BEN W. LONGMIER

Graduate Student, Engineering Physics Department

Education

BS 2004, Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, Physics, University of Wisconsin - Madison

PhD expected 2007, Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Research Interests

• Neutralization of electric propulsion devices
• Electrostatic thrusters
• Hall thrusters
• Plasma sheath physics
• Human and robotic spaceflight

Academic Background

Ben holds B.S degrees in Nuclear Engineering and Physics from the University of Wisconsin , Madison . Currently, Ben is a research assistant at UW-Madison and is working on his doctorate in Engineering Physics. Along with his advisor, Professor Noah Hershkowitz, Ben has created a prototype electron emission device that has the promise of supplementing/replacing hollow cathode technology that is currently employed in spacecraft ion thrusters and industrial ion beam sources. Ben has worked at such places as the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he used radiation hydrodynamics codes to simulate inertialy confined fusion experiments, and at the University of Wisconsin Madison as an undergraduate researcher where he worked with helicon and inductively coupled plasma diagnostics, and thin film superconductors.

Interesting Sites

Noah Hershkowitz

Richard Hofer's EP site

Ion Propulsion at NASA Glenn

UW Resources from Space course