INTENSE REU Research Projects


Summary of available research projects for Summer 2024

The research project summaries presented here are representative of the work REU participants will perform at New Mexico Tech.  Students are encouraged to identify specific projects of interest during the application process, and acceptance notifications will indicate the faculty mentor and general project the acceptance offer is relative to.  The specific projects students will complete during the summer may vary from these descriptions as the research path and interests evolve.

Applications are accepted starting November 15, 2023! APPLY HERE: https://etap.nsf.gov/ 

Project 1: Quantitative imaging of supersonic projectiles 

Faculty Mentor:  Dr. Michael Hargather, Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. M Hargather project imageRefractive imaging techniques like schlieren and shadowgraphy are used to visualize shock waves and turbulent mixing in compressible flows.  Dr. Hargather's group has been developing and applying these techiques to the visualization and quantification of the density fields around projectiles.  This project will explore quantitative measurement of the density fields around supersonic projectiles of various shapes.  The REU student will learn to set up schlieren imaging systems and to operate high-speed digital cameras to record images of projectiles in flight.  The student will perform experiments to image different shaped projectiles, from cones to double cones to randomly-shaped objects launched at supersonic velocities from the NMT propellant driven gas gun system.  The student will analyze the images using quantitative schlieren techniques to determine the density field around the projectile, which will be compared to theory and computational analysis.  Research outcomes include developing the ability to perform high-speed schlieren imaging, set up precise electronic triggering of complex systems with multiple data recording methods, and the ability to perform image processing and quantitative analysis using MATLAB or Python.