Limbach Research Group

People

LDPDL Group Spring 2021

LDPDL Group Spring 2021

 

LDPDL Group

Full ALLEMO and NAL group picture, spring 2021. Students in this picture include those advised by Dr. Limbach, Dr. Miles, Dr. Bowersox, Dr. Tichenor, and Dr. North (chemistry)

 

LDPDL Group Spring 2021 inside the new ALLEMO lab

LDPDL Group Spring 2021 inside the new ALLEMO lab

 

Full ALLEMO and NAL group picture, summer 2019. Students in this picture include those advised by Dr. Limbach, Dr. Miles, Dr. Bowersox, Dr. Tichenor, and Dr. North (chemistry)

 

weather

Faculty

Christopher Limbach

Research Assistant Professor, Aerospace Engineering Department, University of Michigan

climbach@tamu.edu

(979) 845-1153

Professor Limbach is director of the Laser Diagnostics and Plasma Devices Lab (LDPDL) at Texas A&M University. He obtained B.S. degrees in Engineering Physics and Astronomy from the University of Arizona in 2009 and a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University in 2015. Before coming to Texas A&M, Prof. Limbach was a research scientist at Colorado State University where he studied novel laser plasma sources and techniques for gas and multiphase combustion ignition. At Texas A&M he has been leading the development of advanced, non-intrusive laser diagnostic techniques for measuring plasma parameters and species composition in dissociated, ionized and non-equilibrium flows with applications to ground test facilities, propulsion, plasma science and plasma chemical processing. He is also leading investigations of gas, plasma and liquid phase transport phenomena with applications to two-phase flows, sprays, aerosol science, and droplet combustion. In 2022, he left Texas A&M and is currently working as an assistant professor in the aerospace engineering department at the University of Michigan.

Curriculum Vitae

PhD Students

Boris Leonov

PhD Student, Aerospace Engineering Department, SMART Scholar
bleonov@tamu.edu

Boris Leonov received his Bachelors degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University in 2018. Since joining LDPDL, Boris has worked on a laser diagnostic system based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for heavily dust-laden flows. Currently, Boris is working on advanced laser diagnostic approaches based on injection-seeding of an optical parametric oscillator (OPO), with applications to plasma propulsion and hypersonic ground test and evaluation. Boris was recently awarded the SMART fellowship and will be collaborating with the Navy throughout the final years of his PhD.

Madison Hetlage

PhD Student, Aerospace Engineering Department, NSTGRO Fellow
mhetlage@tamu.edu

Madison (Maddie) Hetlage received her Bachelors degree in Aerospace Engineering from Notre Dame and was the recipient of the Sigma Gamma Tau National Undergraduate Award in 2018. Since joining LDPDL, Maddie has been investigating a new technique for rapid atmospheric profiling of humidity, temperature, and velocity using LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR). The new approach is based on an optically pumped barium vapor filter for filtering of Rayleigh backscattered light. Through a combination of experiment and modeling, this technique is being developed for future applications to airborne supersonic LIDAR, air-data and ground test. In 2020, Maddie received the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities Fellowship.

 

Robert Randolph

PhD Student, Aerospace Engineering Department

rtr57@tamu.edu

Robert Randolph received his Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rutgers University in 2019 and his Masters of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M in 2021 while working with the Optical Probing and Manipulation group. Since joining LDPDL in 2022, he has been working towards LIF measurements of a supersonic Rubidium vapor jet in a vacuum environment. This is part of a larger project in coupling a neutral particle beam with a laser beam as a method of self-guided beamed propulsion for deep space missions.

Masters Students

Undergraduate Students

Former Students

Yue Wu

Former Post-Doctoral Researcher, Aerospace Engineering Department
yuewu@tamu.edu

Dr. Yue Wu received his doctoral degree at the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) in 2015, with his thesis focusing on development of radar detected resonant enhanced multi-photon ionization (REMPI) diagnostic for methyl radical, ethylene and molecular oxygen. After spending two years as a postdoctoral researcher at UTK following his doctorate, Yue arrived at Texas A&M University in early fall 2017. At LDPDL Dr. Wu has pursued detailed studies of laser-generated plasmas for diagnostic and flow control applications, especially breakdown and hydrodynamics under low pressure conditions. His research has also involved optical diagnostics and aero-optical properties of non-equilibrium gases generated by nanosecond discharges. He is now employed at a research scientist at Metro Laser.

