More ideas that didn’t go anywhere than those that did. Here are three that didn’t go anywhere.
Brief Discussion of Selected Current Research Interests:
1) Hazardous Waste Site Monitoring by Non-Invasive Methods (to be submitted to NSF June 2005)
A proposal to detect and possibly identify leaking subsurface fluids by non-invasive magnetic field detection is made. A wide-bandwidth (DC ® >100kHz; possibly to >3MHz) magnetometer based on giant magnetoresistance (GMR) principles has been developed.
A linear and/or surface array of inexpensive magnetic field detection sensors is placed as a semi or permanent installation. An active source magnetic field is generated and a background signature of the area of interest is established. Conductivity changes due to leaking fluids cause changes in the background signature indicating subsurface fluids movement.
Several very preliminary current studies (Canan, Olhoeft, Silivich) into frequency signature analysis of organic fluids/clay interactions indicates the possibility that the use of wide-band magnetic detection instruments may be used to identify classes of, if not specific, organic contaminants using this non-invasive method.
2) Very Low-Frequency Metal-Oxide Chemical Sensor Analysis (submitted to CBD January 2005)
Metal-oxide (MOX) sensors – often constructed of tin or zinc oxides – are an inexpensive means of detecting and identifying various gaseous chemicals. The nature of the chemical interaction with these sensors is such that a reaction probability distribution function has characteristics commonly classified as flicker or 1/f noise.
Statistical characteristics of the 1/f “noise” may be separated into stochastic and non-stochastic components. While the Wigner-Ville distribution is commonly used in analyses of this type, it suffers from cross-term contamination. Use of the Choi-Williams algorithm or its derivatives offers the possibility of isolating and identifying components of the interacting chemical components at much lower concentrations than traditionally possible.
3) Advanced Magnetic Sensing (to be submitted to DOD June 2005)
Applying the analysis technique presented in Topic 2 to the magnetic field detection system of Topic 1, a proposal is made that very low frequency time-variable signals may be extracted from 1/f “noise” by separating stochastic and non-stochastic components from time-series data.
Under the premise that the detection system has stochastic characteristics while a time-varying target of interest does not, the application of quadratic higher-order statistical techniques to a set of time-series data should provide the ability to detect targets of interest from within information often buried deeply within background noise.
This particular proposal is directed to the US Navy for underwater anomaly detection.
The ideas presented here are discussed in a very simplistic manner intended to provide only a basic flavor of the intent. Each is based on the assumption that very low-level (fA – nA) analog signal processing networks and fine ADC resolutions (>18bit) are necessary. While perhaps not absolutely necessary, it is assumed that specific custom analog integrated circuits may be combined with sense elements to form sensitive detection systems. While all of these ideas are based on the aggregate work of many researchers, the identification element of Topic 1 is specifically tied to work currently being undertaken by others. At some point of topic development, it is felt that a collaborative effort with the appropriate parties will be necessary.
If at first …
