Name: Richard A. Obenchain 

Education: B.S. Aerospace Engineering, UCLA; PhD student, Oregon State University 

Skillset: Physics-based modeling, general information technology work, systems and process analysis 

Honors/Awards:  

Role in JANUS: Graduate Student Researcher, Wirz Research Group, PI: Dr. Richard Wirz 

Description of Project:  

My current efforts focus on the discharge chamber for gridded ion thrusters and facility effects on the thruster. The first effort is regarding neutral ingestion due to facility background pressure and said ingestion’s effect on discharge dynamics within the thruster.  The second effort, just beginning, is regarding modification of thruster discharge and ion generation due to an externally imposed magnetic field such as Earth’s magnetic field. 

Outside interests/hobbies: nature photography, hiking, computer gaming, traveling, reading (science fiction and nonfiction)