Atulya Kumar

Former Master’s Student, Aerospace Engineering Department

Atulya Kumar received his Bachelors of Technology (B Tech) in Mechanical Engineering from the Amrita School of Technology Science in 2016. After graduation, he served as a project engineer at the Laboratory for Hypersonics and Shock Wave Research at the Indian Institute of Science working on gas dynamics of combustion driven shock tubes. Having arrived at Texas A&M in June 2019, Atulya is currently a master’s student at LDPDL studying the interaction of laser-generated plasmas with small particles and droplets with applications to diagnostics, remote sensing, combustion ignition, mixing and flame-holding. For this work, Atulya has constructed and operated an electrodynamic balance (EDB), allowing electrical levitation of single metal and dielectric particles and droplets of water and hydrocarbon fuels. High speed microscopy, spectroscopy and advanced laser diagnostics are applied towards quantitative understanding of the multi-phase interaction with high spatiotemporal resolution. He is continuing his education as a PhD student at the University of Luxembourg.

Frisco Koelling

Former Master’s Student, Aerospace Engineering Department

Frisco joined LDPDL in summer 2018. As an undergraduate research assistant, he researched laser-generated plasmas using a diagnostic known as two-color interferometry and developed a powerful least-squares method for analysis of phase map data for extraction of plasma parameters. He has also demonstrated plasma measurements near the surface of a liquid droplet. After completing his bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M in spring 2020, Frisco continued his tenure in the lab as a master’s student. During his master’s degree, Frisco worked on burst mode filtered Rayleigh measurements inside the NAL’s new hypervelocity expansion tunnel (HXT). He is now employed at Lockheed Martin.

Grant Erickson

Former Master’s Student, Aerospace Engineering Department

Grant joined the lab as an undergraduate researcher in the summer of 2020, and, after graduating with his bachelor’s degree in Aerospace engineering from Texas A&M in December 2020, he became a full time member as a master’s student. During his tenure in the LDPDL, Grant has been working on the Ballistic, Aero-optics, and Materials (Mini BAM) facility located in the ALLEMO facility. As an undergraduate, he developed a software package to calculate laser wavefront distortions via a Shack-Hartman sensor installed in the facility, as well as developed a computer simulation of the laser propagation through Mini BAM. As a graduate student, Grant has led the empirical testing within this facility with the hopes of validating newly developed laser and turbulence interaction models. Also as an undergraduate, prior to joining our group, Grant worked at the Advanced Vertical Flight Lab at Texas A&M developing novel MAV’s! Grant is currently employed as a controls research engineer at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center.

Rohan Jillapalli

Masters of Engineering Student, Department of Aerospace Engineering

rdjillapalli@tamu.edu

Rohan joined the lab in the spring of 2020 as an undergraduate researcher where he contributed heavily to the self-guided beamed propulsion concept. In addition to assisting Hayden with the experimental characterization of the rubidium jet source, Rohan also modeled the spatial and frequency dependence of the ionization of a rubidium atom beam through multiphoton ionization of two counter-propogating lasers as it pertains to an accelerating scientific spacecraft and a near earth beam transmitter. This latter work was implemented into a undergraduate thesis. During his time as a graduate student, Rohan has developed and worked toward the characterization of a supersonic rubidium source for this project.

Eric Comstock

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Department of Aerospace Engineering
Eric joined the lab as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the spring of 2022, and is currently assisting with the self-guided beamed propulsion concept. His main focus has been the development of a theoretical model of the expected absorption spectra, which incorporates both the geometry of the apparatus and the flow behavior of the rubidium beam through the apparatus.

