology has reached its limitations in system cost & specific power: ITN Energy Systems, Inc. proposes to develop its direct conversion device (DCD) consisting of a high speed diode coupled to the feedpoints of a microantenna, to address the BMDOs need for next generation IR focal plane arrays and sensor suites. ITN believes that by replacing existing detector technologies (bolometers and photodiodes) with its DCD, we can achieve greater sensitivity, greater bandwidth, and reduced cost. The key to the antenna based detector is the high-speed diode monolithically integrated into the antenna array. The commercialization of this exciting technology is limited by unifor and reliable fabrication of the high speed tunneling diode. ITN proposes to use advanced processing techniques to create an engineered diode barrier with improved uniformity and reproducibility and increased stability in performance. ITN's antenna based approach to high frequency detection (>THz) provides a versatile approach to sensing/imaging applications from the RF to Optical portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Using an advanced high frequency diode, ITN's technology provides superior bandwidth, increased sensitivity, target tracking, and decreased cost, compared to other state-of-the-art detectors (e.g. bolometers, photodiodes). A natural application of ITN's detector technology is uncooled IR detection where ITN's technology will serve as the detector in a focal plane array. Current application are both government and commercial including surveillance, night vision, mobile targeting, and direction finding. Photonic approaches are attractive for next generation computing and communication systems. In particular, photonic switch matrix is useful for reconfigurable optical interconnection of several high-speed computing systems for missile defense applications. Existing switching device architectures requiring N square cascaded matrix switching elements for N x N non-blocking switching limits the scalability of switch matrix. The large number of switching nodes involved makes the switch matrix suffer from significant crosstalk due to imperfect analog switching. New Span Opto-Technology Inc. and University of Miami propose herein a novel photonic switch matrix using all optical control for switch pattern reconfiguration. It is based on a new laser writable polymer waveguide and recording of instant gratings on such fast response waveguide. By minimizing the switching nodes and incorporating binary switching the novel device should minimize the switch crosstalk, improve device throughput, and offer the simultaneous advantages of large scale matrix forming capability and fast switch pattern reconfiguration. It further minimizes switch system sensitivity to EMI due to all-optical binary switching. Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed switching concept. Phase II will realize a large-scale photonic switch matrix for reconfigurable optical interconnection for missile defense applications. The successful development of the photonic switch matrix with large-scale matrix forming capability and fast switch pattern reconfiguration can result in dual use applications. It will benefit greatly to military and MDA systems for fast computing and signal processing for targeting, missile interception, and fast access to large intelligent database. The reduced EMI sensitivity can improve the system reliability under hash environment. It will also benefit the communication industry to improve network routing speed for better video conferencing, video e-mail, and internet access. TDI, Inc. and Arizona State University propose to develop production technology for fabrication of high quality GaN homoepitaxial layers on bulk GaN substrates. Recently bulk GaN substrates were demonstrated by TDI, Inc. These substrates were sliced from GaN bulk crystals. Arizona State University performed a detailed investigation on mechanisms of defect formation in GaN epitaxial layers grown by heteroepitaxy on foreign substrates. Results of these developments open an opportunity to develop a novel technology for homoepitaxial deposition of GaN. The goal of Phase I is to prove the concept and demonstrate high quality GaN homoepitaxial materials grown on bulk GaN substrates. Samples will be delivered. The continued proliferation of imaging infrared (IR) missile systems has created the need for fully representative IR scene generators. In order to test these imaging IR systems correctly, a very large dynamic range is required of the scene generator. This can not easily be produced by the standard approach of an array of suspended resistor heater elements. IR optical modulators based on thermal switching property of thermochromic (TC) materials, in particular, vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films, is a promising alternative to the conventional resistor heater elements. In addition, with the fast increasing need for more energy and the decrease of energy resources, there is also an increasing need for new technologies to reduce energy consumption. TC glazing windows coated with VO2 thin films have been being investigated widely for this application. It is reported that