SAICMagazineWinter 2001

Innovative Solutions for safety and security

SAIC VACISC O V E R S T O R Y P A G E 6

I N T H I S I S S U E

SAICMagazine 2

“When BellSouth made the decision to adopt a new technology that had the

ability to enhance customer services, provide technicians with safety features,

and provide a solution for our current dispatch system, SAIC responded to those

needs,” states Rick Hamrick, GPS Manager at BellSouth. “The value gained

from this system has encouraged BellSouth to consider expanding this product

into the remainder of its fleet.”

Wireless solutions increase

productivity, cut costs

BellSouth

A

SAIC Magazine, published by Science Applications InternationalCorporation for its employees, is available on the internal SAIC Web(issaic.saic.com), and on SAIC’s Home Page at saic.com. Your ideas,stories and suggestions are welcome. Address: SAIC Magazine, 10260Campus Point Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, tel: 858.826.7376, fax:858.826.7191.

Statements contained herein may constitute forward-lookingstatements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factorscould cause SAIC’s actual results, performance, achievements orindustry results to be very different from the results, performance orachievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking state-ments. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the riskfactors set forth in the SAIC 2001 Annual Report on Form 10-K, andsuch other filings that SAIC makes with the SEC from time to time.Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not toplace undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, whichspeak only as of the date hereof.

Editors: Nola Smith/Bruce HasleyWriter: Greg Pankauski

Design/Layout: Dave PoehlmanPr inting: Rush Press

2-3SAIC and Telcordia help BellSouth

improve competitiveness

4-5Making a difference in the fight against cancer, AIDS

6-7Protecting the borders

Award-Winning Research

8-9Iran’s intentions for nuclear, biological

and chemical weapons

10-11Tracking killer clouds

Fast atmospheric predictions

Nuclear Test-Ban research

12-13The art of objects:

New book on object-oriented programmingMicrowave attacks:

Research into high-power microwave weaponsHarvesting light:

Breaking performance barriers for VCSELs

14-15 New insights into antiretroviral

therapy for AIDS

16Online service keeps aircraft flying

SAICMagazine 3

High customer satisfaction ratings andlow operating costs. No industry wantsto accomplish both goals more thantelecommunications – a highly com-

petitive industry undergoing major changes.BellSouth, a leading international telecommuni-

cations company with one of the most moderntelecommunications networks in the world, has afleet of 15,000 installation and maintenance vehi-cles. Fast, efficient response of the mobile workforcehas a direct influence on customer satisfaction,annual operating costs, and bottom-line profits.BellSouth’s decision to actively and in real-timemanage this critical resource led to one of thelargest fleet and workforce management systems inthe United States.The system, which has helped todramatically raise productivity and lower costs, wasdeveloped and implemented by SAIC.

The FleetOptimizer solutionBellSouth wanted a system to monitor fleet opera-tions and workforce efficiency and quickly evaluatetrends, operational processes, and performanceissues, even in remote deployments. In addition tomonitoring operations, the system would have tointerface with dispatch and corporate systems, andbe accessible to supervisors in all locations. SAICand its Telcordia Technologies subsidiary had theright expertise to successfully implement this pro-ject: SAIC’s GPS tracking, wireless communications,Web-enabled software development and integrationexpertise was combined with Telcordia’s Force dis-patch application, currently running at BellSouth.

To meet BellSouth’s needs, SAIC customized itsFleetOptimizer system. FleetOptimizer is designedto track and manage large, geographically dispersed

vehicles or fleets. It is flexible enough to interfacewith various applications and communicate overmultiple wireless systems.The 15,000-vehicle fleet,spread over a nine-state region, is tracked by GPSsatellite and reports back to BellSouth data centers.Supervisors access data though a Web interface.

Sizable fuel savingsTelcordia and SAIC linked FleetOptimizer toanother key system – Telcordia™ Force, a computer-aided dispatch application that manages service toBellSouth’s customers.The Force system assistsscheduling, assignment, routing, and helps dispatchtechnicians qualified to solve specific problems.

Integration with Force reduced overtime, multi-ple dispatches, drive time, radio talk time, and “noaccess” attempts to deliver service.The result:reduced mileage for BellSouth’s fleet and significantfuel savings, far surpassing the original goals.

Productivity goals exceededThe FleetOptimizer system now makes real-timeinformation available on each vehicle in the fleet,including information on the truck, driver, job site,driving speed, and job route. Managers can see avisual display of a moving vehicle or access routehistory information to determine performance.

Productivity gains from the system have been sig-nificant. BellSouth was expecting a 4% productivityenhancement from its new workforce managementsystem. Far exceeding expectations, the system hassignificantly increased productivity.The increase inproductivity will allow the system to pay for itself inabout 30 months.

In addition to boosting performance, the systemmakes the technician’s job safer.Alert call buttons

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 4

calls on GPS tracking system forfaster,better customer service

SAICMagazine 4

Picture the September 11 terror strikes

multiplied 100 times.That would equal more

than half a million dead, about the same number

of people who die every year from cancer.

