the little book of big achievements - u.s naval research laboratory

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N A V A L • R E S E A R C H • L A B O R A T O R Y ACHIEVEMENTS BOOK of THE LITTLE BIG

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A pocket-sized booklet commemorating the achievements of the Naval Research Laboratory at its 75th Anniversary.Naval Research Laboratory websitehttp://www.nrl.navy.mil

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Page 1: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

N A V A L • R E S E A R C H • L A B O R A T O R Y

ACHIEVEMENTS

BOOK of

THE �LITTLE

BIG

Page 2: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory
Page 3: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

NRL 2000

As the numbers roll back to zeros, the urge is topause and reflect. Where have we been, and whereare we going? At the Naval Research Laboratory,fresh from celebrating our first 75 years, we’re look-ing both fore and aft, reviewing what we’ve done andwhat we do so that we may better navigate ourcourse into the next millenium.

In 1999, we are a crew of 3000, about half of usscientists and engineers. We represent most of themajor scientific disciplines and a host of supportingfunctions. We remain uniquely positioned torespond to the country’s call for scientific andtechnological solutions.

As shown in these pages, we can boast a proudhistory of rising to the moment. Perhaps our longand impressive string of successes cannot be repre-sented adequately by the 35 short histories offeredhere. Nevertheless, we hope that this little book willgive you a taste of NRL’s accomplishments and thetime frames in which they occurred. While it isunderstood that large projects, from conceptualiza-tion to completion, generally go beyond easilytraceable dates, we present here ranges of years inwhich the preponderance of work was accomplishedfor each achievement. We also present a primaryreference for each achievement at the back of thisbook.

As we look back upon our successes, we pledgeto apply our varied skills, our unique facilities, andour multidisciplinary approach to meeting problemshead-on to the continued betterment of the U.S.Navy and the country.

Page 4: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

1920s-1930s

The Naval Research Laboratory’sRobert F. Mehl used gamma-rayradiography as a shadowgraphic tech-nique to investigate the extent ofsuspected flaws in the sternpostcastings and welds of new U.S. Navyheavy cruisers. NRL’s efforts estab-lished gamma-ray radiography’susefulness in nondestructive testingof metal castings and welds. Thisinnovation improved the productionof high-quality steel for armor, shipframes, and fittings, thus contributingimmeasurably to American seapower.

Gamma-RayRadiography

NRL invented and developed the firstmodern U.S. radar. Researchers firstsurmised the principles behind it in 1922upon observing “phase distortion” in radio

wavesreflected

from a steamer on the Potomac River.In December 1934, NRL’s Robert Pagedemonstrated the world’s first pulsed

radar. In 1939, NRL installedthe first operational radaraboard the battleship USSNew York, in time for radar tocontribute to the victories ofthe Coral Sea, Midway, andGuadalcanal. Today, radar is amajor player in transporta-tion, weather forecasting,astronomy, and automation.

(Ref. 1)

(Ref. 2)

R. Mehl

1922-39Invention of U.S. Radar

R. Page

Page 5: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

1925

1926

(Ref. 3)E.O. Hulburt

A.H. Taylor

NRL’s discovery of the principles behind “skip-distance effect” laidthe basis for modern HF wave propagation theory. “Skip distanceeffect” refers to radio signals reappearance at a considerabledistance varying with frequency, time of day, and season. NRL’s

modification of Sir J. Larmor’stheory on HF propagationexplained the effect based onexperimental data. This inturn led to NRL’s laterinvention of over-the-horizon radar.

Proposalof a Nuclear Submarine1939

Soon after the discovery of atomic fission, Enrico Fermi addresseda meeting of Navy officials and civilian scientists. While othermeeting participants dreamed of nuclear weapons, NRL’s Ross Gunnenvisioned using nuclear power for submarine propulsion. His effortswould make NRL the firstto conceive, propose, andinvestigate this revolution-ary concept. The atomic-powered submarine wouldbecome one of the mostformidable weaponssystems ever devised.(Ref. 4)

Radio Propagation and the“Skip-Distance” Effect

Page 6: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

1939-1940

Pioneering research by NRL yielded the firstseparation of uranium isotopes by the

liquid thermal diffusion process,invented by NRL’s Philip Abelson.This process was one of the threemethods used by the Manhattan

Project to obtain the enricheduranium necessary to make the

first atomic bombs. Theuranium separation plant inOak Ridge, Tennessee, was

built in 1944 to the blueprintsof NRL’s plant.