one can lower electricity bill by 30% by using glazing windows in summer time alone and can also save fuels if used for automobiles. Both of the military and civilian applications represent a huge market. Using its innovative, high volume, low cost and open-air Combustion Chemical Vapor Deposition (CCVD) technique, MCT's proposed Phase I program is to deposit dense, single-phase, and epitaxial oxide thin films on single crystal substrates for the optical modulation applications, and to evaluate the materials and thermochromic properties of these films. The overall objective of the proposal is to improve performance of polymer matrix composite materials for cryogenic tank applications. The specific objectives of the program are: In this Phase I SBIR program, a team consisting of Advanced Ceramics Research Inc. (ACR) and the University of Arizona (UA) propose to develop a novel, low-cost, integrated micro-channeled heat exchanger system for high power electronic applications such as that for space, high-speed missiles, and other weapon systems. The increased power density for these applications result in demanding conditions such as CTE mismatch and the need for increased thermal dissipation. In radar and other applications involving power electronics, thermal dissipation from the electronics approach levels as high as 500 W/cm2. ACR's Extrusion Free Forming approach will permit the fabrication of geometrically complex, three-dimensional structures directly from CAD designs. ACR will partner with UA to evaluate the effectiveness of these novel heat exchange structures for thermal management of high-power electronic modules. The components will be tested in single-phase and two-phase (boiling) flow in the UA Heat Transfer Laboratory to assess the overall heat transfer coefficient of several different geometries of heat exchangers that can be used in both passive and actively pumped cooling systems. Improved cooling techniques are required for reliable electronics with current trends toward increased packaging densities and higher power levels for applications such as aircraft avionics, electric power systems, radar and weapon systems. A low cost, out of autoclave manufacturing process is proposed for large composite structure fairings for advanced launch vehicles that will be used to launch future MDA large payload systems such as the Space Based Laser (SBL) and Space Based Infrared Sensor System (SBIRS) components. Current composite manufacturing technologies for large fairings are limited by the size of the processing autoclaves and the amount of time to fabricate the structure before the prepreg materials cure. This innovation is based on the combination of two diverse enabling technologies: (1) a novel, newly demonstrated process for low cost, net-shape preform fabrication via robotic fiber placement--the Programmable Powdered Preform Process for Aerospace (P4A), and (2) low cost, out of autoclave processing of complex shapes via High Performance Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (HyperVARTM). The use of dry P4A preforms and secondary, out-of-autoclave HyPerVARTM processing addresses the conventional composite processing constraints; shear size of component and the amount of time to layup the structure. The P4A/HyPerVARTM processing approach limits the size of the component only by the size of tool that can be fabricated and the amount of space required to subsequently store that tool for processing. The demonstration of the P4A/HyPerVARTM composite manufacturing process for large fairings for advanced launch vehicles will establish a cost-effective approach for manufacturing large lightweight composite structures that have been limited by available autoclave facilities and current manufacturing processes. The results will be applicable for large fairings for launch vehicles for commerical space launches, and also for other large structures such as public transit buses, train cars, monorail cars, and other very large unitized body composite structures applications. The objective of this effort will be to demonstrate the feasibility of producing at low cost, a removable write-once random access volumetric digital storage system that is capable of very high capacity (~TByte per removable media), fast access time (~100ms), and ultra fast recording and readout data rates (~1Gb/S) while achieving very high volumetric densities (~3Tb/in3). These figures make the proposed hybrid tape and disk based system ideally suited for security, and reconnaissance systems supporting high-speed data filtering, and content as well as index based data searching algorithms. The proposed hybrid tape recording disk readout approach presents the opportunity to launch a series of new products targeted for security and reconnaissance systems by the second half of this decade providing revolutionary performance critically needed for these applications. Sinmat Inc. working with University of Florida, proposes to develop an economical and scalable process for fabrication of diamond light emitting diodes (LEDs) that operate in the deep ultraviolet regime. These LEDs are expected to have significant usage in BMDO related activities as compact sources in detection