Abstract: How do you design materials that can survive the extreme heat and plasma of hypersonic flight? This talk explores how researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory use advanced wind tunnels and laser diagnostics to test and improve materials for vehicles traveling at several times the speed of sound.

Bio: Keegan Orr is a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he uses high-energy lasers to advance science across a range of applications, from high explosives to hypersonic vehicles. He earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University.