When NRL demonstrated the firstU.S. radar, the XAF, during Fleetexercises in 1939, a clear needarose for a display that would show the range and bearing of all targets“visible” to the radar. NRL responded by developing the PPI, with itswell-known round face and sweeping hand. It was also being developedindependently in England at the same time although neither countryknew of the other’s work. The PPI is now used worldwide in detection,navigation, air traffic control, and object identification radar systems.

(Ref. 5)

(Ref. 6)

Plan-PositionIndicator

Liquid

Thermal

Diffu

sion

Process

19441939-

Page 7: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

First Far-UltravioletSpectrum of the Sun

When the U.S. military neededlubricants that could maximizethe performance of their new gas turbine-powered aircraft, especially incombat, NRL answered the call. NRL chemists conducted fundamentalstudies relating molecular structure to lubrication and temperature/viscosity and then used theresults to developthe first hydrocarbonester lubricants. Bythe early 1950s,NRL-developedlubricants were usedin Navy turbineengine aircraft andsoon after in virtuallyall military and civilian gasturbine-powered aircraft.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

(Ref. 7)

(Ref. 8)

R. Tousey

W. Zisman

Synthetic Lubricants1947

1 • 9

• 4

• 6

By using captured German V-2 rockets, NRL obtained the firstfar-ultraviolet spectrum of the Sun from beyond the atmosphericboundary. This feat was featured on the front page of theWashington Post and later in the New York Times, Times Herald,and Washington Star. More importantly, thisachievement heralded the birth of both space-based astronomy and the U.S. Navy’s spaceprogram.

Page 8: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

H. Friedman

(Ref. 9)

(Ref. 10)

NRL’s G.R. Irwin pioneeredmodern fracture mechanics. Hestudied the relationshipsbetween applied stresses andcracks or other defects inmetallic materials and enabledthe first calculations of thestrength of structures contain-ing defects. NRL used those

principles to solve commercial jet aircraft and Polaris missile fractureproblems. Fracture mechanics is used worldwide to design suchcritical structures as nuclear reactor pressure vessels, aircraft,submarines, and toxic material storage tanks.

First Detection ofX Rays from the Sun

Again using a V-2 rocket, NRL first detected Xrays from the Sun, confirming that the Sun is theprincipal cause of ionization in the E region ofthe Earth’s ionosphere. This greatly improvedunderstanding of the Sun’s effect on radiocommunication, especially at HF frequencies.NRL’s H. Friedman, who directed this effort,received the National Medal of Science and theWolf Foundation Prize in recognition of hiscontributions to X-ray astronomy.

1949

1947 The Principles of

FractureMechanics

Page 9: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

NRL’s pioneering research in fracture mechanics soon met its first prac-tical application – the failure of combat aircraft canopies, which was aserious source of fatal accidents. NRL researchers gauged the toughnessof canopy materials by shattering hundreds of aircraft canopies withprojectiles and then carefully reassembling them to trace the crack paths.This research led to collaborative efforts with the Air Force andcommercial manufacturersto introduce stretchedacrylic plastic for militarycanopies, which providesincreased toughness,reduced weight, and pro-longed service life, and isnow in use in both militaryand commercial aircraft.

1952-1963

(Ref. 11)

(Ref. 12)

Why did Liberty ships inWWII break up docksidein calm waters?

Fracture Test TechnologyNeeding to build reliableships and to safeguard theircrews, the Navy turned toNRL for the answers. NRL responded by developing new engineeringapproaches to designing ships and selecting materials based onmetallurgical principles. Research in brittle fractures is still relevant fortoday’s high-performance Navy craft and armaments. NRL-developedtest methods, including the Dynamic Tear Test and the Explosion BulgeTest, have been applied to submarine design and to proving the superiorfracture resistance of HY-80 steel.

