Dr. Alan M. Frank Profile

Dr. Alan M. Frank

Retired

SPIE Involvement:

Author | Instructor

Proceedings Article | 11 January 2007 Paper

Solid state replacement of rotating mirror cameras

Alan Frank, Joseph Bartolick

Proceedings Volume 6279, 62791U (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.725230

KEYWORDS: Cameras, Mirrors, Sensors, Clocks, Solid state electronics, Calibration, Solid state physics, Image resolution, Video, Lamps

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Proceedings Article | 17 April 2001 Paper

Nanosecond frame cameras

Alan Frank, Paul Wilkins

Proceedings Volume 4183, (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.424266

KEYWORDS: Cameras, Diodes, Microchannel plates, Charge-coupled devices, CCD cameras, Image resolution, Camera shutters, High speed photography, Sensors, Electrons

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Proceedings Article | 25 October 2000 Paper

High-energy laser pulse multiplexing into a fused silica fiber array

Alan Frank, Paul Wilkins, John Honig, Michael Moss, Calvin Gillespie

Proceedings Volume 4095, (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.405251

KEYWORDS: Fiber lasers, Neodymium lasers, Amplifiers, Multiplexing, Laser damage threshold, Optical amplifiers, Oscillators, Head, Pulsed laser operation, Connectors

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Proceedings Article | 28 May 1997 Paper

High-speed imaging of Raleigh-Taylor instabilities in laser-driven plates

Alan Frank, Calvin Gillespie, Wayne Trott

Proceedings Volume 2869, (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.273355

KEYWORDS: Cameras, Dye lasers, Optical lithography, Polarization, Beam splitters, Microscopes, Plasma, Spatial frequencies, Streak cameras, Laser energy

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We have previously reported our observations of the dynamic behavior of laser driven plates. Recent improvements and modification of the imaging techniques have identified and provided measurements of Raleigh-Taylor (R-T) instabilities that occur in these events. The microscope system in the LLNL Micro Detonics Facility, was converted to an epi- illuminated polarization configuration. A double pulse nanosecond illuminator and a second independently focusable frame camera were also added to the system. A laser driven plate, that is a dense solid driven by a laser heated, lower density plasma, is inherently R-T unstable. The characteristics and growth of the instability determine whether or not the plate remains intact. In earlier reports we correlated the surface patterning of thin plates with the fiber-optical transmission modes. In subsequent experiments we noted that the plasma burn through patterning in thin plates and the surface patterning of thicker plates did not correspond to the thin plate early time patterning. These observations led to the suspicion of R-T instability. A series of experiments correlating plate thickness and pattern spatial frequency has verified the instability. The plates are aluminum, deposited on the ends of optical fibers. They are launched by a YAG laser pulse traveling down the fiber. Plate velocities are several kilometers per second and characteristic dimensions of the instabilities are a few to tens of microns. Several techniques were used to examine the plates, the most successful being specularly reflecting polarization microscopy looking directly at the plate as it flies toward the camera. These images gave data on the spatial frequencies of the instabilities but could not give the amplitudes. To measure the amplitude of the instability a semi-transparent witness plate was placed a known distance from the plate. As above, the plate was observed using the polarization microscope but using the streak camera as the detector. Both the launch of the plate and its impact into the witness plate are observed on the streak record. Knowing the plate velocity function from earlier velocimetry measurements and observing the variations in the arrival time across the plate, the amplitude of the instability can be calculated.

Proceedings Article | 27 May 1996 Paper

Laser damage thresholds in fused silica structured light gratings

Alan Frank, Calvin Gillespie

Proceedings Volume 2714, (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.240388

KEYWORDS: Laser damage threshold, Microscopes, Silica, Optical filtering, Manufacturing, Video, Calibration, Holography, High power lasers, Structured light

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Proceedings Article | 14 October 1994 Paper

Stop-motion microphotography of laser-driven plates

Alan Frank, Wayne Trott

Proceedings Volume 2273, (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.189027

KEYWORDS: Objectives, Cameras, Aluminum, Plasma, Streak cameras, Spectroscopy, Pulsed laser operation, Dye lasers, Fiber lasers, Mercury

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Proceedings Article | 1 January 1993 Paper

Microphotography of shocks in crystals

Alan Frank

Proceedings Volume 1801, (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.145757

KEYWORDS: Crystals, Cameras, Photonic crystals, Streak cameras, Argon ion lasers, High speed photography, Dye lasers, Beam splitters, Photonics, Explosives

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Proceedings Article | 1 January 1992 Paper

Photography of shock waves in explosive crystals

Alan Frank, William Tao

Proceedings Volume 1539, (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.50556

KEYWORDS: Crystals, Photography, Cameras, High speed photography, Explosives, Argon ion lasers, Polarization, Streak cameras, Water, Photonic crystals

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Proceedings Article | 1 January 1991 Paper

Aluminum metal combustion in water revealed by high-speed microphotography

William Tao, Alan Frank, Rochelle Clements, Joseph Shepherd

Proceedings Volume 1346, (1991) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.23359

KEYWORDS: Aluminum, Combustion, Picosecond phenomena, Metals, Cameras, Streak cameras, Oxides, Gold, Explosives, Chemical reactions

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Showing 5 of 9 publications

SPIE Conference Volume | 11 April 2001

High-Speed Imaging and Sequence Analysis III

SPIE Conference Volume | 29 February 2000

High-Speed Imaging and Sequence Analysis II

SPIE Conference Volume | 17 May 1999

High-Speed Imaging and Sequence Analysis

SPIE Conference Volume | 17 May 1999

High-Speed Imaging and Sequence Analysis

Conference Committee Involvement (6)

Videometrics IX

29 January 2007 | San Jose, CA, United States

High Speed and Ultra High Speed Photography, Photonics, and Videography

7 August 2003 | San Diego, California, United States

High-Speed Imaging and Sequence Analysis III

22 January 2001 | San Jose, CA, United States

High-Speed Imaging and Sequence Analysis II

27 January 2000 | San Jose, CA, United States

High-Speed Imaging

29 January 1999 | San Jose, CA, United States

Showing 5 of 6 Conference Committees

Course Instructor

SC658: Challenges in Imaging for Data, Evidence & National Security

Imaging, the use of photographic techniques, has become an important tool for scientific data, legal evidence, and national security. Every phase of the photographic process alters the information carried within the image. In a time when image manipulation has become commonplace, it is a challenge to make an image record information that is scientifically and legally defensible. This course will explore the technical issues of imaging where accuracy, validity, and credibility are the key issues. This is a system survey, touching on all aspects of the process for both film and digital technologies including subject, lighting, camera, image analysis, and archiving. An overview of techniques for choosing and adjusting equipment appropriate for given tasks will be given. We will cover the visualization and recording of diverse subjects ranging from microscopic biological samples and crime scenes to issues in surveillance, reconnaissance, ordinance evaluation and target designation. Finally, we will discuss the challenges and techniques involved in establishing a chain of evidence essential for defensible information.

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