and probes. The formation of diamond LEDs has recently been shown on doped homoepitaxial films that exhibit room temperature exciton emission. However, commercialization of diamond LEDs is limited by poor crystal quality achieved during diamond growth, lack of reproducible n-type doping and prohibitively high cost of homoepitaxial substrates. Sinmat proposes to solve these challenges by fabricating LEDs on large area (50-100 mm2), nearly dislocation-free, synthetic diamond substrates. Such substrates have not been readily available until recently. Sinmat estimates that the cost per LED will be reduced more than one thousand times by using this methodology, while at the same time enhancing yield and performance of the LEDs. Issues dealing with homoepitaxial growth, reproducible "p" and "n" doping during growth, and patterning/ohmic contact formation will be investigated in this project. Research in this project will be conducted in collaboration with Prof. Steve Pearton at the University of Florida who has extensive expertise in processing of wide band-gap semiconductors. The research team is known worldwide for its expertise in the the area of diamond film synthesis, wide band- gap processing and have the necessary infrastructure to meet the goals of the project. The successful development of DUV diamond LEDs is expected to be used as sensor and probes in military applications and as white light sources, pathogen deactivation, and sensors in civilian environments. A drastic reduction in structural weight is an indispensable prerequisite to realize future Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems. Boost Defense segments of the program such as the Airborne Laser (ABL) and Space-Based Laser (SBL) require the storage and transport of large amounts of cryogens. All elements contributing to the cryogenic system mass must be as light as possible. Advanced composite materials have the potential to meet reduced weight requirements. Clocks and pulse sources are critical elements for next generation IC­Ýs such as DSP­Ýs and ŸYprocessors which depend critically on stability and jitter. Clock skew becomes significant because of the large chip dimension. ADC­Ýs and DAC­Ýs are mixed signal circuits which demand extremely precise clocks at multi GB/s rates. Telecommunication transceivers and transponders at 40 GB/s require phase-locked-loops with fs jitter control. Digital radar requires pulse sequences with fixed pulse width and controllable duty cycle. The stable, low jitter pulse source is the key. We propose a novel pulse source built around an optoelectronic thyristor integrated monolithically with HFETs in a GaAs technology. As both a laser and a thresholding detector, it implements an oscillator which is optically triggered after a fixed optical path delay. The delay sets the duty cycle and for each optical switching event, an electrical pulse is generated of up to 15V with a width of 1 ­V 10ps. The path delay and thus pulse spacing are uniquely controlled by HFET logic activating directional couplers which are also integrated. The pulses are guided by transmission line to a integrated dipole antenna element at the chip edge. In this STTR, we will develop the integrated pulse source technology. The integrated OEIC technology has diverse applications in both military and space data processing. Applications include 2D parallel signal processing, read and write optical memories, transceivers, high speed optical switching and optical computing. While addressing current application needs for low cost integrated components it also defines a large number of new markets. The Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) ballistic missile defense system is made up of a variety of components including land- and sea-based missiles, satellites, and space-based laser, all part of the Theater and National Missiles Defense Systems. Reusable hypersonic and reentry vehicles are being designed to meet Defense Department requirements. Two specific programs, the MDA's Space Based Laser (SBL) and the Space Maneuver Vehicle (SMV) program have requirements for innovative Thermal Protection Systems (TPS). Touchstone Research Laboratory has developed two novel materials. One can be used as a stand alone TPS, Carbon Foam (CFOAM[R]) for environments between 1000 and 3000 degrees F. When combined with the second material, Brazed Aluminum Matrix Composite (BAMC[TM]), it provides a sandwich structure combining a structural thermal insulator, carbon foam, (with compressive strength of up to 4000 psi) with a high-specific strength metal matrix composite (BAMC[TM]), which maintains its strength even above 750 degrees F. SiC JFET technology for control IC's in space based systems enable the possibility of temperature-tolerant, rugged, radiation-hard circuit operation. Additionally, it offers the possibility of combining with SiC power devices, a high level of integration, reduced parts count, reduced cost and weight in satellite systems. SemiSouth Laboratories, Inc. plans to transfer critical JFET IC technology developed at Mississippi State University to prototype status, and work with key DoD customers to provide early adaptation of the technology. Will further