SPECTROMETERS

FOR THE CLASS OF DNA NUCLEAR WEAPONS EFFECTS SIMULATOR KNOWN AS THE PLASMA RADIATING SOURCE (PRS), HIGH RESOLUTION X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY DIAGNOSTIC MEASUREMENTS PROVIDE CRITICAL INFORMATION BOTH FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF THE TEST-OBJECT RADIATION ENVIRONMENT AND FOR OPTIMIZATION OF THE SOURCE. PRESENT PRS HIGH RESOLUTION X-RAY SPECTROMETERS RECORD DATA ON PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM, THE PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS OF WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLY LABOR AND TIME INTENSIVE. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL ADAPT HIGH RESOLUTION ELECTRO-OPTIC DETECTORS TO THE TASK OF ELECTRONICALLY RECORDING SPECTRA IN EXISTING DNA SPECTROMETERS. DIGITAL INTERFACE HARDWARE MODULES, CONFORMING TO CAMAC AND GPIB INTERFACE PROTOCOLS, WILL INTERFACE THE NEW SENSORS INTO THE DNA INSTRUMENTATION UPGRADE SYSTEMS STRATEGY. PHASE I EFFORT WILL ADDRESS THE DESIGN OF RETROFITTABLE SPECTROMETER DETECTOR PACKAGES, PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF ANALOG SIGNAL PROCESSING AND DIGITAL INTERFACE ELECTRONICS COMPONENTS, AND SPECIFICATION AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF INSTRUMENT CONTROL, DATA ACQUISITION, AND DATA ANALYSIS SOFTWARE MODULES.