Atomic dielectric resonance
Encyclopedia
Atomic Dielectric Resonance (ADR) , is a recently patented investigative technique (US 6864826 B1) that can image inside materials (e.g. underground) and classify the materials being imaged. It does this by measuring and interpreting resonant energy responses of natural or synthetic materials while these interact with pulsed
electromagnetic
radio waves
, microwave
s, millimetric or sub-millimetric radio waves being passed through them.
The resonant energy
response can be measured in terms of energy, frequency
and phase relationships. The precision with which the process can be measured helps define the unique interactive atom
ic or molecular
response behaviour of any specific material, according to the energy bandwidth used. ADR is measurable on a very wide range of hierarchical scales both in time and space. Time scales may range from second
s to femtoseconds, and spatial scales from metre
s to nanometre
s. The reaction or results of this interaction may be observed, measured and analysed on a specially controlled ADR scanning system designed and built to quantify the ADR effects of any material or object to be studied and typecasted by this method. This allows the materials or objects to be identified in any future scanning operation of unknown objects, with a view to identify the said objects by the characteristic ADR effects.
and statistical
comparison rather than interpretation. This involves comparison at the necessary level of magnification to a database
of known substances and material relationships. Imaging and identification in this manner removes the uncertainty and subjectivity associated with manual interpretation and probability mapping based technologies such as seismic. The unique ability of ADR to image to the molecular or atomic level of magnification brings vital advantages, such as definite YES/NO logic with no grey areas.
-based synthetic aperture radar
investigation with the European Space Agency
. Within that study it was recognised that more than the expected very limited ground penetration (1.5 cm and 3 cm respectively) of beach sands was being achieved. The surface of the ground water table
was clearly recognised some 3m below the ground surface (and confirmed by borehole
s) across the Sands of Forvie
, near the mouth of the Ythan Estuary
, in Aberdeenshire
, Scotland
. One year later this greatly enhanced depth of penetration was seen in Space Shuttle
L-Band imagery of the Sahara Desert, where L-band waves (23 cm) were seen to penetrate some 3m below the Sahara desert floor and reveal ancient river
beds.
light has become widely available, and applications of this medium to the examination of materials are constantly expanding. Whereas the earlier applications concentrated on the use of visible laser light, the development of systems using invisible laser light are now being further explored. Adrok has achieved proof of principle by conducting a series of experiments in which rocks of different compositions and textures were exposed to pulsed beams of wideband conditioned ADR radiation, producing a range of differing energy and frequency responses detectable by suitably conditioned receivers. Conditioning the beam by dielectric
optics creates a synthetic lens effect so that the sensors appear to have much longer chambers with wider apertures. This effect produces narrow coherent beams of pulsed and lased radio waves which are good for illuminating target interfaces and materials.
The conditioned ADR beam of photon
s penetrates the rock and as it encounters the component materials it stimulates the atoms to release energy according to their compositions. The conditioned pulse of photons passes through the structure of the atom and emerges to encounter more atoms further along its path. Electrons from each individual atom release energy in all directions, and by timing the first arrival of this burst of low energy from a time-zero position beside the transmitting source, enables the distance to the responding atoms encountered to be determined. The nature of the return signal, its frequency and energy levels and phase changes
(if any) are determined by the minerals encountered. In a rock mass the component minerals may vary, but in general, sandy rocks are composed principally of quartz (SiO2), limestones mainly of calcite (CaCO3), coals largely of Carbon (C), and clays or shales mainly of assemblages of iron- or magnesium-alumino-silicates. Cascading harmonic analysis
of the emerging electromagnetic radiation
enables the energies and frequencies of the signals released by the materials to differ sufficiently for the rock compositions to be recognised by computer processing.
The FFT generated spectral data sets for clinical and control samples were analysed using RADAMATIC ADR and Image Analysis software developed and owned by Adrok. In classic EM Theory, the EM properties of the mediums of propagation (air, water, soil, rock and biological materials, for example) there are three key variables which are usually studied:
The mathematical and statistical methods of ADR analysis (founded on Maxwell’s equations) produce synthetic relationships which can then be used to compute very precise values of ε, μ and σ. The software analysis incorporated is primarily concerned with identifying materials which have to be mapped or assessed in some way. If change detection is important, then the software is concerned with mapping the extent or spread of the material in question over specific time scales to monitor increased or decreased spatial or volume extents. In order to unambiguously identify the material in question the software does not necessarily need to know the specific values of ε, μ and σ, which, per se, may not necessarily identify the unknown material in question, but it may be necessary to establish 10 or 12 (or more) other mathematical or statistical relationships related to the energy-frequency spectra of the unknown material in question, to establish from the ADR control database of such parameters unquestionably what the material’s code is by the software’s logical expert systems method of discrimination.