Fracture Test Technology

Improved Aircraft Canopyand Window Materials

1953-1961

Page 10: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

NRL conducted the first American satelliteprogram, Project Vanguard, as the U.S.

participation in an internationaleffort to study the Earth’s physicalproperties. NRL’s task was to design,build, launch, place into earth-orbit,and track an artificial satellitecarrying a scientific experiment. Thecontractor for the rocket projectwas the Glenn L. Martin Company.The program culminated with thesuccessful launch of the three-stageVanguard I on March 17, 1958, only21⁄2 years after program startup, lessthan half the time previously neededto successfully launch a new rocket.(Ref. 13)

(Ref. 14)

Vanguard ProgramThe Rocket1955-59

1955-59

After the U.S.S.R. launched Sputnik I in 1957, trackingforeign satellites became a major national security issue.Designed by NRL as Project Vanguard’s tracking compo-nent, “Minitrack” demonstrated its capabilities by predict-

ing and tracking the orbits ofSputnik I and Explorer I beforebeing applied to Vanguard I inMarch 1958. As the world’s firstsatellite tracking system,“Minitrack” was the prototypefor tracking networks createdfor Project Mercury missionsand ushered in the era of spacesurveillance.

Vanguard ProgramMinitrack and Space Surveillance

Page 11: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

Over-the-Horizon Radar

NRL’s Project Vanguard was a progenitor of American space explora-tion. Vanguard I achieved the highest altitude of any man-made vehicle

to that time, confirmed theEarth’s pear shape, initiatedthe use of miniature circuits,and was the first satellite touse solar cells as a powersource. Vanguard II, launchedin February of 1959, was thefirst satellite to observe andrecord the Earth’s cloudcover, thus becoming theforerunner of futuremeteorological satellites.

When NRLdemonstratedthe MADRE(Magnetic DrumRadar Equip-ment) in 1961, itpioneered HFover-the-horizonradar, which candetect targets atdistances andaltitudes beyondthe line of sight.

Overcoming the horizon limit gave radar an order of magnitude ormore increase in range, and formed the basis for the Air Force’scontinental air defense radar and the Navy’s Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar (ROTHR).

1955

-196

1

(Ref. 15)

(Ref. 16)

Vanguard ProgramThe Satellites and the Science1955-59

Page 12: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

•1960•

America’s First OperationalIntelligence Satellite

NRL’s Galactic Radiationand Background I(GRAB I) satellite wasthe first U.S. operationalintelligence satellite. Itwas launched in June1960, only 52 days aftera U-2 was lost on a mission over Sovietterritory. When GRAB I began sendingspace-intercepted electronic intelligencesignals back to Earth, it proved that a space-craft could collect as much information asall sea, air, and land-based reconnaissanceplatforms within the satellite’s field-of-view.But it could do so at a fraction of the costand with no personnel risk. The intelligenceinformation it gathered helped to keep theCold War“cold.”(Ref. 17)

Page 13: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

Deep Ocean SearchWe can indirectly thank NRL for those ghostly images of the HMSTitanic’s final resting place. NRL pioneered this field of crucial impor-tance to the Navy when it responded in 1963 to an undersea tragedy.On April 10 of that year, the nuclear submarine USS Thresher and itscrew of 129 were lost 260 miles east of Boston. NRL-developed deep-towing technology was called into action. After an eight-month delaydue to bad weather, the search resumed, and NRL’s “fish” (a deep-towedheavily instrumented unmanned vehicle) detected the Thresher’s hullafter only eight hours of searchingthe seafloor. Its photos were laterassembled to show the major partsof the sunken submarine. NRLlater helped locate and recover alost H-bomb, and locate andphotograph the lost USS Scorpionsubmarine, the deep submersibleAlvin, and the French submarineEurydice.