IN THE FIGHT

Cancer,AIDS

Making a difference

A G A I N S T

SAICMagazine 5

To help fight cancer,AIDS, and related diseases, theNational Cancer Institute (NCI) asked SAIC to continue itsleading-edge research for NCI’s Frederick Cancer Researchand Development Center. Our SAIC-Frederick subsidiarymanages and operates the center, which screens compoundsfor anticancer and antiviral properties, conducts basic andapplied research in cancer and AIDS, and operates a high-performance computer devoted strictly to biomedicalresearch.

The $1.8-billion, seven-year follow-on contract includesmore than 1,400 SAIC scientists, technicians, and supportstaff.According to Dr. Larry Arthur, who directs the center(and directs its AIDS vaccine program), SAIC is highly val-ued by the center’s employees.

SAIC’s scientific commitment and employee ownershipculture have been key factors in the success of the contract,which we first won in 1995, says Dr.Arthur.We werefounded and are managed by scientists who understandresearch and the research process, and this makes SAIC anexcellent “fit” at NCI-Frederick.

Dr.Arthur notes that SAIC’s employee owners are veryproud of the work they perform at the center, located at theFort Detrick Army base in Frederick, Maryland.

“You don’t want to sound too trite but we are helpingfight cancer and AIDS,” says Dr.Arthur.“No matter whataspect of work they are asked to do, our employees knowthat they are assisting in these research efforts. In fact, some-times it really hits them that they are making a difference,especially when a relative or friend gets cancer or AIDS.”

In the near future, SAIC-Frederick will construct andoperate a vaccine development facility (to be located on theFrederick campus) for the Dale and Betty Bumpers VaccineResearch Clinic. Dr.Arthur says he has already hired adirector for the facility, which will produce AIDS vaccinesfor human testing.

“I think this is a very important contract for the com-pany,” says SAIC Executive Vice President Steve Rockwood.“It gives us participation and insight into an important newarea of biotechnology. I think biology will be a key sciencefor the next decade or more and having SAIC participatethrough this contract is an excellent way for us to serve thecountry and be part of very important activities.”�

The Frederick campus has a dis-tinguished history of performingon the frontier of medical sci-ence. For example, Dr. LarryArthur’s lab was the first U.S. lab

to receive and produce HIV-infected cells (prior toSAIC’s first management and operation contractwith Frederick), to be used by various companiesto develop HIV tests of blood transfusions. At thattime, about 5,000 people per year becameinfected from the HIV-tainted blood transfusions.Now, thanks to implementation of these testingprocedures, less than 40 people a year die fromtransfusions.

In fact, the overall AIDS death rate in the U.S.has fallen significantly due to the efficiency ofcompounds, antivirals, used to “kill” HIV (whichreduces the amount of virus circulating in an HIV-infected person). Basic research, such as the typedone at SAIC-Frederick, has contributed to thedevelopment of the antivirals. In addition, Dr.Arthur and his SAIC staff have contributed inother areas of AIDS research. For example, Dr.Arthur co-authored an article in Nature magazine(February 1999) that confirmed that HIV camefrom chimpanzees.

While SAIC is helping contribute to AIDS treat-ments, Dr. Arthur says that he believes science ison the verge of major discoveries for cancertreatments. This is due to the sequencing of thehuman genome and the ability this gives us tolook at how cells become cancerous.

“By looking at various proteins that cancercells produce, we can understand the pathwaysof why cells become cancerous and then we canmake designer drugs to kill those cells,” saysArthur. “I expect to see major developments incancer detection and treatment in the next five toten years.”

In the meantime, SAIC-Frederick researcherscontinue their work fighting cancer. In the August

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SAICMagazine 6

Protecting the Borders

From Kosovo to Mexico to ports of entry and border crossings

throughout the United States, SAIC’s Vehicle and Cargo

Inspection System (VACIS) has been used to examine trucks,

railcars, containers, cargo and passenger vehicle contents for

drugs, explosives, weapons, and other contraband.

Innov

ative

solut

ions fo

r safe

ty and

secu

rity

SAICMagazine 7

H O W I T W O R K SVACIS works by emitting a low-level beam of gamma radiation.

As the narrow vertical fan beam of low-level radiation pene-trates the vehicle, the absorption of this radiation is progres-sively measured by the extremely sensitive array of detectorslocated on the opposite side. This absorption data is then fed toa computer, where a digital image is formed and optimized fordisplay on a high-resolution video monitor.

The radioscopic image of the object can then be analyzed bythe operator. Additional image analysis is available to the opera-tor through a suite of software image-processing tools. Imagestorage, transfer and recall are possible.

The VACIS technology has received worldwide recognition forits efficacy and innovation. In 1998, SAIC’s VACIS won an awardin the Transportation category of the Computerworld/Smithsonian Awards Program.

With the heightened interest incounterterrorism, this non-intru-sive gamma ray imaging system,which can reliably scan a 40-footsealed container in less than 10seconds, is expected to play aneven greater role in helping theU.S. and its allies safeguard bor-ders.

