Resume of Thomas M Crawford
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Honors:
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Continuing education and short courses including:
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Voltage Optics (6/2013 to present)
Principal Investigator & Business Owner - Physics Based Modeling, EO Sensor Development
Voltage Optics researches and develops novel sensors and systems, develops physics based models for analysis and modeling, and pursues consulting and contract employment opportunities. Currently exploring needs for energy industry including electromagnetic pulse (EMP) detection and mitigation and studying potential countermeasures against video surveillance.
Unnamed Government Contractor (name and some details withheld for security reasons) (11/1999 to present)
Senior Principal Systems Engineer - Technical lead & principal investigator in systems & sensor subsystems, physics based modeling & analysis
Highly interdisciplinary experience focused on missile defense, space situational awareness, and other space related programs; some minor work in laser weapons and LADAR. Participated in developing new programs on small interdisciplinary teams. Built considerable working knowledge of the whole system by providing my expertise to and interacting with engineers from other disciplines (Systems, System Architecture, GNC (Guidance, Navigation, & Control), Optics, Electrical, Discrimination, Propulsion, Mechanical, Aeronautical). Lead small electro-optical (EO) teams, developed physics based models for trade studies and design, analyzed EO and IR seekers, developed radiometric models to calculate effects on optics and determine IR signatures of various threats, studied countermeasure concepts, invented technologies for missile defense and hypervelocity sensors. Participated in writing and developing proposals, white papers, and customer briefings. Technical depth is in physical optics and electro-optical sensors and includes expertise in nuclear radiation effects, radiometry, laser physics, hypervelocity physics, orbital mechanics, and other related fields. (For some potential customers, more details and security clearance information can be provided.)
Specific activities:
- Led conceptual designs of sensors and seekers for various space and missile defense programs.
- Conceived and invented hypervelocity impact sensors to measure various target properties during collisions for kill assessment of missile defense kill vehicles (KVs).
- Analyzed and modeled nuclear weapons effects on seeker and sensor optics, and space radiation effects on solar collectors.
- Modeled LADAR and Target Illuminator (TILL) for power vs range trades.
- Developed systems level single shot probability of kill (Pssk) and radiometric error trees for requirements flow down, and jitter error trees for a laser weapon proposal.
- Wrote and developed physics and electro-optical based models for dome heating, noise and NEI, minimum detectable target irradiance, and target acquisition range calculations for both endo- and exo-atmospheric applications.
- Conceived and demonstrated algorithms for detecting and characterizing closely spaced objects, threat orientation, and plume-to-hardbody handover.
- Wrote numerical models for analyzing threat orbits and trajectories, atmospheric optics, hypersonic heating and drag, and hypervelocity collisions effects.
- Developed optical physics/radiometric models, analyzed various missile defense threats including IR, visible, and LADAR threat signatures and their evolution during the course of a threat's trajectory (boost, ascent, midcourse, re-entry).
Optical Physics Technologies & Voltage Optics International, Idaho Falls, ID (4/1998 to 11/1999)
Physicist & Engineering Consultant, Business Owner - Optical sensors and instrumentation
Collaborated in spin-out activities related to electro-optic high voltage sensor technology from the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Conceptualized whole-field imaging techniques for civil engineering applications. Provided EO sensor expertise for industrial sensing applications. Provided strategic information to a team of companies bidding on the Department of Energy's INL management and operations contract. Contributed to various SBIR proposals. Reviewed SBIR proposals for the National Science Foundation.
Idaho National Laboratory (Department of Energy), Idaho Falls, ID (7/1990 to 4/1998)
Advisory Scientist & Principal Investigator - Nuclear, chemical, & biological weapons nonproliferation, optical remote sensing and imaging, EO sensors
Served as the Principal Investigator, lead small teams, and provided senior level technical expertise for programs in optical remote sensing, optical communications, and long-distance optical imaging for arms control, nuclear and chemical weapons proliferation, and industrial sensing applications. Researched, developed, designed, and constructed laser and optical sensors for these applications. Invented sensors for high voltage sensing and for chemical sniffing. Awarded a 1998 R&D 100 Award on the EOHV sensor technology by R&D Magazine. Wrote proposals, brought in all funding for myself and my team of other scientists.
