The detection, localization and classification of acoustic sources (targets) in a hostile ocean environment is a difficult problem -- especially in light of the improved design of modern submarines and the continual improvement in quieting technology. Further the advent of more and more diesel-powered vessels makes the detection problem even more formidable than ever before. It has recently been recognized that the incorporation of a mathematical model that accurately represents the phenomenology under investigation can vastly improve the performance of any processor, assuming, of course, that the model is accurate. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate more knowledge about the ocean environment into detection and localization algorithms in order to enhance the overall signal-to-noise ratios and improve performance. An alternative methodology to matched-field/matched-mode processing is the so-called model-based processor which is based on a state-space representation of the normal-mode propagation model. If state-space solutions can be accomplished, then many of the current ocean acoustic processing problems can be analyzed and solved using this framework to analyze performance results based on firm statistical and system theoretic grounds. The model-based approach, is (simply) ``incorporating mathematical models of both physical phenomenology and the measurement processes including noise into the processor to extract the …

The release of {sup 222}Radon to the atmosphere is controlled by the rate of its gas transport through earthen materials. Of the many soil-related parameters, radon diffusion coefficient is the key parameter that characterizes this transport. We compared the radon diffusion coefficients measured at the laboratories for the UMTRA Project with simple empirical correlations developed by others. The empirical correlations predict the radon diffusion coefficient based on the fraction of moisture saturation and porosity. One of the more recent correlations agrees reasonably well with the measurements. In addition, by using a series of correlation curves, we studied the empirical relationships of the. radon diffusion coefficient with the saturated hydraulic conductivity, the fines content, and the moisture saturation in soil. The results reveal that a reliable determination of the long-term moisture and porosity is essential in the design of an adequate radon barrier with respect to the radon diffusion coefficient.

EG&G/EM has developed an oscilloscope with a {minus}3 dB bandwidth greater than 10 GHz. Its rolloff characteristics are such that single-transient data greater than 20 GHz may be captured. A demountable CCD camera records the oscilloscope trace and is provided with PC-compatible capture and data processing software. The capabilities of the oscilloscope, camera, and its processing software are described and examples of the system`s performance is shown.