ADR provides the user with 3 outputs (image, material classification and thematic map
) as opposed to the traditional NDTs’ singular image output. Unlike other NDT technologies, ADR is capable of classifying objects in microscopic ranges (e.g., 10 micrometres) and macroscopic ranges (up to 4 km and beyond).
Pulse (physics)
In physics, a pulse is a single disturbance that moves through a medium from one point to the next point.-Pulse Reflection:Consider a pulse moving through a medium - perhaps through a rope or a slinky. When the pulse reaches the end of that medium, what happens to it depends on whether the medium...
electromagnetic
Electromagnetism
Electromagnetism is one of the four fundamental interactions in nature. The other three are the strong interaction, the weak interaction and gravitation...
radio waves
Radio waves
Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum longer than infrared light. Radio waves have frequencies from 300 GHz to as low as 3 kHz, and corresponding wavelengths from 1 millimeter to 100 kilometers. Like all other electromagnetic waves,...
, microwave
Microwave
Microwaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...
s, millimetric or sub-millimetric radio waves being passed through them.
The resonant energy
Electrical resonance
Electrical resonance occurs in an electric circuit at a particular resonance frequency where the imaginary parts of circuit element impedances or admittances cancel each other...
response can be measured in terms of energy, frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
and phase relationships. The precision with which the process can be measured helps define the unique interactive atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
ic or molecular
Molecule
A molecule is an electrically neutral group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their electrical charge...
response behaviour of any specific material, according to the energy bandwidth used. ADR is measurable on a very wide range of hierarchical scales both in time and space. Time scales may range from second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
s to femtoseconds, and spatial scales from metre
Metre
The metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
s to nanometre
Nanometre
A nanometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a metre. The name combines the SI prefix nano- with the parent unit name metre .The nanometre is often used to express dimensions on the atomic scale: the diameter...
s. The reaction or results of this interaction may be observed, measured and analysed on a specially controlled ADR scanning system designed and built to quantify the ADR effects of any material or object to be studied and typecasted by this method. This allows the materials or objects to be identified in any future scanning operation of unknown objects, with a view to identify the said objects by the characteristic ADR effects.
Advantages
ADR images materials and thereafter identifies them by a process of mathematicalMathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and statistical
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
comparison rather than interpretation. This involves comparison at the necessary level of magnification to a database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
of known substances and material relationships. Imaging and identification in this manner removes the uncertainty and subjectivity associated with manual interpretation and probability mapping based technologies such as seismic. The unique ability of ADR to image to the molecular or atomic level of magnification brings vital advantages, such as definite YES/NO logic with no grey areas.
Development
The method was developed some 20 years after initial tests using remote sensing techniques with X-band (30 mm) and C-band (55 mm) waves in an aircraftAircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
-based synthetic aperture radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
investigation with the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
. Within that study it was recognised that more than the expected very limited ground penetration (1.5 cm and 3 cm respectively) of beach sands was being achieved. The surface of the ground water table
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
was clearly recognised some 3m below the ground surface (and confirmed by borehole
Borehole
A borehole is the generalized term for any narrow shaft bored in the ground, either vertically or horizontally. A borehole may be constructed for many different purposes, including the extraction of water or other liquid or gases , as part of a geotechnical investigation, environmental site...
s) across the Sands of Forvie
Sands of Forvie
The Sands of Forvie is a nature reserve north of Newburgh in Aberdeenshire in the northeast of Scotland. Forvie National Nature Reserve has the fifth largest sand dune system in Britain, and the least disturbed by human activity. The dune system is an integral part of the Ythan Estuary and...
, near the mouth of the Ythan Estuary
River Ythan
The Ythan is a river in the north-east of Scotland rising at Wells of Ythan near the village of Ythanwells and flowing south-eastwards through the towns of Fyvie, Methlick and Ellon before flowing into the North Sea near Newburgh, in Formartine...
, in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. One year later this greatly enhanced depth of penetration was seen in Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
L-Band imagery of the Sahara Desert, where L-band waves (23 cm) were seen to penetrate some 3m below the Sahara desert floor and reveal ancient river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
beds.