SiC I.C. development, especially in integrated control electronics which are needed for high-temperature sensors and power modulators under distributed control. ZnO is an excellent candidate for the growing field of nanophotonics due to its index of refraction, availability of native substrates, and the possibility of light emission. These properties make ZnO an ideal candidate on this growing field. Phase I work will concentrate in designing and characterizing waveguides, which will be the interconnects of future ZnO based devices built homoepitaxially on ZnO or heteroepitaxially on silicon. The ability to produce a photonic integrated circuit will produce a large cost reduction on optical telecommunications circuits as many fiber interconnects will be eliminated. In addition, a substantial reduction in optical device size will also be possible. Moreover, a new generation of photonic integrated systems will be enabled. The objective of proposed research is to develop a commercially viable process for ammonothermal growth of gallium nitride (GaN) crystals suitable for fabrication of GaN wafers. The ammonothermal crystal growth method is modeled after the very successful process of synthesizing alpha-quartz in supercritical water. In this process, a mineralizer attacks bulk nutrient to generate anions that are soluble in supercritical fluid. These small molecules migrate rapidly through the low-density fluid to appropriate seed crystals in a lower temperature zone. This creates supersaturation with resultant deposition and crystal growth. Laboratory-scale studies of GaN have demonstrated dissolution and transport in supercritical ammonia. In this Phase I STTR project, we propose an innovative approach to develop the process for growth of GaN single crystals by the ammonothermal route to a point where it will be interesting for commercial growth of GaN. The proposed ammonothermal growth process for GaN single crystals is modeled after the commercially highly successful synthesis of alpha-quartz in supercritical water, a process that yields an annual production volume of one thousand tons of high-quality quartz. Optimization of ammonothermal growth of GaN thus promises to lead to a commercially interesting process route for the cost-effective production of high-quality, large-area GaN single crystals. Single crystalline GaN wafers are critically needed as lattice-matched substrates for III-nitride epitaxy, in order to greatly reduce the dislocation density in overgrown, active layers. Since electronic and optoelectronic, nitride-based devices have already been grown using a variety of deposition techniques on non-lattice matched substrates, GaN substrates can be anticipated to be introduced into the marketplace without any further delay. This effort will investigate a blending of Optimally Distributed Sensing and Actuation (ODAS) with Adaptive Filtering and Disturbance Feed-forward (AFDF) techniques with promise for simultaneously mitigating the impacts of Directed Energy (DE) system payloads on aircraft while improving the Acquisition, Tracking, and Pointing (ATP) performance of DE systems. The innovation is the integration and application of research in ODSA techniques with AFDF to coupled aircraft-flexible beam train applications. The ODSA techniques provide: 1) Sensor-actuator suite to measure and mitigate disturbances to the aircraft arising from the DE system; 2) Disturbance signal representing the structural/acoustic modes disturbing the forward path of the ATP system; 3)Similarly derived sensor set/signal representing those structural/acoustic modes disturbing the ATP feedback path. These signals are coherent with the beam control jitter induced by the respective modes and represent the dominate contributions of these modes. Thus they are ideal for use with AFDF to simultaneously control and mitigate vibration/acoustic induced effects on the coupled aircraft-DE system. AlGaN/GaN HEMTs offer excellent dc and rf device performance over a broad range of contact dimensions. Future refinements should focus on reducing defect density in the epi layers that can lead to current collapse and thereby provide more stable operation over commercially significant periods. There is an urgent need for insulating, lattice-matched substrates with good thermal conductivity. UF has recently demonstrated the use of MgO and Sc2O3 surface passivation films for reducing the effect of surface states on the dc and rf performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. The major remaining hurdle to commercialization of HEMTs is the availability of insulating, lattice-matched substrates. TDI, Inc will focus on developing insulating bulk GaN, while UF will perform the epi-growth and device fabrication and testing. Insulating bulk GaN substrates developed by TDI, Inc will be used for growth and processing of high performance HEMT device structures. Homo-epitaxy will allow a reduction in defect density and the insulating nature of the substrate will avoid reducing the rf performance of the HEMT through additional capacitance. The company has developed and patented a proprietary crucible technology that is impervious to aluminum and nitrogen and can be used at high