The Homeland Defense (HD) Digest is a curated bi-weekly news summary from worldwide sources, showing headlines of innovative, emerging technologies in HDIAC's eight focus areas.

HDIAC ANNOUNCEMENTS:

DoDIAC Webinars – Silicon Carbide Thyristor Development to Optimize High-Power System SWaP - HDIAC.org

Join HDIAC & the Defense Systems Information Analysis Center (DSIAC) on Tuesday, May 12, from 1200 to 1300 EDT for a live webinar presentation. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has funded the development of high-voltage silicon carbide (SiC) thyristors and diodes for pulsed power switching, culminating in the first-ever 1.0 cm², 15 kV SiC thyristor with n-type doping in the drift layer. N-type thyristors have been predicted to achieve faster switching speeds and lower switching losses, but were only recently realized following the development of novel fabrication techniques. These devices are targeted to reduce volume and increase reliability of switching components in pulsed high-energy systems. ARL and Texas Tech University characterized the first fabrication lot of these devices for high-voltage DC-blocking capability (<1 uA leakage at 15 kV), optimal turn-on controls (4 A gate pulse), and on-state resistance at high current densities (up to 3 kA/cm²). This presentation will report on recent analysis of the turn-on speed and dI/dt capability of the n-type SiC thyristors as compared to previously reported 15 kV SiC IGBTs and 15 kV p-doped SiC thyristors. Performance metrics will be described as power density vs. switching frequency and power transmitted vs. power dissipated within the device.

In Case You Missed It – HDIAC Webinars – Plug Into NREL’s Resilient CUBE - HDIAC.org

This webinar presents an overview of the NREL CUBE, a mobile and flexible hybrid power generation system that converts energy from different sources - solar panels, batteries, generators, and host grid power - into tactical electricity, improving the efficiency and reliability of power for the military's forward operating bases.  Validation tests have shown that the technology can achieve up to 30% savings in fuel use, thereby helping to reduce the number of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who are required to transport fuel across dangerous territory.

RECENT HEADLINES:

US Allows Use Of 1st Drug Shown To Help Virus Recovery - AP

U.S. regulators on Friday allowed emergency use of the first drug that appears to help some COVID-19 patients recover faster, a milestone in the global search for effective therapies against the coronavirus.

Apple and Google Show What Their Contact Tracing System Could Look Like - CNN

Apple and Google just provided a first look at how public health apps could use the coronavirus contact tracing software they are jointly developing.

Radiation Detecting Plastic Gets Ingredient To Stay In The Clear - Sandia Labs

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have identified a straightforward change to the formula for radiation-detecting plastic. The change prevents "fogging," which reduces the lifetime of the plastics used to detect nuclear material transiting through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's radiation detectors.

Is This New Potassium Metal Battery Design the Future of Energy Storage? - Rensselaer

From cell phones, to solar power, to electric cars, humanity is increasingly dependent on batteries. As demand for safe, efficient, and powerful energy storage continues to rise, so too does the call for promising alternatives to rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which have been the dominant technology in this space.

Dynamic Source Imaging the Brain - Carnegie Mellon University

New functional imaging technology dynamically maps a signal's source and underlying networks within the brain.

Space Force Is About to Start Collecting Applications from Airmen Looking to Transfer - Military.com

Air Force officers and enlisted personnel will be given the opportunity to apply to transfer directly into the U.S. Space Force next month.

Google Working on Biometric Smart Debit Card for Google Pay - Biometric Update

Google is working on proprietary physical and virtual debit cards linked to a bank account and connected to an app for fast online purchases, with a phone or card itself, TechCrunch claims after reviewing images obtained from an unidentified source.

Icelandic DNA Jigsaw-Puzzle Brings New Knowledge About Neanderthals - ScienceDaily

An international team of researchers has put together a new image of Neanderthals based on the genes Neanderthals left in the DNA of modern humans when they had children with them about 50,000 years ago. The researchers found the new information by trawling the genomes of more than 27,000 Icelanders. Among other things, they discovered that Neanderthal children had older mothers and younger fathers than the Homo-Sapien children in Africa did at the time.

We Simulated How a Modern Dust Bowl Would Impact Global Food Supplies and the Result Is Devastating - Homeland Security

When the southern Great Plains of the United States were blighted with a series of droughts in the 1930s, it had an unparalleled impact on the whole country. Combined with decades of ill-advised farming policy, the result was the Dust Bowl. Massive dust storms began in 1931 and devastated the country's major cereal producing areas. But what consequences would a disruption like the Dust Bowl have now, when the Great Plains of the U.S. are not just the breadbasket of America, but a major producer of staple cereals that are exported around the world?

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