Name: Tyler Topham (he/him)

Education: B.S. Mechanical Engineering with Minors in Unmanned Aerial Systems and Mathematics; PhD Candidate Nuclear Engineering University of Michigan

Skillset: Gridded Ion Engines, Vacuum Chambers, Python, LabView

Honors/Awards: 2021 NDSEG Fellow; 2021 MIPSE Fellow; 2018 Toshiba-Westinghouse Fellow

Role in JANUS: Graduate Student Research, PI: Dr. John Foster     

Description of Project: Current limitations of ground test facilities lead to non-spacelike operating conditions. As a result, there are deviations in actual predicted spaceflight performance of gridded ion engines. One such process altered during ground testing is beam neutralization. The aim of this work is to determine, mitigate, and/or correct alternative neutralization pathways that occur during the beam neutralization process. Studies on the proper definition and measurement of the coupling voltage and the electrical configuration of the thruster with respect to the facility are explored to create a more accurate representation of spaceflight operation.

Outside interests/hobbies: Drones, weightlifting, time with family, trying new foods