Thermal Technologies

Mission

The Mission of Thermal Technologies Area is to develop a physics-based understanding of the effects of directed energy weapons, high speed flight, and atmospheric reentry on materials and aerospace structures.

Core Competencies

Core competencies include solid state physics, aerodynamics, heat transfer, chemistry, fluid flow, and visible and IR radiation sensor design

Current Research Thrusts Include:

• Directed Energy Weapon Lethality

- Sponsors: Navy, Air Force, Army, Joint Technology Office

- Objectives: Obtain effects data and develop modeling and simulation skills to analyze military and infrastructure targets.


• Modeling of Hypervelocity Flow around Reentering Bodies

- Sponsors: Navy, Air Force, Army, Joint Technology Office

- Objectives: Design of new reentry concepts.


• Laser Simulation of Severe Thermal Environments

- Sponsors: Navy, Air Force, Army, NASA

- Objectives: Test and evaluate new radome materials and solve material failure issues on aerospace vehicles.



Area Leadership

Dr. William Laughlin

The Thermal Technologies Area is led by Dr. William T Laughlin. Dr. Laughlin is a senior staff member at Physical Sciences with over 37 years of experience in the interaction of laser radiation with materials as well as the application of those effects to understand the vulnerability of aerospace targets to laser radiation, and the use of high power lasers to simulate other severe thermal environments.

William T. Laughlin Physical Sciences Inc. 20 New England Business Center Andover, MA 01810-1077 Telephone: (978) 689-0003 Fax: (978) 689-3232 laughlin@psicorp.com

 

 

Thermal Technologies Publications		Systems Enterprise In-House Optical Sensor Calibration Facilities