1963-1970

1961-1975Nuclear

Reactor

SafetyStarting in the early 1960s,NRL’s fracture-testtechnology was applied tothe Nuclear RegulatoryCommission’s testing of

nuclear reactor pressure vessels. NRL evaluated the safety of 12-inch-thick steel as a function of thickness and temperature. This multiyeareffort’s results are reflected in the ASME Code rules for the operationof nuclear pressure vessels, and a 1975 book by NRL’s L. E. Steelebecame a landmark guide for specialists worldwide. All military andcivilian power reactors that feature a steel pressure shell are designedor operated, or both, on the fracture principles developed by NRL.(Ref. 18)

(Ref. 19)

Page 14: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

TIMATION andNAVSTAR GPS

Aqueous Film-Forming Foam

All branches of the U.S. militaryand NATO, and almost all firedepartments throughout the U.S.and many around the world useAFFF, which was developed byNRL in the early 1960s to fighthydrocarbon-based fires aboardships. AFFF’s unique, self-healingcapability enables rapid firefightingand also prevents reignition andevaporation of the extinguishedfuel.

1964-1966

1964-1977NRL’s TIMATION (TIMe/navigATION) program was the progenitor of theNAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS). The TIMATION concept ledto NRL’s invention and development of the first satellite prototypes of theGPS. The 1967 TIMATION I and 1969 TIMATION II satellite missions wereproof-of-concept for a revolutionary navigation system that would usepassive ranging techniques and highlyaccurate clocks to provide three-dimensional (longitude, latitude, andaltitude) coverage throughout theworld. In 1993, the National Aeronau-tics Association honored the GPSteam for “the most significantdevelopment for safe and efficientnavigation and surveillance of air andspacecraft since the introduction ofradio navigation 50 years ago.”

(Ref. 20)

(Ref. 21)

Page 15: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

Specific Emitter Identification

As a result of research performedfor the Defense Nuclear Agency inthe late 1960s, NRL developed a newtechnique for solving fluid dynamiccontinuity equations using comput-ers. Named flux-corrected transport(FCT), the technique enabled far more accurate calculation of shockand steep gradient phenomena by eliminating oscillations, ripples, andnumerical diffusion. FCT has been adopted by over 500 laboratories,universities, and companies, and applied to defense and civilian usesranging from missile silo design to solar weather prediction.

1977

-198

8

In a crucial advance in electronic intelligence gathering, NRLscientists discovered how to uniquely identify specific radartransmitters by their particular signal “fingerprint,” catalog theradar’s host platforms, and “handoff” these emitters for tracking byother systems. The National Security Agency recognized NRL’sconcept and equipment in 1993 as the SEI national standard after acompetition among industry and other service laboratories. SEIsystems are currently deployed on ships, aircraft, submarines, andground sites throughout the armed services.

The technology behind the late-1990s technique for surgicallycorrecting vision through cor-neal sculpting sprang from NRL’sdiscovery by S. Searles andG. Hart of the first excimer laser.These lasers operate in the ultra-violet, propagate through gas, andhave short-duration pulses that

enable the study of fast processes. They can be more tightly focusedthan can visible spectrum lasers and are more efficient than otherUV lasers. This new class of lasers has become a new tool forfundamental research in biology and medicine, and for photolitho-graphic production of semiconductor integrated circuit chips.

Flux-Corrected Transport

1975

-197

9 Excimer Laser Technology

1970

-197

6

(Ref. 22)

(Ref. 24)

(Ref. 23)

Page 16: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

Fiber-Optic Interferometric Acoustic Sensors

NRL demonstrated the world’sfirst fiber-optic interferometricacoustic sensor in 1977. In1979, NRL received the first

U.S. patent for an optical interferomet-ric sensor to measure external fields. Although

early work focused on acoustics, NRL’s device wasconsidered to be adaptable to other external perturbations, such as

electric and magnetic fields and temperatures, depending on the fibercoating and mounting structure used. NRL’s follow-on fiber-optic sensorsystem (FOSS) program was the first Navy/DoD project to center onthe development of fiber interferometric sensors. Future applications ofthis technology should result in more accurate acoustic, magnetic,electric, thermal, vibration, and flow sensors and, in turn, impact militaryoperations, medical care, and nondestructive evaluation.

