Thread: Air Force Research Laboratory, Request for Information

The Air Force Research Laboratory has announced (https://beta.sam.gov/opp/1582820eeae64ae0a0b03c4f9e20799c/view) a Request for Information that is intended to help the Nuclear Explosion Monitoring program formulate plans to carry out a broad range of coordinated fundamental and advanced research that will accelerate development of decisive mission capabilities in geospace awareness through development of new algorithms to process data from seismic Distributed Acoustic Sensing systems to detect, identify, and track rapidly evolving and emerging threats from underground nuclear tests. Seismic DAS is defined as use of a fiber optic cable as an array of thousands or tens of thousands of virtual strain or strain rate sensors to acquire seismic measurements at densities several orders of magnitude greater than systems currently used in seismic event monitoring. Currently, many DAS systems rely on phase-sensitive Optical Time Domain Reflectometry of Rayleigh Back Scattering, but the scope of this research extends to processing ultra-high density seismic measurements from any fiber-optic cable data acquisition technology that might be developed while this research is carried out. Priority will be given to research, in categories described in the Request for Information, that has the most promise for assessing and improving seismic event detection and characterization. A potential lead offeror might submit an response for a coordinating role leveraging prior arrangements with several potential subcontractors. A response might describe coordinating activities intended to foster wide expertise and a collaborative approach to delivering transformative capabilities in nuclear explosion monitoring. Researchers who may be interested in partnering with the Air Force to execute the envisioned research are encouraged to read the full announcements, inquire with staff members named in the announcements for discussion and clarification, and submit a response before 30 July 2020, in the format and by the means specified in the announcement.