Name: Reed Keefer Thompson 

Education: B.S. from the University of Washington, M.S. from the University of Washington, PhD student at the University of Illinois. 

Skillset: Plasma Material Interaction Experiment design, Carbon Back Sputtering Tacking and Reduction, Vacuum System Operation 

Honors/Awards: None 

Role in JANUS: Graduate Student Researcher, PI: Dr. Joshua L. Rovey 

Description of Project: I am supporting the development of a carbon tracking technique. I have designed an experiment in which a sample with a high concentration of the Carbon 13 isotope has been placed in the plume of a Hall thruster. The goal of this experiment is to prove that Carbon 13 can be collected on substrates that represent thruster materials. Eventually the goal of the technique is to replace thruster components with the carbon 13 materials and then track the carbon isotope to surfaces elsewhere on the thruster. Moreover, I am also researching methods to reduce carbon back sputter from the facility using geometrically complex materials. I am primarily looking at carbon foams, but I plan to look at other materials to reduce the effective sputtering yield of a vacuum chamber surface. 

Outside interests/hobbies: Hiking, reading, board games, and card games.