temperature for rapid growth of large AlN crystals. KSU will study the durability of the crucible material as a function of temperature and growth conditions and determine the best method for utilizing low-impurity, low-stress, self-nucleated crystals as seeds in crucibles or cones. TFGI will bootstrap small seeds to demonstrate the feasibility of growing AlN crystals up to 5 cM (2") diameter in Phase II. Large AlN wafers will be suitable for high temperature integrated electronics for controlling a wide range of military and commercial system that require operating temperatures that cannot be achieved with existing semiconductor materials. Building upon Fraunhofer Center's recently developed process of producing reactive nanoparticles (e.g., metals, carbides and nitrides) at high rates in a pristine environment, and Nanopowder Enterprises Inc.'s technology of dispersing nanoparticles uniformly as a second phase in a polymer matrix, we propose to develop a generic technology for fabricating polymer nanocomposites, wherein the dispersed phase is a reactive material. A novel aspect of the proposed approach is that the surface passivation layer is integrated into the matrix during post processing, thereby leading to a clean and continuous interface between the nanoparticle and the matrix. While the technology we propose to develop is generic and can be applied to metals and ceramics alike, we will demonstrate its applicability by fabricating essentially oxygen-free aluminum nitride - polymer nanocomposites that have a high volume loading of nanoparticles, thereby leading to exceptional thermal conductivity in heat sinks. Partnerships have also been formed with major corporations to implement the generic technology in multiple applications, once it is fully developed in Phase II. The lack of an effective surface passivation technology has prevented realizing the full potential of reactive nanoparticles, particularly because a majority of the nanoparticles do not lend themselves to self-passivation. The proposed approach is generic and applies to a range of electronic applications. We propose to demonstrate the technology for heat sinks (for use in power transistors, thyristors, LD and LED) in Phase I. Emitech, Inc. proposes an innovative approach aimed at the development of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based thin film actuators/sensors possessing gravimetric work density up to 24000 J/kg per cycle, operating at frequencies up to 1 MHz, and at temperatures up to 700 C. This new concept is based on the quantum chemical effect of nanotube dimension change under charge doping/injection. Development of a polymer-based semiconductor chip package integrated with embedded passives and active cooling is proposed. Integration will increase overall system performance, reduce the PWB real estate consumed in support of each chip, as well as reduce assembly costs and improve reliability. OCI envisions the use of a polymer insulated metal substrate onto which layers of resin-coated foil with conductive-paste-filled microvias and layers of copper foil bearing thick film capacitors and resistors are laminated to produce a high speed, functionally integrated electronic package. To directly remove heat from the chip and keep the embedded passives within their optimum operating temperature range, integration of thermoelectric cooling, either from patternable pastes or by building the package directly on a commercial thermoelectric module, is also envisioned. The proposed approach integrates the high performance and reliability of thick film passive devices with conventional copper wiring and the space savings of solid microvias. A metal substrate, in addition to providing integral thermal spreading and dissipation, will provide a flat surface to facilitate etching of very fine features. OCI's solution differs from other approaches in that it integrates a metal substrate, resin-coated foils, solid microvia, embedded passives and active cooling technology directly into the package. Competing polymer-package integration approaches lack integrated thermal management and tend to focus on standard parallel processing of multiple circuit substrates with plated through holes to interconnect circuit layers and access the embedded passives. OCI's solution will provide substantially higher circuit density, lower parasitics, and excellent thermal management - particularly in harsh environments. Diamond represents a multimillion market due to its unique combination of superior thermal, electronic, optical, dielectric, chemical, and mechanical properties. However its applications are far from fully developed. One of the hurdles is the lack of a suitable technique to make high quality diamond with low cost comparable to that of other materials in various application areas. MicroCoating Technologies (MCT) proposes to synthesize thin film diamond at lower cost utilizing its proprietary Nanomiser technology and Combustion Chemical Vapor Deposition (CCVD) process, and expertise in thin film deposition targeting applications in thermal management and electronics. Professor Zlatko Sitar at North Carolina State University, an expert in heteroepitaxial growth of diamond