Over the last several years, theU.S. Customs Service hasdeployed a significant number ofVACIS systems at various portsof entry. Recently, we won con-tracts from Malaysia and Canadato manufacture and deliver bothour relocatable and truck-mounted mobile versions ofVACIS. In addition, Mexico haspurchased a railroad version ofVACIS, which can scan railcarsmoving up to 10 miles per hour

as they pass through border entrypoints.

The truck-mounted systemalso is being used by U.S.National Guard units in NewYork and California, says SAICOperations Manager Jim Winso,whose staff is conducting a long-term demonstration toGovernment officials in theWashington, D.C., area.

VACIS allows operators toview gamma-ray images on avideo monitor to quickly andefficiently identify hidden com-partments, contraband or humancargo, as well as help verify con-tents with manifests.

And, since it requires a verylow radiation dose rate,VACIScan be operated without a specialprotective building or similar

enclosure.This increases thesimplicity and decreases thesystem purchase price.The initialcost is significantly less, andannual maintenance costs aresignificantly less than comparablex-ray machines.

Although VACIS operates as afixed system, it can easily berelocated and set up within twodays.The truck-mounted systemprovides additional flexibilitysince it can be used withoutexternal electrical power or otherinfrastructure and can be set upin less than 15 minutes with atwo-person crew.

Another version of the systemcan inspect air cargo containersat aviation facilities.

To learn more about VACISproducts, visit saic.com.�

T E A M W O R K P A Y S O F FAccording to a U.S. Customs newsrelease, inspectors at a border check-point in Pharr,Texas, spotted some-thing suspicious in a refrigerated trac-tor-trailer loaded with papayas. Theinspectors ordered the vehicle to anearby location for a VACIS gamma rayscan, which showed irregularities inthe trailer’s floor beam area. Sweete, adrug-sniffing Customs canine,searched the trailer and alertedinspectors to a portion of the floor.They extracted 291 bundles containing1,555 pounds of marijuana with anestimated street value of $1.5 million.

SAICMagazine 8

The U.S. Governmentcontends that Iran hasdeveloped and usedchemical weapons, hascreated biological agents

for use as weapons, and seeks to buildnuclear weapons.While to date Tehranhas not been implicated in theSeptember 11 terrorist attacks and theongoing anthrax scare, Iran’s weaponsof mass destruction and support forterrorism will undoubtedly comeunder closer scrutiny by the U.S.

Because such weapons pose a greatthreat to U.S. military forces and polit-ical objectives in the region, it is vitalfor the U.S. to understand Iran’s inten-tions and capabilities regarding nuclear,biological, and chemical weapons. Inhis award-winning paper, GregoryGiles provides this insight.

Several factors influence Iran’snuclear, biological, and chemicalweapons policy.These include a historyof volatile civil-military relations,Islamic militancy, lessons from theIran-Iraq War, and lingering regional

insecurities.According to Giles, there are ten-

sions between Iranian civilian and mil-itary leaders over unconventionalweapons doctrine. Iran’s civilian (thatis, religious) leaders mostly viewnuclear, biological, and chemicalweapons as a deterrent to regionalenemies, such as Iraq’s Saddam Husseinand Israel, and as a possible deterrentto a U.S. conventional attack. In con-trast, the Islamic Revolutionary GuardCorps (IRGC), which Iran’s rulingmullahs created as a political counter-weight to the regular army, has madepreparations to use chemical – andpossibly biological – weapons offen-sively against U.S. naval forces in thePersian Gulf.

Subordinating the IRGC’s views toIran’s overall defense strategy is anurgent task for Iran’s civilian leaders ifthey are to control when and how thatcountry uses its unconventionalweapons.

This may be difficult because theIRGC, as the official “defender of the

Islamic revolution,” controls Iran’snuclear, biological, and chemical pro-grams, dominates Iran’s naval forces,and controls Iran’s long-range ballisticmissiles. (In addition to the IRGC’srelative autonomy, it has powerful pro-tectors among radical clerics.)

Tied to this effort to protect therevolution (that is, reduce the prospectof a military coup) is the mullahs’encouragement of bureaucratic frictionand competition by assigning nearly adozen organizations overlappingresponsibilities in chemical weaponsproduction.This ensures continuedbureaucratic competition for resources,missions, and influence.With so manyentities involved in the chemicalweapon complex, a “production push”mindset contributes to a proliferationof chemical weapons systems. In fact,Iran turns out chemical weaponsmunitions for every major type ofdelivery system, including mines,artillery, aircraft, and ships. (Gilesfocuses on chemical weapons capabil-ity as it is the most mature of Iran’s

Iran and nuclear,biological,and chemical weapons

IN ITS ANNUAL COMPETITION, SAIC’S EXECUTIVE SCIENCE &

TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL RECOGNIZES SOME OF THE MOST

INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND BEST WRITTEN TECHNICAL PAPERS

AND BOOKS BY SAIC SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS. THIS IS

THE FIRST SUMMARY OF THE LATEST AWARD WINNERS.