Pioneering work by NRL leddirectly to the discovery by threeother laboratories in France andGermany, of the giant magnetoresis-tance effect of Fe/Cr multilayers grownepitaxially on GaAs. The use of mag-netic films on semiconductors forsensors is now widespread. This tech-nology is now commonly found world-wide in read heads for computer harddisks and will impact the $100 B annualmagnetic computer memory market. It alsopromises better performance of satellites,missile guidance, and aircraft navigation.

G.A. Prinz

J.J. Krebs

1979-1982Magnetic Materials and Semiconductor Technology

1977-1990

(Ref. 25)

(Ref. 26)

Page 17: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

(Ref. 27)

(Ref. 28)

NRL’s N.C. Koon was the firstscientist to explore the rare-earth-iron-boron alloys’ magneticproperties for use as permanentmagnet materials. NRL did the firstwork in this area and holds thefundamental U.S. patents. Thesematerials are attracting both militaryand industry interest for theirpotential application to microwavetubes, sensors, electric motors andgenerators, computer peripherals,and faster, more compact actuators.

Semi-InsulatingGallium Arsenide Crystals

N.C. Koon

B. Bas

NRL in the 1970s developed a method of growing high-purity singlecrystals of gallium arsenide (GaAs), thus sparking tremendous growth inthe production and use of GaAs semiconductors. The high purity allowedion-implantation of the crystals to produce micrometer and millimeterwave devices and integrated circuits. NRL was also instrumentalin transferring the technology to industry. Starting froman investment of only $528,000, NRL research yieldeda technique estimated by the Navy in a 1986 studyto save the Department ofD e f e n s e approximately$560 M between 1979and 1989. The techniquealso was less expensive toperform, and thus brought the U.S.more than 65% of the GaAs wafer production business in 1997 comparedwith virtually zero percent in 1980. This technology is the basis of manymilitary radar, weapons, and communications systems, and commercialradar, satellite, and cellular communications systems.

1979-1989

Permanent Magnet Materials

1980-1985

Page 18: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

(Ref. 30)

This new measurement technique,developed and implemented byNRL, has revolutionized experi-mental acoustics in the area ofnoise characterization and controlthroughout the world. From asingle array measurement, GENAHcan provide a complete globalanalysis of the vibration, radiation,and scattering of structures in airand underwater. This has

significantly improved efforts to produce quieter U.S.submarines. Major acoustical measurement companieshave applied this technology to noise control inautomotive and aerospace industries.

Generalized Nearfield AcousticalHolography (GENAH)

NRL’s demonstration of long-term, inertial-quality performance in afiber-optic gyroscope was a pivotal milestone in the device’s develop-ment into a practical, precision navigation instrument. With a longerlifetime, higher reliability, and lower weight, size, and cost than spinningmass gyroscopes currently inuse, the fiber-optic devicesrepresented a revolution inrotation-sensing technology.These devices are impactingboth military and commer-cial navigation and are beingproduced in the U.S., Europe,and Japan.

1982-1998

Optical Fiber Gyroscope1983-1986

(Ref. 29)

Page 19: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

Molecular StructureAnalysis and the Nobel Prize

1®9®8®5

NRL’s J. Karle and H. Hauptman were awardedthe Nobel Prize for Chemistry in

1985 for devising directmethods of determining

complex crystalstructures by using

X-ray diffractionanalysis.I. Karle,building onthis work,developedmethods thatled to theanalysis and

publication ofthe molecular

structures ofmany thousands

of complicatedmolecules annually.

