Plasmas - Hanquist Group - Purdue University

Low-temperature plasmas play a critical role in advancing hypersonic flight and reentry technologies. At extreme speeds, gas surrounding a vehicle becomes ionized, leading to unique challenges in aerothermodynamics, thermal protection, and communications. Our research explores the use of low-temperature plasmas to better understand and control these phenomena—ranging from modeling and characterizing nonequilibrium chemical kinetics to developing plasma-based flow control and mitigation strategies. By combining high-fidelity simulations with experimental insights, we aim to uncover how plasmas can be harnessed to improve performance, enhance survivability, and enable the next generation of hypersonic systems.