NASA White Sands Test Facility, Las Cruces, NM (9/1988 to 7/1990)
Principal Scientist & Principal Investigator - Hypervelocity Instrumentation, Sensor Development, Metrology
Instrumented a two-stage light gas gun for NASA's hypervelocity studies. Designed, developed, and demonstrated a laser intervalometer and other optical instrumentation for this facility. These methods are still used by NASA in their hypervelocity studies. Successfully measured 7 km/sec hypervelocity projectiles. Studied hypervelocity collision effects. Developed shock tube methods for dynamically characterizing rise time of piezoelectric pressure transducers. Developed a user calibration technique for the machine shop.
Hughes Electro-Optic & Data Systems Group. Albuquerque, NM. (9/1986 to 8/1988)
Staff Physicist - Missile Defense Technologies, Non-Conventional Imaging, High Power Microwave
Designed, developed, and demonstrated methods of imaging simulated rocket plumes for missile defense algorithm testing. Analyzed non-conventional optical and radar imaging including various optical and microwave phased array systems. Engineered methods of dumping high-energy laser beams for a proposed free electron laser program. Performed analysis, developed optical analogies, and designed preliminary experiments for high power microwave projects.
Litton Guidance & Control Systems Division. Woodland Hills, CA. (11/1979 to 9/1986)
Senior Engineer - Experimental Ring Laser Gyroscope Development, Laser, Optical Thin Films, & Nuclear Weapons Effects Characterization
Experimentally and analytically studied ring laser gyroscope (RLG) cavity physics and the effects of intracavity birefringence, optical activity, and Faraday rotation on its polarization states. Designed and conducted experiments for studying the real time radiation effects of gamma, UV, and lasers on ultra-low loss laser optics. Conducted experiments studying nuclear weapons effects on the RLG. Conducted experiments to measure the effects of various parameters on laser finesse, loss, output, and backscatter. Designed and developed laboratory equipment for characterizing ultra-low loss optical thin films and ultra-high reflectance laser mirrors. Invented and patented a pulsed, tunable ringdown cavity decay time mirror reflectometer for characterizing ultra-low loss mirrors in real time. Developed computer codes to model optical thin films and optimize RLG mirror designs. Designed, constructed, aligned, and filled gas RLG lasers for experiments.
University of Virginia, Department of Physics. Charlottesville, VA. (2/1979 to 11/1979)
Physics Research Associate - Nuclear Sensors, X-Ray Instrumentation, Sensor Development
Experimentally developed and constructed multiwire proportional chambers and other hardware for an X-ray diffractometer system.
NATIONAL ENGINEERING AWARD
T. M. Crawford, J. R. Davidson, G. D. Seifert, 1998 R&D 100 Award - Electro-Optic High Voltage Sensor. Awarded by R&D Magazine for being one of 1998's Top 100 Technical Developments. Awarded September 1998.
PATENTS
R. J. Wright , J. G. Sierchio, W. R. Owens, T. M. Crawford, M. E. Calkins Jr., Hypervelocity Impact Sensor. Raytheon Patent Pending R-RMS13-5422.
J. G. Sierchio, R. J. Wright , T. M. Crawford, Long Range KV-to-KV Communications to inform target selection of follower KVs. Raytheon Patent Pending R-RMS13-4933.
R. G. Brosch, D. S. Williams, K. P. Pflibsen, T. M. Crawford, R. G. Brosch, Enhanced Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV) Interceptor for Intercepting Exo and Endo-Atmospheric Targets, US Patent 8084724, December 27, 2011.
D. Williams, K. Pflibsen, T. M. Crawford, Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV) Interceptor and Method for Intercepting Exo- and Endo-Atmospheric Targets, US Patent 7494089, Februrary 24, 2009.
G. K. Woods, T. W. Renak, J. R. Davidson, T. M. Crawford, Electro-Optic Voltage Sensor with Beam Splitting, US Patent 6492800, December 10, 2002.