This methodology hasenabled the character-ization of potent toxins,antitoxins, heart drugs,antibiotics, anti-addictivesubstances, anticarcin-ogens, anti-malarials, andexplosives andpropellants.H. Hauptman

J. Karle and I. Karle

(Ref. 31)

Page 20: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

Navy Operational Global AtmosphericPrediction System

NOGAPS is a unified global weather analysis/forecast system that pre-dicts the weather in areas of DoD operations worldwide. This NRL-developed system provides global atmospheric and oceanographicsupport, including cloud cover prediction, estimation of weather effectson weapon sys-tems, tropicalcyclone formationand movement,and high seaswarnings. Othergovernment usersof NOGAPSweather productsinclude the CoastGuard, NOAA,and DoE.

Application of Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance for Detection of Explosives and Narcotics

1987-1997

NRL applied nuclear quad-rupole resonance (NQR) tothe detection of explosives andnarcotics, thus giving a majorboost to the U.S. war againstdrug smuggling and terrorism.NRL overcame several majortechnological impediments in

fielding the equipment and transferred the technology to industry forproduction. This NRL-developed technology has been recommended foruse in airports for package and baggage scanning, and is under investiga-tion for mine detection, which is a worldwide military and humanitarianpriority.

Application of Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance for Detection of Explosives and Narcotics

1988-1992

1987-1997

(Ref. 32)

(Ref. 33)

Page 21: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

A joint NASA/DoD study concluded in 1991that a deep space mission could test BallisticMissile Defense Organization technologicaldevelopments and simultaneously yieldsignificant scientific return by imaging both theMoon and the asteroid Geographos. NRL wastasked with mission design, spacecraftengineering, spacecraft manufacture and test,launch vehicle integration, terrestrial support,and flight operations. When NRL successfullyplaced the Clementine satellite in lunar orbit in1994, the U.S. returned to the Moon for thefirst time since the Apollo missions. Clementinecompleted a high-quality multispectral mappingmission of the entire lunar surface. Theseimages will help answer questions in lunargeology and evolution. The mission alsoproved that the “faster, better, cheaper” goalwas attainable: NRL built the satellite in only22 months (half the usual time) and for 1/5 theusual cost of similar space probes.

Deep Space Program

Science Experiment

(Clementine)

� 1991-1994 �

(Ref. 34)

Page 22: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

Decadal Impact of El Niño

1994

Scientists thought thatthe long-range effects of El Niño

events were restricted to changestransmitted through the atmosphere. But

NRL research showed for the first time that theoceanic effects of El Niño events can be extremely

long-lived, and indeed may have influenced weatherpatterns across North America for a decade. DiscoverMagazine named NRL’s discovery of the decadal impactof El Niño one of the top 75 science stories of 1994.(Ref. 35)

Page 23: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

References

1. Gamma-Ray Radiography – Mehl, R.F., Doan, G.E., andBarrett, C.S., “Radiography by the Use of Gamma Rays,”Transactions of the American Society for Steel Treating, Chicago,1930.

2. Invention of U.S. Radar – U.S. Patents: No. 1,981,884 toTaylor, A.H., Hyland, L., and Young, L.C., “System for DetectingObjects by Radio,” 1934; No. 2,512,673 to Page, R.M., “RadioPulse Duplexing System,” 1950; Page, R.M., laboratory note-book 171, Vol. III, March 1934; and NRL letter to the Bureauof Engineering, 11 June 1936, in File S-S67-5 #1, NationalArchives.

3. Radio Propagation and the “Skip-Distance Effect” –Taylor, A.H. and Hulburt, E.O., “The Propagation of RadioWaves Over the Earth,” Physical Review, 27 (1926).

4. Proposal of a Nuclear Submarine – Gunn, R., Memo-randum for the Director, Subj. “Submarine SubmergedPropulsion — Uranium Power Source,” June 1, 1939.

5. Plan-Position Indicator – “Report of Progress ProblemW5-2S,” NRL letter to Bureau of Engineering, S-S67/36, ser.135, February 26, 1940.

6. Liquid Thermal Diffusion Process – Ruskin, R.E., “Sepa-ration of Isotopes,” NRL Progress Report (September 1947).

7. First Far-Ultraviolet Spectrum of the Sun – Durand, E.,Oberly, J.J., and Tousey, R., “Solar Absorption Lines Between2950 and 2200 Angstroms,” Physical Review, Vol. 71 (1947).

