Teaching and Research

Professor Verboncoeur teaches undergraduate courses in the introduction to computational engineering science as well as graduate courses in plasma physics via computer simulation and plasma theory. His research interests include computational physics, plasmas, electromagnetics, nonlinear and kinetic effects, edge effects, transport, stability, numerical methods, object-oriented techniques, visualization, plasma waves and boundary phenomena. Applications include microwave-beam devices, charged particle beam optics, fusion, accelerators, low pressure discharges for plasma processing, and high pressure discharges including plasma display panels and fluorescent lamps.

Research Overview: encompasses the broad field of computational plasma physics. Collisional and collisionless plasmas are treated, as well as bounded plasmas. Regimes of interest include electrostatic and electromagnetic.

high temperature plasmas such as hot fusion
low temperature discharges for lighting and materials processing
electron and ion beams for heavy ion fusion, propulsion, accelerators, and lithography
microwave beam devices for plasma heating, radar, and electronic warfare
basic plasma physics, including instabilities and plasma-surface interactions
numerical methods