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November 7, 2022: James Michael, Iowa State University, 4:00 pm in 100 McBryde Hall, "Characterizing Non-Equilibrium in Plasma and Combustion Systems"

  • 4:00 p.m.
  • 100 McBryde Hall 
  • James Michael, Iowa State University
  • Faculty Host: Dr. Gregory Young

Abstract:  Temperature is a key property in reacting systems, controlling thermal feedback, phase change, chemical kinetic pathways, and heat release rates. However, in many high-speed systems or systems interacting with electric fields, non-equilibrium between different internal energy modes (electronic, vibrational, rotational) can be important. Examples include reacting boundary layers in hypersonic flight, low-temperature plasma systems, and electric-field or plasma assisted combustion. In such systems, spectroscopic methods which resolve the electronic, rotational, and vibrational energy distributions of atoms and molecules inform important mechanisms. Recent work on using emission and absorption spectroscopy, ultrafast CARS, and other methods will be discussed. Applications include plasma-assisted combustion, microwave modification of solid propellant burning rate, and small scale detonations.

Bio:  James Michael is Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University. His research focuses on developing and applying novel optical and spectroscopic tools to study multiphase reacting systems. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (2012) and his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park (2007). He has been involved in the development of novel techniques including seedless molecular flow tagging velocimetry (FLEET), and the application of ultrafast CARS to study non- equilibrium systems. Recently, his group has been supported by sponsored projects from ONR, AFOSR, DTRA, ARL, NSF, and DOJ. Current research topics include the development of absorption thermometry for post-detonation environments, the study of fuel spray physics for unmanned aerial system propulsion, and both condensed- and gas-phase detonation phenomena.

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