8. Synthetic Lubricants – Bried, E.H., Kidder, H.F., Murphy,C.M., and Zisman, W.A., “Synthetic Lubricant Fluids fromBranched-Chain Diesters, Physical and Chemical Propertiesof Pure Diesters,” Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Vol. 39(1947).

9. The Principles of Fracture Mechanics – Irwin, G.R.,“Fracture Dynamics,” Fracturing of Metals (ASM, Cleveland,1948), pp. 147-166.

Page 24: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

10. First Detection of X Rays from the Sun – Friedman, H.,Lichtman, S.W., and Byram, E.T., “Photon Counter Measure-ments of Solar X-Rays and Extreme Ultraviolet Light,”Physical Review, Vol. 83, 1025-1030 (1951).

11. Fracture Test Technology – Pellini, W.S., “Use and Inter-pretation of the NRL Explosion Bulge Test,” NRL Report4034, September 4, 1952.

12. Improved Aircraft Canopy and Window Materials –Kies, J.A., “Aircraft Glazing Materials, A Method for Evaluatingthe Shatter Resistance of Aircraft Canopy Materials,” NRLMemorandum Report 237, November 1953.

13. Vanguard Program – The Rocket – “A Scientific SatelliteProposal,” by the Rocket Development Branch of theAtmospheric & Astrophysics Division, NRL MemorandumReport 487, April 13, 1955.

14. Vanguard Program – Minitrack and Space Surveil-lance – “A Scientific Satellite Proposal,” by the RocketDevelopment Branch of the Atmospheric & AstrophysicsDivision, NRL Memorandum Report 487, April 13, 1955.

15. Over-the-Horizon Radar – Page, R.M. and George, S.F.,“Magnetic Drum Storage Applied to Surveillance Radar,”NRL Report 4878, January 1957.

16. Vanguard Program – The Satellites and the Science –“A Scientific Satellite Proposal,” by the Rocket DevelopmentBranch of the Atmospheric & Astrophysics Division, NRLMemorandum Report 487, April 13, 1955.

17. America’s First Operational Intelligence Satellite –Secretary of Defense McElroy letter to PresidentEisenhower, August 18, 1959.

18. Nuclear Reactor Safety – Pellini, W.S. and Puzak, P.P.,“Practical Considerations in Applying Laboratory FractureTest Criteria to Fracture-Safe Design of Pressure Vessels,”Journal of Engineering for Power, October 1964.

19. Deep Ocean Search – Spies, F.N. and Maxwell, A.E.,“Search for the Thresher,” Science, Vol. 145, No. 3630 (July 24,1964).

Page 25: The Little Book of Big Achievements - U.S Naval Research Laboratory

20. Aqueous Film-Forming Foam – U.S. Patent #3,258,423to Tuve, R.L. and Jablonski, E.J., “Method of ExtinguishingHydrocarbon Fires,” June 1966.

21. TIMATION and NAVSTAR GPS – U.S. Patent No.3,789,409 to Easton, R.L., “Navigation System UsingSatellites and Passive Ranging Techniques,” January 29, 1974.

22. Flux-Corrected Transport – Boris, J.P. and Book, D.L.,“Flux-Corrected Transport. I. SHASTA, A Fluid TransportAlgorithm That Works,” Journal of Computational Physics,Vol. 11, 38 (1973).

23. Excimer Laser Technology – U.S. Patent No. 4,143,336to Searles, S. and Hart, G., “Xenon Bromide (XeBr) ExcimerLaser,” March 6, 1979.

24. Specific Emitter Identification – Goodwin, R.L., “Systemfor Classifying Pulsed Radio-Frequency Modulation,” NRLClassified Patent Disclosure No. 772,602, February 10, 1977.

25. Fiber-Optic Interferometric Acoustic Sensors –Bucaro, J.A., Dardy, H.D., and Carome, E.F., “Optical FiberAcoustic Sensor,” Applied Optics 16, 1761-1762 (July 1977).

