Rocket Plume Cratering on the Lunar Regolith
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Florida Tech is seeking a highly-motivated, well-qualified student for a graduate assistant position leading to a Ph.D. degree in aerospace engineering. This position is funded by the NASA Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Research (LASER) program.
This project is devoted to developing a novel, integrated theoretical and numerical framework for characterizing the interaction between the rocket plume of a landing or launching lunar vehicle and the regolith. Describing this phenomenon requires extensive and detailed physical modeling of material properties, chemical reactions, particle dynamics, turbulent flow, and thermal and mechanical stresses. The goal is to create a unique modeling tool that simulates how craters may form beneath a lunar lander and to determine an accurate boundary condition that describes how dust and debris are ejected from and blasted across the surface. The Ph.D. candidate will develop and implement numerical algorithms suitable to describe non-continuum gas motion, coupling them with Large Eddy Simulation (LES) algorithms that describe the continuum regime. The student will also validate simulation results with data supplied by NASA.
The anticipated start date is either August 2008 or January 2009, depending on the arrival of the funding award. The selected Ph.D. student will have already earned a Masters degree (or equivalent) in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or other closely related field. The student must have a comprehensive background in mathematics and compressible fluid mechanics, possess strong programming skills (preferably in C/C++ or FORTRAN), and have a basic familiarity with computational modeling. Having good writing skills is also desired. The selected student will be eligible for full tuition benefits and a stipend. In addition to conducting research, the student’s duties will also include teaching an undergraduate laboratory section or other similar responsibility. Interested students should forward a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and an advance (unofficial) copy of graduate and undergraduate transcripts to:
Dr. Mark Archambault
Florida Institute of Technology
Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
150 W. University Blvd.
Melbourne, FL 32901
marchamb@fit.edu
Any offer of funding for this position is contingent upon the student’s successful admission into Florida Tech and the department’s aerospace engineering Ph.D. program.
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