In fact, central commandand control over uncon-ventional weapons may notbe assured given the pro-duction and organizationalobstacles that these bodiespresent.The result could bea system where Iran hasdistinct rules of engage-ment and control mecha-nisms for each type ofunconventional weapon.For example, the IRGCcould have tight controlover chemical weapons, butIran’s mullahs could turnto other organizations tocontrol biological weapons(deemed more dangerousthan chemical weapons),and, in the future, nuclear

weapons to counter-balance the influ-ence of the IRGC.

How these factors might shapeIranian thinking about weapons ofmass destruction after the September11 attacks remains to be seen, saysGiles. Such weapons may well take ongreater importance as a means ofdeterring the U.S. from eventually car-rying the war against terrorism to Iran.Iranian misgivings about U.S. inten-tions in this regard suggest that futureconfrontations with Iran will need tobe carefully managed to avoid possibleescalation to the use of these weapons.

Giles’s award-winning paper,“The Islamic Republic of Iran andNuclear, Biological, and ChemicalWeapons,” appeared as a book chapterin Planning the Unthinkable: How NewPowers Will Use Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons.�

SAICMagazine 9

unconventional weaponsprograms.)

Giles notes that whileIran’s military can deploychemical weapons on thebattlefield, at sea, andagainst distant strategictargets, the IRGC’s exclu-sive control over long-range missiles and chemi-cal weapons storage con-strains the regular army’sability to integrate chem-ical weapons into its forcestructure.

To gain insight intoIranian philosophy onusing unconventionalweapons, Giles notesIran’s behavior in its1980-1988 war with Iraq.Iran was slow to respond to Iraq’sintroduction of chemical weapons intothe conflict largely due to Islamic pro-hibitions on the use of poisons asweapons of war. Iran overcame thisinhibition, however, and used chemicalweapons mainly against Iraqi troopconcentrations. In one instance, Iranused chemical weapons against theIraqi village of Halabja. Iran’s leader-ship was particularly concerned aboutpossible Iraqi use of unconventionalweapons against Tehran and otherIranian cities.

Because of the tremendous psycho-logical effects of Iraq’s chemicalweapons attacks (which killed only5,000 Iranians but contributed toTehran’s acceptance of a cease fire), theIranian military has made a concertedeffort to improve its ability to operatein a nuclear, biological, and chemical

environment. In fact, since the end ofthe U.S.-led Gulf War, Iranian uncon-ventional exercises have increasedgreatly.This suggests that Iran’s armedforces are looking to nuclear, biologi-cal, and chemical weapons to offset aU.S. advantage in high-technologyconventional weapons.

One way to do this is using tacticalchemical and biological weapons at sea – a method evidently favored bythe IRGC, which operates is ownnaval forces.The IRGC favors thismethod because Western military officials tend to underrate this strategyand because U.S. and other naval forcesin the Persian Gulf are not equippedwith chemical and biological weaponsto act as a deterrent.

Having pitted the IRGC against theregular military, Iran faces a struggle toget them to act in a coordinated way.

SAICMagazine 10

A hugeexplo-sion nearyour citysends a

plume of smoke highin the atmosphere.The smoke couldcontain hazardouschemicals or evennuclear radiation.Tohelp plan evacuationsand save lives youneed to predict whereambient winds willtake the smoke.

Making precisepredictions is difficultdue to the effects ofrugged terrain, bodiesof water, and othersurface properties; butthe SAIC Center forAtmospheric Physicscan make very accurate real-time dis-persion and weather predictionsthrough OMEGA, a high-resolutionatmospheric simulation and modelingtool.

By melding new computational“gridding” technologies from the fluiddynamics realm with numericalweather prediction techniques,OMEGA provides very high resolu-tions to model and simulate hazardousreleases and other atmospheric condi-tions in a computationally efficientmanner. In fact, OMEGA’s technology(an atmospheric dispersion algorithmcombined with an unstructured com-putational grid that adapts quickly tosurface features) resolves surface fea-tures down to one kilometer where

needed (e.g., in urban areas, air routecorridors, and hazardous release loca-tions). In regions with complex terrainand land and water boundaries – themain factors that affect surface winds –OMEGA automatically providesincreased grid resolution, improvingthe solution.Additionally, OMEGAadapts its unstructured grid to dynamicfeatures in weather, such as fronts,squall lines, and hurricanes.

On top of predicting the flow ofhazardous chemicals or hurricanes,OMEGA (which stands forOperational Multiscale EnvironmentModel with Grid Adaptivity) canaccurately predict the temperature in agiven area up to 72 hours in thefuture.This has great commercial

promise, especially forthe power industry,which could savemoney by better esti-mating future energyconsumption.

Because you canreconfigure OMEGAquickly, you can usethe system practicallyanywhere in theworld. In fact,OMEGA, developedwith support of theDefense ThreatReduction Agency(DTRA), has beenused in the past tosupport the NationalCommand Authority(the U.S. focal pointfor continuous moni-toring and coordina-tion of worldwide

military operations.) In addition, SAIC used OMEGA to

reanalyze the weather conditions thatoccurred during Operation DesertStorm to help resolve issues surround-ing the release of chemical agents atKhamisiyah, Iraq, during the war.