26. Magnetic Materials and Semiconductor Technology –Prinz, G.A. and Krebs, J.J., “Molecular Beam Epitaxial Growthof Single-Crystal Fe Films on GaAs,” Applied Physics Letters,Vol. 39, No. 5, 397-399 (1981).

27. Semi-Insulating Gallium Arsenide Crystals – Swiggard,E.M., Lee, S.H., and Von Batchelder, F.W., “GaAs Synthesizedin Pyrolytic Boron Nitride,” Gallium Arsenide and RelatedCom-pounds 1976 (Institute of Physics Conference Series33b), p. 23.

28. Permanent Magnet Materials – Koon, N.C. and Das,B.N., “Magnetic Properties of Amorphous and Crystallized(Fe0.82B0.18)0.9Tb0.05La0.05,” Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 39, No. 10(1981).

29. Generalized Nearfield Acoustical Holography – U.S.Patent No. 4,415,996 to Maynard, J.D. and Williams, E.G.,“Nonwavelength-limited Holographic Sound FieldReconstruction,” November 15, 1983.

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30. Optical Fiber Gyroscope – Burns, W.K., Moeller, R.P.,Villarruel, C.A., and Abebe, M., “Fiber Optic Gyroscope withPolarization Holding Fiber,” Optics Letters 8, 540 (1983).

31. Molecular Structure Analysis and the Nobel Prize –Karle, J. and Hauptman, H., “The Phases and Magnitudes ofthe Structure Factor,” Acta Crystallographica, Vol. 3, 181(1950).

32. Application of Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance forDetection of Explosives and Narcotics – Garroway,A.N., Miller, J.B., and Buess, M.L., “Explosives Detection byPure 14N NQR,” Proceedings of the First InternationalSymposium on Explosive Detection Technology, 435 (1992).

33. Navy Operational Global Atmospheric PredictionSystem – Hogan, T.F. and Rosmond, T.E., “The Descriptionof Navy Operational Global Atmospheric PredictionSystem’s Spectral Forecast Model,” Monthly Weather Review,Vol. 119, 1786-1815 (1991).

34. Deep Space Program Science Experiment(Clementine) – Nozette, S., Rustan, P., Pleasance, L.P.,Horan, D.M., Regeon, P., et al., “The Clementine Mission tothe Moon: Scientific Overview,” Science, Vol. 266, 1835-1839(1994).

35. Decadal Impact of El Niño – Jacobs, G.A., Hurlburt, H.E.,Kindle, J.C., Metzger, E.J., Mitchell, J.L., Teague, W.J., andWallcraft, A.J., “Decade-Scale Trans-Pacific Propagation andWarming Effects of an El Niño Anomaly,” Nature, Vol. 370,360-363 (1994).

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Cover photos/images captions:1. This colorized image showing the full Earth over

the lunar north pole was adapted from datataken by Clementine in March 1994.

2. The Galactic Radiation and Background (GRAB)satellite was the first U.S. reconnaissancesatellite system.

3. Launch of NRL’s Vanguard rocket from CapeCanaveral.

4. This plot shows the deviation of Pacific Oceansea surface temperatures in 1992-1993 fromthe mean values of the previous seven years.This deviation is evidence of decadal impact ofthe 1982-1983 El Niño climatic event.

5. The Robert J. Collier Trophy was awarded in1992 to the Global Positioning System teamcomposed of researchers from NRL, the U.S. AirForce, and three private corporations.

6. Dr. Jerome Karle receives the 1985 Nobel Prize in Chemistryfrom King Carl Gustav XVI of Sweden.

7. Dr. Robert Page stands next to an antenna developed to test theperformance of the 200 MHz radar installed on the USS Leary.

8. Image of the Sun in Helium II at 304Å from the Extreme Ultravio-let Imaging Telescope on the SOHO satellite.

Reviewed and ApprovedNRL/PU/1001--99-393

March 2000

Dr. Timothy CoffeyDirector of Research

EditorsSaul Oresky and Don DeYoung

Design/Creative ServicesJan D. Morrow

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