thin films, will collaborate with MCT on this Phase I effort. This novel concept, if successful, will result in a low cost, high quality platform for enormous electronic devices, enabling its widespread commercial and military uses. Envisioned applications include, but not limited to, field emission displays, electronic packaging, thermal management, super capacitors, IR windows, piezoresistive sensors, gas sensors, and surface acoustic wave devices. Cermet, in collaboration with researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology, propose to implement a lattice matched AlInN using existing substrate technology. The implementation of a lattice matched substrate promises to produce near dislocation free AlInN heterojunction for the first time while the use of an existing substrate technology dramatically lowers development cost and reduces the development cycle. Specifically, we propose to use existing semiconductor substrates to grow lattice matched AlInN by Molecular Beam Epitaxy to produce superior optoelectronic and electronic devices. The MBE technique to be employed will ensure a greater control over the composition of the metals in the AlInN. The target composition of AlInN will result in the optimum wavelength (263nm) UV-emitters possible (ideal UV emitter wavelength preferred by DOD being 280nm), and should lead to reduced defect densities in transistor devices. Highly efficient vertical current LEDs and FETs will be demonstrated early in Phase II, based on the successful completion of Phase I objectives. The successful completion of Phase I goal will demonstrate the use of this technology to improve the performance of UV-Emitters, short wavelength LEDs, Laser Diodes, and other high frequency electronic devices. This proposal discusses materials and related device research in the area of wide-bandgap compound semiconductors in the III-N system. The major tasks involve the growth of AlGaN/GaN heterojunction device structures and the development of improved materials. These devices are important for a wide variety of high-performance electronic systems, including high-power and high-frequency microwave and millimeter-wave amplifiers for phased-array radars, satellite communications, digital radio, wireless local-area networks, and wireless communications base stations, as well as for high-temperature and radiation-hardened electronics. While there is great potential for these applications, several important materials issues remain to be resolved. The current state-of-the-art performance for nitride heterojunction field-effect transistors is still below that theoretically projected for this material system. In Phase I, Magellus proposes to develop novel device structures in this program that are projected to provide improved performance at high currents and high powers. In Phase II, Magellus will develop stable materials and device process technologies that will be used to develop production models for devices and circuits based upon these devices. The Goals in this second Phase will be to demonstrate useful devices operating above 5W/mm with high yield and efficiencies above 60% with the reliability required for initial system insertion. Improved performance for communications, radar, and high-frequency electronic systems. Improved high-temperature and radiation-hard electronic systems. Instrumentation for oil field exploration and sensing. HYPRES, in collaboration with University of Rochester, proposes to develop a novel architecture for rf transmitters. A digital predistortion scheme will be developed for direct manipulation of the rf waveform at GHz frequencies, using the high-speed digital signal processing capability of low-temperature superconductor (LTS) electronics. This digital-RF predistorter will be integrated with a quantum-accurate digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to achieve performance levels that cannot be achieved by conventional baseband predistortion techniques. We propose to generate the rf waveform from an oversampled digital bit stream following up-conversion of baseband signals, all in the single flux quantum (SFQ) digital domain. The predistortion is performed directly on the SFQ digital bit-stream. HYPRES has already developed key components for a digital receiver for direct digitization of rf waveforms. Following the design of the predistorter circuit architecture in Phase I, HYPRES will develop, fabricate and demonstrate LTS integrated circuits for the digital-RF transmitter in Phase II. This will lead to the development and commercialization of a line of digital-RF transceiver products for the military and the commercial markets. Through better linearization of power amplifiers the spectral purity of the transmit signal is enhanced, yielding benefits, such as accurate target characterization and discrimination, elimination of false targets and extended range for radar systems. The amplifiers can also be made more linear over a broader bandwidth, enabling multi-carrier, multi-function (radar, communications, electronic warfare) operation. Finally, the ability to linearize strongly nonlinear amplifier characteristics allow the use of cheaper, more efficient amplifiers, resulting