J. R. Davidson, T. M. Crawford, G. D. Seifert, Electro-Optic Voltage Sensor for Sensing Voltage in an E-Field, US Patent 6362615 B1, Mar 26, 2002.
J. M. Slater, T. M. Crawford, & D. A. Frickey, Apparatus Configured for Identification of a Material and Method of Identifying a Material, US Patent 6225630 B1, May 1, 2001.
G. K. Woods, T. W. Renak, T. M. Crawford, & J .R. Davidson, Electro-Optic Sensor with Multiple Beam Splitting, US Patent 6124706, September 26, 2000.
J. M. Slater & T. M. Crawford, Method and Apparatus Configured for Identification of a Material, US Patent 6069702, May 30, 2000.
T. M. Crawford, J. R. Davidson, & G. K. Woods, Electro-Optic Voltage Sensor Head, US Patent 5939711, August 17, 1999.
S. N. Jabr & T. M. Crawford, Method and Apparatus for Measuring the Losses of an Optical Cavity, US Patent 4793709, December 27, 1988.
Have 7 more inventions related to KVs and hypervelocity collisions which are currently in the patenting process. Titles are witheld currently for proprietary reasons.
Have also had several proprietary Trade Secret inventions over my career.
PUBLICATIONS & CONFERENCE PAPERS
T. M. Crawford, J. G. Sierchio, R. J. Wright, "Hypervelocity Penetrating Sensors for Target Characterization", Technology Day 2015, (July 2015).
T. M. Crawford, "AWL / NCADE Extended Waveband Seeker", 2013 MMSTN Electromagnetic Materials Workshop (November 2013).
T. M. Crawford & R. Gidseg, "Airborne Weapons Layer NCADE Dual Mode Seeker", 2013 MEOSTN Annual Symposium (May 2013).
T. M. Crawford, "Early Determination of Closely Spaced Objects", 2010 MEOSTN Annual Symposium (May 2010). Award for one of best papers.
T. M. Crawford & J. H. Thomason, "Successful NCADE Seeker Flight Test", 2008 EOSTN Annual Symposium (June 2008).
T. M. Crawford & M. G. Asher, "NCADE System Performance Against Asymmetric Threats", 2006 EOSTN Annual Symposium (May 2006).
T. M. Crawford, "Feasibility of Using a Modified AIM-9X Seeker for Missile Defense Applications", Joint EO/RF STN Annual Symposium, (May 2005).
D. S. Williams and T. M. Crawford, "Sensor and system design for multiple miniature kill vehicles (MKVs) on a single booster", 2004 EOSTN Annual Symposium, (May 2004).
T. M. Crawford, "The Faraday Anomalous Dispersion Optical Filter - a Tutorial", 2002 EOSTN Annual Symposium, (May 2002).
T. M. Crawford, J. R. Davidson, G. D. Seifert, "Electro-Optic High Voltage Sensor", Research and Development, Vol. 40 No. 10, p. 175 (September 1998) - pertains to R&D 100 Award.
T. M. Crawford, "Laser Measurement of Hypervelocity Projectiles", NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 21, No. 8, p. 19 (August 1997). Also Technical Support Package MSC-21821 available through http://www.nasatech.com under the Physical Sciences category.
T. M. Crawford and R. K. Albano, "Novel Fringe Scanning/Fourier Transform Method of Synthetic Imaging", Digital Image Recovery and Synthesis II (SPIE Vol. 2029), p. 177 (1993).
T. M. Crawford, "Enhancing Productivity Through User Calibration", Proceedings of the 1990 NASA Metrology Workshop (1990).
T. M. Crawford, "Error Sources in the 'Ring Down' Optical Cavity Decay Time Mirror Reflectometer", Proceedings of the 1985 Southwest Conference on Optics (SPIE Vol. 540), p. 295 (1985).
S. N. Jabr and T. M. Crawford, "Wavelength Tunable Mirror Loss Measurement Technique", presented to the 1984 Optical Society of America annual meeting, Optics News, Vol. 10, No. 5, p. 97, Abstract FT1 (1984).
©2016 by Thomas M Crawford - All Rights Reserved