The Koo Research Group conducted advanced micro-CT experiments at LBNL's Advanced Light Source and delivered multiple presentations at the NSMMS in June, with notable recognition for their research on ablative materials
In early June, the Koo Research Group from the University of Texas at Austin made their fourth visit to the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The team included Professor Joseph H. Koo, lab manager Ben Rech, lab advisor Dr. Hao Wu, graduate research assistants Steven Kim, Samantha Bernstein, and Remy Feru, and undergraduate research assistant Akshar Mashruwala.
Guided by Dr. Dula Parkinson at ALS Beamline 8.3.2, the group conducted compressive micro-CT and pyrolysis micro-CT analyses on low-density flexible ablative materials. These experiments aimed to observe microstructural changes in the materials under compression and pyrolysis. The data collected will enhance the understanding of ablative materials' behavior under stress and high temperatures, crucial for aerospace applications.
Later in June, the group attended the National Space and Missile Materials Symposium (NSMMS) in Madison, WI, from June 24th to 27th. The attendees were Professor Joseph H. Koo, lab manager Ben Rech, recent PhD graduate Colin Yee, graduate research assistants Samantha Bernstein, Steven Kim, and Remy Feru, and undergraduate research assistant Akshar Mashruwala.
The Koo Research Group delivered ten oral presentations and presented five posters on their research. Notably, Remy Feru won second place in the Student Excellence Award for his presentation on "Photogrammetry Methods to Measure Transient Surface Recession of Ablative Materials During Aerothermal Testing." The conference provided an excellent platform for presenting their work and networking with experts in thermal protection systems and ablative materials.