Applications
In recent years, the technology for the production of laserLaser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
light has become widely available, and applications of this medium to the examination of materials are constantly expanding. Whereas the earlier applications concentrated on the use of visible laser light, the development of systems using invisible laser light are now being further explored. Adrok has achieved proof of principle by conducting a series of experiments in which rocks of different compositions and textures were exposed to pulsed beams of wideband conditioned ADR radiation, producing a range of differing energy and frequency responses detectable by suitably conditioned receivers. Conditioning the beam by dielectric
Dielectric
A dielectric is an electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field. When a dielectric is placed in an electric field, electric charges do not flow through the material, as in a conductor, but only slightly shift from their average equilibrium positions causing dielectric...
optics creates a synthetic lens effect so that the sensors appear to have much longer chambers with wider apertures. This effect produces narrow coherent beams of pulsed and lased radio waves which are good for illuminating target interfaces and materials.
The conditioned ADR beam of photon
Photon
In physics, a photon is an elementary particle, the quantum of the electromagnetic interaction and the basic unit of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation. It is also the force carrier for the electromagnetic force...
s penetrates the rock and as it encounters the component materials it stimulates the atoms to release energy according to their compositions. The conditioned pulse of photons passes through the structure of the atom and emerges to encounter more atoms further along its path. Electrons from each individual atom release energy in all directions, and by timing the first arrival of this burst of low energy from a time-zero position beside the transmitting source, enables the distance to the responding atoms encountered to be determined. The nature of the return signal, its frequency and energy levels and phase changes
Phase (matter)
In the physical sciences, a phase is a region of space , throughout which all physical properties of a material are essentially uniform. Examples of physical properties include density, index of refraction, and chemical composition...
(if any) are determined by the minerals encountered. In a rock mass the component minerals may vary, but in general, sandy rocks are composed principally of quartz (SiO2), limestones mainly of calcite (CaCO3), coals largely of Carbon (C), and clays or shales mainly of assemblages of iron- or magnesium-alumino-silicates. Cascading harmonic analysis
Harmonic analysis
Harmonic analysis is the branch of mathematics that studies the representation of functions or signals as the superposition of basic waves. It investigates and generalizes the notions of Fourier series and Fourier transforms...
of the emerging electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space...
enables the energies and frequencies of the signals released by the materials to differ sufficiently for the rock compositions to be recognised by computer processing.
The FFT generated spectral data sets for clinical and control samples were analysed using RADAMATIC ADR and Image Analysis software developed and owned by Adrok. In classic EM Theory, the EM properties of the mediums of propagation (air, water, soil, rock and biological materials, for example) there are three key variables which are usually studied:
- Dielectric permittivity (ε)
- Magnetic permeability (μ)
- Electric conductivity (σ)
The mathematical and statistical methods of ADR analysis (founded on Maxwell’s equations) produce synthetic relationships which can then be used to compute very precise values of ε, μ and σ. The software analysis incorporated is primarily concerned with identifying materials which have to be mapped or assessed in some way. If change detection is important, then the software is concerned with mapping the extent or spread of the material in question over specific time scales to monitor increased or decreased spatial or volume extents. In order to unambiguously identify the material in question the software does not necessarily need to know the specific values of ε, μ and σ, which, per se, may not necessarily identify the unknown material in question, but it may be necessary to establish 10 or 12 (or more) other mathematical or statistical relationships related to the energy-frequency spectra of the unknown material in question, to establish from the ADR control database of such parameters unquestionably what the material’s code is by the software’s logical expert systems method of discrimination.
ADR provides the user with 3 outputs (image, material classification and thematic map
Thematic map
A thematic map is a type of map or chart especially designed to show a particular theme connected with a specific geographic area. These maps "can portray physical, social, political, cultural, economic, sociological, agricultural, or any other aspects of a city, state, region,nation , or...
) as opposed to the traditional NDTs’ singular image output. Unlike other NDT technologies, ADR is capable of classifying objects in microscopic ranges (e.g., 10 micrometres) and macroscopic ranges (up to 4 km and beyond).
Process
The general ADR process is as follows:- Emission of electromagnetic energy bands chosen from the broad spectrum
- Proprietary adjustment of wave prior to emission of energy from the system
- Proprietary adjustment of wave post collection of energy from the material
- Energy from wave-material interaction assessed and interpreted by specialist software
- Provides fingerprint of any substance down to either molecular or atomic
- Identification of materials by comparison of energy & frequency relationships with specialist database
- System calibration conducted on measurement standards
- Signal conditioningSignal conditioningIn electronics, signal conditioning means manipulating an analog signal in such a way that it meets the requirements of the next stage for further processing...
provides high resolution images - Resolution many times greater than acoustic imaging methods such as seismic or ultrasoundUltrasoundUltrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
, or other radar imaging such as ground penetrating radarGround-penetrating radarGround-penetrating radar is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. This nondestructive method uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum, and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures...
(GPR). - ADR Pulsing provides deep penetration of earth (avoids signal weakening effects caused by sea or earth)