Faculty - Aerospace Engineering - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Wayne C. Solomon

Professor Emeritus

wsolomon@uiuc.edu

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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.

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).

Aerospace Engineering