Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Many of the recent advances in science and technology are aimed at making devices smaller. This has already started to revolutionize a number of processes, for instance the miniaturization of devices such as mass-spectrometers and propulsion systems for micro-satellites. Understanding and controlling the dynamics within small spaces will be crucial to both basic research and technological innovations. The objective of the proposed research is to further develop the fundamental understanding of very small volumes in microplasmas where drastically modified flow and distribution behaviours (compared to larger dimensions) have been reported. The fundamental lessons learned from the numerical simulations of microplasmas have the potential of aiding the development of novel micro-devices for the aerospace field such as electric propulsion systems for small satellites and active flow control for turbomachinery and aircrafts.