The article that Dr. David Bacon,the Director of the Center forAtmospheric Physics co-authored withSAIC’s Nash’at Ahmad, Zafer Boybeyi,Thomas Dunn, Mary Hall, Pius Lee,R.Ananthakrishna Sarma, and MarkTurner,“A Dynamically AdaptingWeather and Dispersion Model:TheOperational Multiscale EnvironmentModel with Grid Adaptivity(OMEGA),” appeared in The MonthlyWeather Review.�

TRACKING KILLER

CLOUDS

SAICMagazine 11

Since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.,our Government has been running “what if ”scenarios involving theoretical airborne releases ofanthrax, smallpox, and other hazardous agents.Thescenarios, for many U.S. locations, include model

predictions of where the airborne hazardous agents could flowunder various conditions.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency stands confident aboutits predictions because DTRA previously used the same SAICatmospheric models to calculate, in real-time, where an actualhazardous plume would head on the White Sands missile range inNew Mexico.

For that test, DTRA researchers raced in trucks on the missile range using SAIC’s data and found the plume (sulfurhexafluoride). SAIC followed up by comparing the modelcalculations and subsequent plume tracking data. In their ESTCaward-winning paper, Robert Cox, John Sontowski, and CatherineDougherty verified that DTRA could use models that coupledwind predictions with an atmospheric and diffusion system toquickly and accurately predict the path of hazardous dispersions.

For the study, our researchers constructed high-resolution windfields over complex terrain in minutes by feeding meteorologicaldata into MINERVE, a mass consistency wind field model.The raw data – fed into MINERVE – that produced the bestresults came from a mobile profiling system, a radar wind systemthat takes readings in the troposphere. (A separate modeling useddata from weather balloons.)

Our researchers then put the MINERVE calculations into anatmospheric transport and diffusion model, called SCIPUFF.TheSCIPUFF model generated a prediction of where the plumewould travel.Then we compared SCIPUFF’s prediction of theplume’s location to (plume) tracking data using a highly reliablespectral analysis technique (Fourier-transform infraredspectroscopy).

The SCIPUFF prediction of where the plume traveled endedup more than 90% accurate. (The prediction was less accuratewhen using raw data from weather balloons.) The benefit of usingthis modeling system is that you can accurately predict withinminutes how a plume of hazardous agents will move.

The ESTC Award-winning paper,“Comparison of AtmosphericTransport Calculations over Complex Terrain Using a MobileProfiling System and Rawinsondes,” appeared in MeteorologicalApplications.�

Atmospheric PredictionsFAST

Is it technically feasible to ver-ify compliance with theComprehensive Test BanTreaty? To find out, scientistshave conducted a series of

tests to develop an experimental seismic moni-toring system. The scientists were members ofan international consulting body to the UnitedNations Conference on Disarmament.

In an ESTC award-winning paper, SAIC’s JanWuester and colleagues evaluated the results ofthe Group of Scientific Experts third TechnicalTest (GSETT-3). The objective of this latest test:develop the seismic component intended toevolve into the future International MonitoringSystem (IMS). The IMS is a global network ofdiverse sensors that must be able to accuratelydetect and locate a seismic event, such as anearthquake, anywhere in the world and provideinformation to facilitate the determination if itis, in fact, a nuclear detonation.

The study identified areas where upgradesare required to assure the experimental seismicmonitoring system will perform as expected,and that it can evolve and adapt to supportfuture requirements.

Among the observations: The detectioncapability of the experimental monitoring sys-tem came close to projections, but the ability tolocate events was somewhat less satisfactory;and the ability to determine event depth wasunsatisfactory for two-thirds of all events.

While there will be some improvement incapabilities as more stations come on line, newcomputational methods and better regional cali-bration will be needed to improve the depthdetermination of the monitoring system, theauthors concluded.

Their article, “GSETT-3: Evaluation of theDetection and Location Capabilities of anExperimental Global Seismic MonitoringSystem,” appeared in the Bulletin of theSeismological Society of America.�

Monitoring fornuclear test-banviolations

Have youever e-mailed aco-workerand then

wanted to send anothersimilar e-mail to some-one else? Probably youedited the original mes-sage and sent that oneinstead of creating awhole new message.

This reuse philosophystands as the basis ofobject-oriented program-ming, where you createstand-alone “objects” thatyou can later modify for otherprograms. For example, you couldcreate an object code to display a windowonscreen that anybody could copy and modify.

In addition, programmers can move objects inchunks to create whole new programs.This flexibility allows program-mers to become significantly more efficient and productive.