in significant savings in procurement cost as well as operational expenses. Theis technology will not only have a major impact on US military technology but also be extremely valuable for commercial wireless communication systems. Currently, surface material classification is performed by manual interpretation of various enhanced images that accentuate local differences. This procedure requires analysts with in-depth knowledge of the surface and a great deal of time. The overall objective of this Phase I project is to develop an implementation plan for development of a nearly autonomous, reliable PC-based surface material classifier for visible to microwave wavelength image data. Project tasks include: (1) Develop a surface material classification scheme that is indexed to existing standard terrain attribution systems based on the abundance and importance of surface materials; (2) Establish the intrinsic properties of these materials (and typical values) that can be obtained from remote sensing data; (3) Define parameters and radiometric models that can produce surface intrinsic properties from recorded surface signals considering variable image acquisition conditions; and (4) Devise a quantitative measure of uncertainty associated with the determination of each surface element's identity. These tasks will be accomplished by leveraging our knowledge, expertise, and algorithms from 20 years of research and applications in terrain analysis and classification and from our collaborations with a number research organizations. This technology will be exported to numerous commercial applications, some of which do not yet exist. Naval intelligence centers validate, correlate, and analyze information from various sources (cryptologic sensors, tactical airborne reconnaissance, units in contact with the enemy, etc.) to generate Indications and Warning (I&W) in support of friendly operations. Increasingly, naval intelligence centers are deployed in littoral regions around the world. The close proximity of littoral threats significantly decreases warning and reaction time for friendly forces, while anticipated reductions in shipboard manning and increases in the range and quantity of available sensor data further exacerbate workload for intelligence personnel. New information fusion technology is required to help intelligence analysts meet these challenges. There are many approaches to improving IW systems' ability to provide Indications and Warning (I&W) for the Information Warfare (IW) Picture. Traditional approaches have relied on rule based systems to infer the RF environment. But in the modern IW battlespace the rules may change too quickly to effectively write IW heuristics. We will develop engineering models for the structural response of kill mechanisms such as multi-fragment impacts, internal blast, and fire when acting separately or in combinations. The project scope will cover a number of conventional and advanced weapons and surface targets such as vehicles, buildings, and other equipment. Particular emphasis will be placed on the synergy between various kill mechanisms. The approach will cover a review test data and models from the literature, the development semi- empirical correlations of these data, and the development of first principles based model that improve on and complement what is in the literature. The test data will be used to guide the model development and validate the predictions. The models will enable the design of critical tests; the improvement of test data interpretation, the accurate extrapolation from tested conditions to new situations; and the effective design of new weapon concepts. The models would benefit the tri-services communities concerned with weapon development, munition lethality, and target vulnerability/survivability. The benefits will include reduce costs and schedules for R&D, testing, and new weapon systems. Undersea, fiber optic, cable systems are currently either battery powered or powered from shore via a conductor that is part of the cable. For the former, large battery packs must be deployed wherever electronics are located along the system. For the latter, the conductor in the cable dominates system size and controls system cost. An alternative concept is to power the fiber optic cable system by sending laser power from the shore side of the cable that is tapped off at locations where electronics are located and converted to electrical power for powering the electronics. In Phase I Aculight will extend a breakthrough technology it has developed on DOD funding to demonstrate diffraction limited diode laser bar sources that can be coupled efficiently into single mode fibers at the multi Watt level. In addition, Aculight brings new manufacturing techniques, based on semiconductor fabrication, that will result in robust and long life power sources. This combination will provide an efficient and compact device for supplying optical power into a single mode fiber for optical-to-electrical converters. Our proposed Phase I work will demonstrate the feasibility of achieving the Navy specifications in laboratory experiments. This ambitious plan is possible because of closely related research accomplishments.Techniques