Concise guides to the physics and engineering topics we work with every day. Each article covers the fundamentals and points to authoritative references for deeper study.
How ionizing radiation damages electronics through total ionizing dose, displacement damage, and single event effects.
RadiationTest types, key standards (MIL-STD-883, ESCC), and what a radiation test campaign involves from planning through analysis.
TestingElectromagnetic interference vs. compatibility, coupling paths, and basic mitigation approaches for system designers.
EMI/EMCThe regulatory landscape (FCC, CE, MIL-STD-461), emissions vs. susceptibility testing, and pre-compliance strategies.
TestingWhat EMP is, the three HEMP components (E1, E2, E3), system coupling, and protection approaches.
EMPBeer-Lambert law, interaction mechanisms, mass attenuation coefficients, and an interactive calculator using NIST XCOM data.
Calculator IncludedRemoval cross-section method, material selection for fast neutrons, layered shield design, and fusion neutron considerations.
ShieldingDose quantities, conversion coefficients, and the ICRP-116 framework for relating particle fluence to biological dose.
Calculator IncludedAtomic structure, photon-matter interactions, plasma fundamentals (Debye length, plasma frequency), and where plasmas appear.
PhysicsWhat spectrometers do, types (grating, crystal, filter-based), key design tradeoffs, and applications across the spectrum.
InstrumentationWhat HED physics is, how extreme conditions are created, what can be measured, and applications from fusion to astrophysics.
Physics