In his ESTC award-winning book, The Art of Objects, SAIC’s Yun-Tung Lau provides the fundamentals of object technology [using theunified modeling language (UML) as the primary means of presentation]along with many contemporary and advanced topics.The book will giveyou a greater understanding of object design patterns and the ability touse them to solve many design challenges.This includes real-life casestudies that demonstrate how to put the static and dynamic objectdesign patterns to work. For example, the book describes how to buildsystem software for an automatic teller machine (ATM).This includes a(static) requirement to keep records of all ATM transactions and uses anda (dynamic) requirement to handle access to the same account.

Beyond the design level, the book covers important topics in objectarchitecture.These include object creation and destruction, associationsand links, and aggregation and inheritance.

According to one reader,“The book covers the basic concepts ofobject classes, associations, etc., in a very understandable manner… thebook also contains needed chapters with intermediate and advancedtopics, which is seldom found in other object-oriented books.”

Another reader noted,“[The book] certainly gives you all the essenceof object programming.With it you can probably design better Javacodes or even C++ codes in the future.”�

SAICMagazine 12

In the future, high-power microwave wea-pons could replace con-ventional weapons indisabling enemy air

defenses, disrupting enemy communi-cations, and protecting against anti-ship missiles. But important research isrequired before this type of directed-energy weapon can reach its potential.

SAIC physicist Alexander Vlasovand a team of scientists from theUniversity of Maryland are helpingdevelop a new generation of HPMdevices that are smaller, lighter, andmore powerful. In a major achieve-ment, they were able to create the firstportable HPM generator.They did so

by creating a device that uses less volt-age, which allowed its weight and sizeto be substantially reduced.Their newdevice, a large-diameter, surface-wavemicrowave oscillator, can generate sig-nificant amounts (gigawatt levels) ofthe most powerful microwave radia-tion (small wavelength radiation in themillimeter-centimeter range) at signif-icantly lower levels of power supply (ator near 500 kilovolts).

To create this new device, Vlasovand the other scientists had to over-come three major challenges.The vac-uum HPM device they worked oncreates microwave energy by injectingan electron beam into an electromag-netically charged vacuum. The teamfirst had to find a stable electron beamthat could sustain high current with-out causing unwanted microwave dis-charges inside the device. (The high

Microwave

The Art of Objects

SAICMagazine 13

Harvesting LightWhile high-speed optical fiber carries long-distance mes-sages around the world, much of the wiring in metropoli-tan areas is still copper.A new type of laser holds greatpromise to help convert this “last-mile,” as the telecomindustry calls it, to fiber.As small as a grain of sand, this

new laser can transmit more than 10 billion bits a second; that’s 400,000times faster than a standard dial-up Internet connect. Called a verticalcavity surface emitting laser or VCSEL (which rhymes with “pixel”), thenew laser could offer many other advantages for both communicationsand optical storage if scientists like SAIC’s Spilios Riyopoulos can solvesome key challenges.

“Eliminating power oscillations and maintaining a single-mode laserunder high power have been two of the holy grails of the communica-tions business,” muses Riyopoulos. In his award-winning research, heintroduces a novel method of overcoming these crucial performancebarriers in VCSELs.

Dr. Riyopoulos’s discovery challenges the underlying physics ofVCSELs. Unlike a traditional laser diode that emits light from its edges, aVCSEL emits light from its surface.Typically, as the light intensityincreases, the density of electric charge carriers decreases and vice versa,which leads to power oscillations.

Riyopoulos hypothesized,“adding a photoactive layer within VCSELswould provide a coupling mechanism, enabling the VCSEL to control itsown current.” The photoactive layer adds a varying resistance/conduc-tance that changes with the intensity of light passing through it.Serendipitously, the added layer causes light intensity and carrier densityincrease or decrease in unison, discouraging spurious oscillations.

The photoactive layer also overcomes the second problem: maintain-ing a single-mode laser under high power, which is necessary for long-distance communications and optical storage applications. Under highpower, the cross section of a laser typically changes so that it no longermatches the radiation profile of the optical fiber.A simple, single-modelaser (one that has a round cable shape with a bright center that fadesradially) couples most effectively to fiber.The addition of the photoac-tive layer induces more conductivity at the center of the laser, encourag-ing single-mode operation under high power.That approach remainsimportant, even in view of recent high-power single-mode operationsby Novalux NECSEL, because it aims at high power via high-powerdensity rather than through an increase in the emitting surface area andcavity size.

Through theoretical analysis as well as a numerical demonstration,Riyopoulos has proven that the presence of photoactive layers in VCSELscan eliminate both power oscillations and multiple modes.This break-through may allow fiber optic communication of orders-of-magnitudehigher bandwidth under direct modulation.“By improving the funda-

current was necessary to produce highpower from low voltage.)

Second, the team designed a vac-uum structure for slow microwaves,that is, waves slower than the speed oflight. When an electron beam entersthis slow-wave structure, different fre-quencies can be excited, especiallywithin a structure of large diameter.The structure’s cavity must support asurface wave that is synchronous withthe electron beam to produce coher-ent microwave radiation without spu-rious oscillations.

Once the scientists found theappropriate surface wave mode, theywere able to enlarge the structure’sdiameter and the radiated power with-

out disrupting the surface wave. Inparticular, they were able to avoid thesurface disintegration that typicallylimits HPM devices. (Even with thelarger slow-wave structure, the newgenerator is still much smaller andlighter than its predecessors.)

