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Lambros Named ASME Fellow

Professor John Lambros makes the third AE faculty member this year to have achieved the status of Fellow within the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Sixty Years and Going Strong

Emeritus Prof. Harry H. Hilton reached a remarkable milestone in September 2009 — his 60th continuous year at the University of Illinois.

College Honors Archambault

The university, college, and Department of Aerospace Engineering welcomed Colonel Lee J. Archambault, BS 82, MS 84 AE, a distinguished United States Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut, back to campus during the Foundation weekend Oct. 2-4.

AE undergrad wins National Student Role Model Award

AE undergraduate Joseph Gonzalez has been selected as the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers’ National Student Role Model of the Year

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Solomon

Wayne C. Solomon

Professor Emeritus

wsolomon@uiuc.edu		 Return to: Faculty
Office address Mailing Address Research Group
314 Talbot Lab
217-333-8274 		306 Talbot Lab
104 S. Wright St.
Urbana, IL  61801 		UIUC High Energy Laser Group
Research Areas

Prof. Solomon's research is broad-based and covers several aspects of propulsion and non-equilibrium flow as well as the research with high energy lasers.

Studies have been conducted for a propulsion system for hypersonic vehicles and hydrogen fueled nuclear rockets. Non-equilibrium models and flow fields have been developed for a methane/air-fueled scramjet propulsion system. A number of research studies are ongoing in the area of high energy laser research. One study includes the full description of the mixing and reaction of a flow field containing excited oxygen and iodine. Computations provide the laser performance, fluid mixing and chemistry in our Computational Laboratory. Experimental results are obtained for high energy lasers in Laboratory for Laser Research. Several new experimental lasers are being developed for sponsors such as The Missile Defense Agency, and DARPA . These have promise of significant improvement over present day systems. Typical systems include supersonic chemical lasers and hybrid electrochemical systems, COIL lasers, ElectriCOIL lasers, laser diffusers.

Education:

  • Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Oregon, 1963
  • B.S. Chemistry, University of Idaho, 1956

Academic Positions:

  • Staff Scientist, Air Force Rocket Propulsion, Edwards, CA 1963-1967
  • Visiting Professor, Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Goettingen, West Germany, 1967-1969
  • Chief of Kinetics and Thermodynamics, Air Force Astronautics Laboratory, Edwards, CA, 1969-1973
  • Director of High Energy Laser Technology, Bell Aerospace Textron, Wheatfield, NY, 1973-1980
  • Director of Advanced Technology, Bell Aerospace Textron, Wheatfield, NY, 1980-1982
  • Programs Director, Prototype Laser Systems, Bell Aerospace Textron, Wheatfield, NY, 1982-1986
  • Director of Engineering for Advanced Systems, Bell Aerospace Textron, Wheatfield, NY, 1987-1988
  • Professor of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, University of Illinois, 1988-2002
  • Head, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Department, University of Illinois, 1988-1999
  • Professor, Emeritus of Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois, 2002-present
  • Director, Illinois Space Grant Consortium, University of Illinois, 1991-2004
  • President, CU Aerospace, 1998-Present

Major Honors and Awards:

  • Outstanding Alumni Award, University of Oregon, 1995
  • Silver and Gold Award, University of Idaho, 1996
  • AIAA Plasma Dynamics and Lasers Award, 2005
  • AIAA Fellow Award, 2007

Selected Publications:

  • J.W. Zimmerman, G.F. Benavides, A.D. Palla, B.S. Woodard, D.L. Carroll, J.T. Verdeyen, and W.C. Solomon, "Gain recovery in an electric oxygen-iodine laser," Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 94, 021109 (2009).
  • G.F. Benavides, J.W. Zimmerman, B.S. Woodard, A.D. Palla, D.L. Carroll, J.T. Verdeyen, D.M. King, J.K. Laystrom, T.H. Field, and W.C. Solomon, "Hybrid Electric Oxygen-Iodine Laser Performance Enhancements and Measurements," J. of Directed Energy, Vol. 3, pp. 80-96 (2008).
  • J.W. Zimmerman, B.S. Woodard, J.T. Verdeyen, D.L. Carroll, T.H. Field, G.F. Benavides, and W.C. Solomon, "Influence of frequency of O2(a1?) and oxygen atom production in transverse radio-frequency discharges," J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., Vol. 41, 195209 (2008).
  • B.S. Woodard, J.W. Zimmerman, G.F. Benavides, D.L. Carroll, J.T. Verdeyen, T.H. Field, W.C. Solomon, S.J. Davis, W.T. Rawlins, and S. Lee, "Gain and continuous-wave laser oscillation on the 1315 nm atomic iodine transition pumped by an Air-Helium electric discharge," Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 93, 021104 (2008).
  • D.L. Carroll, J.T. Verdeyen, D.M. King, A.D. Palla, J.K. Laystrom, G.F. Benavides, J.W. Zimmerman, B.S. Woodard, and W.C. Solomon, "Development of the electric discharge oxygen-iodine laser," Proceedings of the XVI International Symposium on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers and High Power Laser Conference, Gmunden, Austria, 4 - 8 September 2006, The International Society for Optical Engineering Vol. 6346, pp. 63460H-1-8 (2007).
  • D.L. Carroll, J.T. Verdeyen, D.M. King, J. Zimmerman, J. Laystrom, B. Woodard, G. Benavides, K. Kittell, and W.C. Solomon, "Path to the measurement of positive gain on the 1315 nm transition of atomic iodine pumped by O2(1?) produced in an electric discharge," accepted for publication in IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, Vol 41, pp 213-224 (2005).