REU Student: Jan Smits, Mentor R. Wincheski

The long term goal of our research is aimed at the development of a sensor capable of detecting cracks in the structures of aerospace vehicles. Particular points of interest are airframes and wing structures where plates join together and overlap in a riveted joint. These cracks can lead to the failure of these joints. Current sensors can detect cracks on the surface but have a difficult time penetrating into deeper depths where these potentially lethal cracks can develop. Development and incorporation of a sensor with tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) effects of a ferromagnet - insulator - ferromagnet compound for a small and inexpensive hand held sensor would prove to be very effective in finding these cracked rivet joints.