Third, to create the most efficientinteraction between the electronbeam and slow-wave structure, theteam experimented with all knownsurface profiles for the slow-wavestructure. They found that a surfacestructure of semicircles on top of rec-tangles was the most successful.

To easily fine-tune the structure,the scientists found that small adjust-ments of an internal reflector (separat-ing the electron gun from the cavity)dramatically changed the electrody-namic properties of the vacuum cavity.

Vlasov and his colleagues con-

Attacks

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 4C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 4

SAICMagazine 14

firmed their new design numericallyand experimentally. In the experiments,the highest radiated power (0.5gigawatt) was obtained from a relativelylow beam voltage (570 kV) and highercurrent (5.8 kA) with a conversion effi-ciency of 15%, proving that a moderatevoltage can indeed drive gigawatt-levelradiation sources.

The study, “Overmoded GW-ClassSurface-Wave Microwave Oscillator,”which appeared in IEEE Transactions onPlasma Science, was sponsored by the AirForce Office of Scientific Research andthe Office of Naval Research.�

By using a combination ofdrugs to directly attack HIVand reduce its levels in theblood, doctors have beenable to effectively treat

people infected with the virus. But thishighly active antiretroviral therapy, orHAART, is not a long-term solution for mostpatients because it can be toxic, is difficultto adhere to, and is expensive.

Therefore, scientists are searching forways to control HIV infection while reduc-ing a patient’s reliance on HAART. Forexample, one possibility is to complementHAART with Interleukin-2, an immune sys-tem protein that stimulates production ofCD4+ T cells.

Research has found that HIV destroysCD4+ T cells, which are crucial to the nor-mal function of the human immune system,and that initiating HAART causes T cellcounts to rebound. But there has been con-siderable debate on the topic of T cellturnover in patients infected with HIV. Forinstance, do the cell counts rise becauseHAART reduces destruction of existing T cells or because it enhances productionof new cells?

An ESTC award-winning paper, pub-lished in the Proceedings of the NationalAcademy of Sciences, sheds some light onthis question. SAIC researchers with theNational Cancer Institute’s Frederick CancerResearch and Development Center andtheir teammates reported the results of astudy on the “Impact of HIV-1 infection andhighly active antiretroviral therapy on the

kinetics of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell turnoverin HIV-infected patients.”

The study provided a cross-sectionalcomparison of patients with HIV-1 infectionwith a healthy control group, along with alongitudinal study of patients initiating orvoluntarily terminating HAART. The findingsstrongly support the hypothesis that CD4+and CD8+ T cell division rates increasewith the onset of HIV-1 infection anddecrease after therapy. (In general, the roleof the CD8+ T cells is to monitor all of thecells of the body, ready to find and destroyinfected cells.)

The study concludes “there is anincrease in the fraction of dividing CD4+and CD8+ T cells in patients with HIV-1infection and that this is the direct result ofglobal immune activation caused by HIV-1replication in the host. The fact that CD4+ Tcell counts decline during the course of HIVinfection suggests that the increaseddestruction of CD4+ T cells in the setting ofHIV-1 infection is greater than thisincreased production.”

According to the authors, therapies thatshift the cell division rate above that of thecell death rate – such as Interleukin-2 – ordecrease the cell death rate below that ofthe cell production rate – such as HAART –should lead to an increase in the size of theCD4 pool in patients with HIV infection.

The SAIC researchers who conductedthe study are Richard Lempicki, MichaelBaseler, Joseph Adelsberger, Robin Dewar,Ven Natarajan, Marjorie Bosche, RandyStevens, and Laurie Lambert. �

Highly active antiretroviral therapy

15, 2001 issue of Cancer Research, our scientists reported that they developed new trans-plantable mouse tumor cell lines that produce slow-growing renal cell carcinomas. According tothe article, these tumors share several traits with the human disease, offering a unique windowinto the biology of this poorly understood disease.

In addition to helping fight cancer and AIDS, SAIC-Frederick is helping fight terrorism. Accordingto Dr. Arthur, under direction from NCI, we produced a prototype anthrax vaccine (for the U.S.Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases) that we have just released to undergoPhase I and II testing in people. It is hoped that this may be a vaccine that will prevent diseasecaused by infection by anthrax spores.�

Frederick campus C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 5

Harvesting lightC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1 3

MicrowaveAttacksC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1 3

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mounted in the vehicles and carriedby technicians can send an emergencysignal with information on the techni-cian’s location.

“SAIC’s wireless solutions enablecompanies to increase productivity andeffectiveness while reducingoperational costs,” says Dana Poirier,corporate vice president of SAIC’sWireless Systems Group.“SAIC worksvery closely with our clients to fullyidentify requirements and developsolutions optimized for their businessenvironment. This results in quickerreturn on investment and higher levelsof satisfaction with our solutions.”

mental operation of VCSELs, pho-toactive layers will impact the entirecommunications industry,” assertsRiyopoulos.

