Award Data

Objectives and Intellectual Merit: The infrastructure of modern civilization is a set of complex systems1 that dynamically interact across multiple layers of abstraction. Researchers from many disciplines2 are designing analytical tools for predicting the global and local behaviors of these complicated, multi-layer networks. Easily usable, available (open source) and inter-operated tools are neede ...

While aluminum casing materials provide some enhanced performance and thermal loading to explosive ordinance, their overall effectiveness is highly limited by incomplete combustion and long residence times. In order to reduce these problems, the casing material must be designed to facilitate rapid fragmentation through either specialized casing geometries or greatly refined initial particle sizes. ...

A compact laser driver will allow photoconductive semiconductor switches to be used in small EMP simulator "building blocks" (EMPBB). Combined with a battery powered on-board pulsed power system, these EMPBBs will allow the construction of flexible EMP test facilities with nothing more than a single fiber optic timing connection to each EMPBB.

The modern warfighter faces the constant threat of endemic infections, multi-drug resistant bacteria and Biological Warfare Agents. In order to provide accurate front-line treatment that will curtail the overuse of antibiotics, a rapid and robust molecula

Establish a radiation-aware analysis capability in a commercial EDA design flow that will enable first-pass success in radiation-hardened by design (RHBD) for DoD ASICs in much the same way that existing EDA design suites ensure first pass functionality and performance success of complex ASICs destined for commercial applications. Layout-aware, calibrated single-event radiation models that captur ...

This program will demonstrate how additive manufacturing technologies can be used with reactive and high energy materials to create rapid and flexible fabrication of payload and munitions. Our primary approach to this problem will be to use powder bed binder printing techniques to print reactive structures. The anticipated feedstock will consist of composite particles containing all reactant spe ...

We seek a proof-of-concept study for the development of a new platform technology for the rapid and complete inactivation of pathogen infectivity for vaccine development of medically important micro-organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria and parasites). A recently discovered reconstituted Mn+2-decapeptide phosphate complex (Mn-Dp-Pi) of the radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans was foun ...

The discovery and commercial development of licensed vaccines often take many years of research followed by years of pre-clinical and clinical development. We propose to assess the feasibility of using a novel irradiation-inactivation technology to develop vaccines more rapidly. The technology utilizes a manganese-peptide complex to protect antigenic proteins from ionizing radiation while allowing ...

For effective protection against EMP and HPM threats, it is important to understand the physics of the threats, and also to quantify the effects they have on electrical systems. EMP and HPM vulnerability testing requires delivery of high peak power and electric fields to distant targets. The most practical solution to simulate such environments is to develop a modular, optically-isolated MV-antenn ...

Terrorist use of radioactive nuclear materials via nuclear and/or radiological dispersion devices (dirty bombs) is a serious threat. Therefore, it is critical to detect the proliferation of nuclear material. Critical challenges facing this objective include: (a) high sensitivity detection of signature emissions (e.g., gamma rays) from common radioactive isotopes behind shielding, and (b) cost-effe ...