that deliver optical power into a single mode fiber, or multi-mode fiber, have significant markets in DOD (illuminators, power into fibers, pumps for fiber lasers) and the commercial sector (telecommunications, marking, materials processing, sources for end pumping solid-state lasers, and medical diagnostics). The objective of this SBIR Phase I project is to design, fabricate, and evaluate a low cost, low size and weight navigator. This navigator utilizes state-of-the-art multiple microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors and optimal filtering technology to achieve high precision navigation accuracy. Recently, a great deal of advancement has been obtained A low-cost, lightweight, stealthy broadband acoustic sensor is proposed to achieve surface and subsurface obstacle avoidance (no-compromise) for Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAAV). The Marine Collision Avoidance Sonar (MARCAS) is based on a small size, retractable sparse planar array using a minimal number of commercial off-the-shelf transducers. The MARCAS provides both high vertical and high horizontal resolution over a wide aperture to provide AAAVs' drivers with WideViewTM detection without any moving parts. WideViewTM is important because drivers must make navigation decisions not only based on forward obstacles but also on potential obstacles on either side (similar to changing lanes on a highway). Thanks to the high vertical angular resolution and because of shallow water operation, the MARCAS will discern direct-paths from multipaths (reverberation) and differentiate obstacles above and below the 20-foot "safety-depth". Finally, the MARCAS is stealthy because it uses GORCA Technologies' proprietary concept, BiopulseTM, which is coded copies of naturally occurring biological transient pulses such as shrimp sounds. The broadband frequency content of these coded pulses drastically limits shallow water propagation interference and allows detection over a range of 400m. This distance represents the "safety cushion" that gives the AAAV driver approximately 30 seconds to avoid obstacles. An innovative concept for a fast, efficient, high-resolution near-to-mid infrared beam scanner is proposed. Existing scanners, either mechanical (swinging mirror), electro-optic, liquid crystal, or acousto-optic, have certain limitations, and none of them satisfies military requirements for speed, resolution, range, effectiveness, and reliability. To overcome existing limitations, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to utilize the exceptional magneto-optic and magneto-elastic qualities of a certain class of metallic oxides. These qualities will lead to the excitation of a dynamic grating of local magnetic moments by propagating in the material an acoustic wave, and electronically tuning the spatial period of that grating by altering either the acoustic wavelength or the applied DC magnetic field. Thus, for the first time, two independent methods of beam scanning will be applied in a single element. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the effective diffraction of infrared radiation on a magnetic grating induced by acoustic waves and wideband steering of the angle of diffraction by tuning of the driving (the piezotransducer) RF frequency and/or variation of the applied magnetic field. In addition to jamming, immediate military applications of the proposed scanner include missile seekers, target recognition, reconnaissance, and surveillance. POC's approach has the potential to reduce the size and power consumption of airborne and space-based jamming/tracking systems. Commercial applications include remote sensing, security systems, and switches for fiber-optic communication links. Tactical aircraft DIRCM systems require a compact, high-power laser source in the mid-IR band. Current IRCM lasers are costly and exceed weight, space and power constraints of Navy tactical aircraft. Phase I will conduct the necessary analyses and investigations to confirm the utility of the Lockheed Martin mid&#64979;IR semiconductor compact laser subsystem and commercial off the shelf CCD sensors and gimbals to fulfill this critical role. The various subsystems which comprise this solution will be integrated on a single optical bench requiring only a two-axis gimbal. Proof of concept will include atmospheric propagation analysis to define optimum lasing wavelengths and ensure sufficient J/S in real-life environments. LOWTRAN 7 and/or HITRAN atmospheric propagation models will be used to run the appropriate simulations. Additionally, overall system hardware and software requirements will be defined and preliminary real estate analyses will be conducted to verify the feasibility of integrating the miniaturized IRCM into the existing USN AGILE EYE jam head. The miniaturized IR countermeasure system that is the subject of this Phase I SBIR will provide low cost, onboard protection for a variety of defense and civil airborne platforms. Beyond the obvious protection of fixed and rotary wing military assets, the MIRCM is applicable to antiterrorist assets, coastal reconnaissance aircraft, and governmental and personal aircraft flying in high-risk areas worldwide.