SPECTRALLY ENHANCED PULSED PLASMA

THE PROGRAM PROPOSED HERE IS FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF A SPECTRAL TAILORED SURFACE DISCHARGE PULSED PLASMA. ELECTRO-OPTICAL COUNTERMEASURES (EOCM) ARE REQUIRED TO OPERATE WITHIN SOME SPECTRAL BANDWIDTH TO DEFEAT POTENTIAL THREATS. MOT EOCM DEVICES RELY UPON BROADBAND BLACKBODY EMITTERS THAT LACK SPECTRAL SELECTIVITY. WHEN A PLASMA DISCHARGE OCURRS ON A SURFACE, SOME OF THE IONS FROM THE SURFACE SUBSTRATE ARE PULLED OFF AND THEIR ELEMENTAL CONSTITUANTS BECOME ENERGETICALLY EXCITED AND EMIT RADIATION. THUS, THE RADIANCE MAY BE ENHANCED BY SELECTING A SUBSTRATE WITH KNOWN EMISSION PROPERTIES IN THE SPECTRAL REGION OF INTEREST. MEASUREMENTS WILL BE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE BOTH THE BROADBAND AND DISCRETE SPECTRAL RADIANCE AS A FUNCTION OF SUBSTRATE ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL LEAD TO EFFICIENT SPECTRALLY ENHANCED, EOCM DEVICES. THESE DEVICES WILL USE A SURFACE DISCHARGE PLASMA AS THE SPECTALLY TAILORED RADIATIVE SOURCE. THE PHASE I PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE A FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SURFACE DISCHARGE SPECTRAL RADIANT ENHANCEMENT IN THE ULTRAVIOLET, VISIBLE AND INFRARED SPECTRAL REGIONS. THE PHASE II PROGRAM WILL OPTIMIZE THE SPECTRAL EMISSIVE CHARACTERIZED THE DISCHARGE ON THE OUTSIDE OF A CYLINDER FOR 360 DEG DIRECTIONAL COVERAGE.