Our guest this week, Mitchell Kurnell, just started his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in the Aerospace Mechatronics lab (yeah you know the one, he's worked alongisde Eitan Bulka (Ep.11) and Ali Safaei (Ep.39)). Our discussion is split between his master's research on nuclear physics, and his PhD research on cube sats.
Questions Answered
Is nuclear energy a safe energy alternative and can we entrust our future in these fission reactors?
How can we use lasers to learn about a material's composition?
How big and how small are the satellites in orbit above our heads? What are they doing up there?
What is space junk and does it pose a problem to other satellites in orbit around the earth?
and many, many, many more!
Topics & Concepts
Nuclear Safety
Fission vs. Fusion
LIBS: Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Plasmas
Infrared & Ultraviolet Light
Observation Window
Deuterium & Heavy Water
Neutron Absorption
Zirconium Alloys
Pressure Tubes & Nuclear Reactor Malfunction
Mass Spectroscopy
Transtioning Research Fields
Cube Sats
Satellite Tracking & Orbital Decay
Space Junk & Deadly Debris
Altitude & Attitude
Magnetic Fields & Magnet Torquers
Fundraiser Info From March 8th - April 8th 2021, $0.40 will be donated to the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST: https://www.scwist.ca) every time an Abstract episode with a female guest gets a listen. $4,00 will be donated to the same cause for every new review of the podcast on Apple Podcasts!
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