Research Website: Shock and Gas Dynamics Laboratory

Curriculum Vita: Dr. Michael Hargather CV

Research

schlieren image of explosionDr. Hargather's research group, the NMT Shock and Gas Dynamics Laboratory (SGDL), performs research on a variety of thermal-fluid dynamics topics while educating graduate and undergraduate students. Dr. Hargather's research philosophy is to perform high-quality, cutting-edge research while educating students in the research process, including the design of experiments, data collection and analysis, research sponsor interaction and technical writing.

The research focus of the SGDL is experimental thermal-fluid dynamics with specialties in optical flow diagnostics. Optical techniques including schlieren and shadowgraphy are prominent tools of this experimental lab and are applied to studying high-speed gas dynamics, characterization of explosives and energetic materials, and thermal-fluid flow problems, as exemplified by the schlieren image of a firework explosion shown.  The research covers a wide range of scales, from micro-detonation experiments to development of field-testing methods to track explosively driven shock waves in three-dimensions from explosions of several kilograms.  

Current research includes projects funded by the US Air Force, Sandia National Laboratories, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and Reactive Metals International, Inc.  Dr. Hargather is also the PI for a current NSF REU site hosted at New Mexico Tech: www.nmt.edu/INTENSE

Additional information on Dr. Hargather's research group, including publications and student researcher information is available here.

Dr. Hargather's research groups is currently accepting applications for new graduate students at the MS and PhD levels.