With a patent pending and feasibil-ity studies and a prototype soon to fol-low, the future looks bright for thenew technology.This research,“Elimination of Cavity RelaxationOscillation in Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers with PhotoactiveFeedback,” was funded in part by theNational Institute of Standards andTechnology (NIST) and appeared inthe Journal of the Optical Society ofAmerica.�

SAICMagazine 15

When a pilot recently reported a sud-den change in turbine temperature onan engine, DS&S staff were called.Within minutes, a DS&S engineer wasable to identify the problem.The faultypart was quickly identified andchanged, avoiding the long delay thatwould have resulted if the airline engi-neers had not had access to the knowl-edge base developed through monitor-ing engines across the Rolls-Roycefleet.

This type of service, called EngineHealth Monitoring, can save hours oftroubleshooting time, preventing delaysand cancellations, and keeping aircraftin service. DS&S Engine HealthMonitoring services – currently serv-ing 50 airlines operating nearly 2,000Rolls-Royce engines – are availableanywhere there is Internet access toenginedatacenter.com.

A w e l c o m e d e p a r t u r eThe portal also makes easily accessible,for the first time, up-to-date engineperformance data. Using sophisticatedengine-trending software, DS&S staffcan help identify potential problems asthey are trending toward safe limits,before those limits are exceeded (the“red-light” in the cockpit) causingoperational disruption.

For power plant engineers responsi-ble for “everything below the wing,”this knowledge streamlines the entiremonitoring and maintenance process.

� The secure portal gives fast notifica-tion of alert conditions – enginesrequiring urgent and potentialattention – usually pinpointing theexact location of deterioration andits cause.

� The system tracks whether enginesare running efficiently as well as themaximum ambient temperature inwhich each engine will operate.

Says Klaus Reymer, GeneralManager Engineering for CondorFlugdienst, Germany’s largest tour air-line,“Enginedatacenter.com givesCondor real advantages because it

Online service C O N T I N U E D F R O M B A C K C O V E R

allows us to access engine healthreports and get help with diagnosis andtroubleshooting via the web.”

H o w i t w o r k sThe process begins with electronicsensors that measure more than 32variables, including oil temperature andpressure, fuel flow, and shaft vibration.To determine the exact location of aproblem, data is gathered at each of thethree stages that compress air from lowto intermediate to high pressure.Asnapshot of data is gathered during thetakeoff, climb, and cruise portions ofeach flight, as well as anytime a manu-facturer’s limit is exceeded.

This data is immediately sent byradio or satellite to Data Systems &Solutions, where it is processed byengine-trending software, analyzed byDS&S staff, and made available onenginedatacenter.com, usually in lessthan 10 minutes.Additionalinformation from flight logs andmaintenance records is used to trackthe life of critical parts.

The ability to closely monitorengine performance is critical toworldwide airlines, which operate outof cities that vary in altitude, ambienttemperature, and runway conditions.

With detailed engine efficiency infor-mation, engineers can match routesand payloads to the right aircraft.

In addition, enginedatacenter.comtracks engine thrust, as the higher thethrust usage, the faster the engine willdeteriorate. In this way, the Web sitehelps engineers extend engine life andmeet warranty stipulations.

T h e b o t t o m l i n e With enginedatacenter.com, powerplant engineers can now accuratelypredict engine service needs.Thiscapability reduces passenger flightdelays, potentially improves safety, andsaves airlines millions of dollars annu-ally in maintenance costs.

For example, when engine damageis spotted early on, an engine can berepaired on-site or flown to a mainte-nance hub for repair or replacement. Ifmaintenance problems cause a flightcancellation, the airline can incur up to$50,000 in costs. Even more serious, ifa new engine has to be flown to aninoperable plane, the cost can climb to$500,000!

By helping reduce aircraft down-time, enginedatacenter.com has already helped generate dramatic costsavings.�

Aeromanager.com

Looking to lease an aircraft engine online? Checkout aeromanager.com, the Rolls-Royce e-businessportal that provides a comprehensive range ofservices. This includes engine leasing and repairlogistics service, interactive technical data, enginehealth monitoring, as well as information on repairand overhaul slots enabling airlines to go on-line tocheck their engines’ progress through theworkshop. Data Systems & Solutions designed thisground-breaking web site with Rolls-Royce and anSAIC subsidiary, ANXeBusiness Corp.

The next time you are flying at 30,000 feet, it may comfort you toknow that a team of engineers is only a mouse click away should ques-tions arise about the performance of your craft’s engine.This feat ismade possible by Data Systems & Solutions, a joint venture betweenRolls-Royce and SAIC.

Data Systems & Solutions (DS&S) created a groundbreaking Internetportal for the aviation industry – enginedatacenter.com.The portal givesairlines access to a wide range of products and services, including onlinerepair and overhaul information, and predictions of engine service needs.

Internet portal

enables airlines

to monitor

engines round

the clock in near

real time C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 5

KEEPS AIRCRAFTFlyingOnline Service