Application of Optical Fibers to DNA's Testing Program.

Abstract

Abstract : Recent advances in the field of fiber optics communications and the development of fiber optic cabling systems represent a technological breakthrough that offers significant advantages over conventional coaxial cabling systems. The advantages of fiber optic systems include lightweight, wide bandwidth, freedom from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and groundloops, and immunity to crosstalk and short circuit loading. Different applications capitalize on those advantages most attractive to the user. The application of fiber optics to nuclear weapons effects tests sponsored by the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) is the topic of this report. Since 1977, experiments utilizing fiber optics have been fielded in underground nuclear tests. Early applications involved experiments designed to characterize fibers in the underground testing environment. The success of these early measurements has developed confidence in fibers to the point of fielding non-redundant fiber optic links, thus, taking full advantage of their useful characteristics. The encouraging results of testing fiber optic systems to date certainly justifies the continued interest in their use in underground nuclear testing and other applications involving severe environments. The all-dielectric construction of fiber cables makes them lightweight and eliminates many grounding and shielding problems. The wide bandwidth of the fibers enhances the multiplexing capabilities making it possible to reduce the total number of cables.