Some Operational Implications of Stealth Warfare

Occasionally, a hardware development springs upon us with extraordinary and lasting impact on the way we conduct war. Some exampled include the longbow, gunpowder, the machine gun, armored vehicles and nuclear energly. In some cases, such as the machine gun, theb impact is so immense that an overwhelming offensive or defensive advantage is created until the next miricle weapon is developed in response (armored vehicles, for example, to counter the machine gun). In the most extreme of caases, an entirely new category of warfare must be define to accommodate the magnitude of change wrought by a given developement, such as the air and undersea warfare of this century, and a revalidation of all existing tactical and strategic postulates is required

The Effect of Secondary Fiber Furnish on the Tensile Energy Absorption Capacity of Paper Under Repeated Extension Cycles

The object of this study was to determine what effect does recycling paper have on the tensile energy absorption (TEA) of that paper. The TEA of the sheet was split into two components, the elastic and the plastic. The sum of the two components gives the composite TEA. The TEA\u27s were measured at three different numbers of extension-cycles. It was found that a greater number of extension cycles resulted in greater TEA\u27s for both elastic and plastic regions. It was discovered that elastic TEA does not decrease with the first or second degree of recycling. Plastic TEA suffers its greatest losses after the first and second recycles. Further work is needed to investigate which fiber properties are responsible for certain losses in TEA. There is also need to study the effects of ink removing chemicals, and dynamic sheet formers, on the physical characteristics of recycled paper

Overview of NASA's Microgravity Materials Program

The NASA Microgravity Materials Program currently funds 19 grants involving the development of experiments to be conducted on the International Space Station (ISS). These experiments are designed to utilize facilities built by partner agencies, primarily the European Space Agency. These facilities include furnace inserts to the Materials Science Research Rack, the Electro-Magnetic Levitator, and the Device for the study of Critical Liquids and Crystallization (DECLIC) facility. Projects are funded either through proposals responding to NASA announcements or unsolicited proposals associated with an international collaboration that is partially funded by a partner agency. An overview of the research content of the program, how potential investigations are solicited, reviewed and funded, and the operations of the ISS facilities is provided

SURFACE STRUCTURING STRATEGIES FOR MICRO-CANTILEVER SENSING PLATFORMS AND APPLICATIONS FOR HYDROGEN RELATED ISSUES

Recent developments in microelectro-mechanical systems have enabled the exploration of transduction modes that involve mechanical energy and are based primarily on mechanical phenomena. As a result an innovative family of chemical and biological sensors has emerged which utilize a transducer in the form of microcantilevers (MCs). MCs offer greater sensitivity than comparable mass-responding sensors due in large part to their small dimension. These low cost devices can be deployed for remote testing, providing real-time information for the analyst. An additional advantage is the ability to employ MCs in an arrayed fashion adding a unique selectivity not available to many sensing platforms. The goal of this research is to explore improvements and advances in surface modification strategies for MC design. A practical application has been demonstrated for H2 related detection. The initial research (Chapter 2) focused on a novel surface structuring technique for introducing a molecular recognition phase (MRP) onto a MC transducer. The MRP in this study was introduced via spontaneous galvanic displacement reaction (SGDR) and has been implemented for H2 detection. Combining the advantages of a MC sensing platform with a high active surface area of nano-porous (np-Pd) created by a SGDR, a fast, selective, and sensitive means to detect hydrogen gas has been achieved. A second study (Chapter 3) investigates the nature of np-Pd systems created by the SGDR process. Experimental evidence is provided to support a mechanistic model which allowed a better understanding of both processing and material properties related to this strategy to create np-Pd films. This study has provided information for H2 related issues including catalysis, storage, and sensing applications. A final study (Chapter 4) explores improvements in the properties of materials used for MC design. A nano-laminate composite (NLC) surface composed of alternating layers of SiNx/SiO2 has shown advantages for MC design in comparison to conventional materials used for MCs. The NLC-MCs fabricated using this method exhibit superior reflectivity for optical read-out. The NLC materials experience less thermal induced drift compared to MCs that use metalized surfaces. The asymmetric layering of the NLC material used for MC design show promise for flexible functionalization strategies

Mississippi State University\u27s Makerspace: Founding of The Factory

This paper discusses the creation of a makerspace on Mississippi State’s campus. A makerspace is a location that provides prototyping and design tools, and is made available to students, faculty, and staff. The process of starting, staffing, and funding the space are discussed, as well as, the liability of operating the space. The paper outlines the operation of the space as a student organization partnered with the university, and the unique approach of networking existing campus resources into a shared organizational structure