Hayden Morgan

Former Master’s Student, Aerospace Engineering Department, NSTGRO Fellow

Hayden received his Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Cincinnati in 2019. In 2020, he received the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities Fellowship. During his graduate work, Hayden worked on design and commissioning of an ultra-high vacuum facility for studying optical interactions between co-propagating laser-cooled particle beams and laser beams. The objective of this work is the development of a self-guided beamed propulsion concept for high-velocity missions to the outer planets and even the nearest star systems. After graduation in Dec 2021, Hayden joined the team at ABL space systems as a hardware development engineer.

NASA Project Description: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2019_Phase_I_Phase_II/Self_Guided_Beamed_Propulsion/

William Hodges

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Aerospace Engineering Department

William joined LDPDL in summer 2019 and has been working on the development of a rubidium supersonic jet source. William initially focused on the integration of thermocouples and cartridge heaters into the jet source and remote control of the source through NI Labview. More recently, William has developed a theoretical model of a supersonic throat of the rubidium jet source as a continuum flow. This model, combined with one developed by Hayden of the free molecular flow regime, will enable a better understanding of the flow field of a particle source expanding into a vacuum.

Julian Reidenauer

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Department of Aerospace Engineering

Julian joined the lab in fall of 2020. His research has focused on the development of beam propagation models, the characterization of atmospheric turbulence, and the relationship between these two phenomena. This research is intended to provide reference data for further research and experimentation with beam propagation through atmospheric disturbances being conducted at the Subscale Atmospheric Facility (SAF).

Nicholas Manavi

Former Undergraduate Research Assistant, Aerospace Engineering Department

Nicholas joined the LDPDL in spring of 2020. His research focused on the design of a turbulence generator for the new Ballistic, Aero-optics, and Materials (Mini BAM) facility. This facility, which will be located in the ALLEMO, is the precursor to a one-kilometer long above-ground tunnel (BAM) located at Texas A&M’s Rellis Campus. Both tunnels will investigate the propagation of high-intensity lasers through varying atmospheric conditions.

Diego Morales

Former Undergraduate Research Assistant, Aerospace Engineering Department

Diego joined LDPDL in summer 2018 and first worked on simulations of laser propagation through free space and inhomogeneous media. This project centers on understanding the capabilities of collimated particle jets for focusing and guiding lasers through space, with applications to propulsion and communications. Later, Diego assisted with the design of the beam propagation section and beam dump for experiments on cold rubidium particle beams.

After graduating, Diego joined the team at Blue Origin as a manufacturing engineer.

Pierce Hauver

Former Undergraduate Research Assistant, Aerospace Engineering Department

Pierce joined the group in 2018 and first worked on the fabrication of a barium atomic vapor filter for LIDAR applications. As part of this effort, Pierce designed, fabricated, and tested a unique fusing apparatus for assembling sapphire vapor cells containing vacuum-sealed elemental barium. The cells are sealed by non-contact heating with an induction heater and proprietary glass frit binder. In his later involvement with the lab, Pierce investigated laser-generated breakdown at high temperatures.

Jay Patel

Former Undergraduate Research Assistant, Aerospace Engineering Department

Jay previously worked on understanding how atmospheric variations affect sonic boom loudness across the continental united states. For this work, Jay compiled and analyzed an extensive dataset of numerical weather modeling and balloon soundings using publicly available sources.

After graduation in the spring of 2020, Jay continued his TAMU education as a master’s student in Dr. Helen Reed’s lab.

 

Nikita Beebe

Former Undergraduate Research Assistant, Aerospace Engineering Department

Nikita is developed a pulsed plasma source for laser diagnostic development and small satellite applications. As part of this effort, significant improvements of the current ultra-high vacuum system were made, including the incorporation of electric and gas feedthroughs for thruster operation.

After graduation in the spring of 2020, Nikita continued her TAMU education as a master’s student in Dr. Greg Chamitoff’s lab.

Eunyoung Kim

Former Undergraduate Research Assistant

Eunyoung previously worked on development of an automated software tool for assembling an input file for the sonic boom propagation code sBOOM. This work streamlined the integration of weather data, balloon soundings, and synthetic LIDAR measurements with sBOOM and the loudness calculation tool PyLdB.