Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Northrop Corporation

Silvan Stanley Locus

William Hant

John C Bryant

Kenneth M Mitzner

Darin S Hunzeker

A probe for measurement of an electrically conductive surface covered by an insulating cover layer has a pair of electrically conductive pads for capacitive coupling to the conductive surface. The pads may be formed by photolithography as part of a disk of a metallic layer disposed on a substrate of low dielectric material such as fibrous glass in an epoxy binder, the pads being separated by a relatively narrow gap. Included within the probe is an electrically insulating holder for supporting the substrate and the pads, the holder being configured to facilitate manual manipulation of the probe. The probe connects with a signal analyzer which provides a test signal coupled to the pads via a coaxial transmission line. During a sliding of the pads along the cover layer, electrical characteristics of a signal coupled capacitively via the pads to the conductive surface are analyzed by the analyzer to provide information on electrical continuity and resistivity of the surface.

Capacitive disk probe

A Luneberg lens with a polarization-sensitive spherical 'leaky' reflector cap having conductive strips aligned at a 45.degree. angle to the linear polarization of the incident wave. The ratio of strip width to strip spacing is preferably chosen to reflect back a cross-polarized component about -10 db below the reflected self-polarized component. The strip width is small as compared to the focal spot diameter of the lens for any given incident wave direction and also small as compared to the wavelength of the incident wave. The lens and reflector can be used in small drone aircraft to simulate the radar cross section of a larger body such as an aircraft whose radar cross section causes reflected polarization components not present in the incident field. The full specification must be consulted for an understanding of the invention.

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Van Nuys, CA, United States of America

Silvan Stanley Locus