Fiber-optic three axis magnetometer prototype development

The goal of this research program was to develop a high sensitivity, fiber optic, interferometric, three-axis magnetometer for interplanetary spacecraft applications. Dynamics Technology, Inc. (DTI) has successfully integrated a low noise, high bandwidth interferometer with high sensitivity metallic glass transducers. Also, DTI has developed sophisticated signal processing electronics and complete data acquisition, filtering, and display software. The sensor was packaged in a compact, low power and weight unit which facilitates deployment. The magnetic field sensor had subgamma sensitivity and a dynamic range of 10(exp 5) gamma in a 10 Hz bandwidth. Furthermore, the vector instrument exhibited the lowest noise level when only one axis was in operation. A system noise level of 1 gamma rms was observed in a 1 Hz bandwidth. However, with the other two channels operating, the noise level increased by about one order of magnitude. Higher system noise was attributed to cross-channel interference among the dither fields

Anisotropic diffusion in a finite cylinder, with geochemical applications

Atomic diffusion in minerals may not be well represented by solutions to the diffusion equation for a sphere with a singlevalued diffusivity, either because they have platy or elongated habits or because the energetics of diffusion is sensitive to crystallographic direction. In many cases, a cylinder having characteristic radial and axial diffusivities is arguably a better model, but rigorous solutions to the anisotropic diffusion equation for a finite cylinder have not been available. Here we develop general analytical solutions that capture both the internal distribution of diffusant as a function of time, C(r, z, t), and the fraction, F, of diffusant lost during a specified thermal history. These solutions are shown to conform with existing analytical expressions for limiting cases of diffusion in a slab or infinite cylinder. We present, in addition, a simple numerical (finite difference) approach that not only reproduces the results of our analytical expressions but also enables us to move beyond some of the limitations of the equations to simulate complex natural scenarios involving non-zero and time-dependent boundary conditions, arbitrary initial distribution of diffusant within the cylinder and simultaneous diffusion and radiogenic ingrowth. The complementary nature of the two approaches is emphasized and several illustrative applications to ‘real-world’ problems are described, including noble-gas thermochronometry and halogen–hydroxyl interdiffusion in apatite