Mitchell L.R. Walker II
Dr. Walker's primary research interests lie in electric propulsion, plasma physics, and hypersonic aerodynamics/plasma interaction. He has extensive design and testing experience with Hall thrusters and ion engines. Dr. Walker has performed seminal work in Hall thruster clustering, vacuum chamber facility effects, plasma-material interactions, and electron emission from carbon nanotubes. His current research activities involve both theoretical and experimental work in advanced spacecraft propulsion systems, diagnostics (including THz time-domain spectroscopy and Thomson scattering), plasma physics, helicon plasma sources, magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters, and pulsed inductive thrusters. Dr. Walker also teaches the undergraduate Jet & Rocket Propulsion course, as well as the graduate level Rocket Propulsion, Electric Propulsion, and Gasdynamics courses.
Professor Walker II’s teaching interests include foundational and advanced courses in aerospace engineering, with a focus on propulsion, fluid mechanics, high-temperature gasdynamics, and experimental methods. He emphasizes the integration of computational and experimental approaches to understand flow physics. His instruction aims to develop strong analytical and practical skills in students, engaging both undergraduate and graduate learners in the fundamentals and applications of aerospace systems and fluid dynamics. (68 words)
Dr. Walker’s primary research interests lie in electric propulsion, plasma physics, and hypersonic aerodynamics/plasma interaction. He has extensive design and testing experience with Hall thrusters and ion engines. Dr. Walker performed seminal work in Hall thruster clustering and vacuum chamber facility effects. His current research activities involve both theoretical and experimental work in advanced spacecraft propulsion systems, diagnostics, plasma physics, helicon plasma sources, space debris mitigation, magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters, and pulsed inductive thrusters.
Lab/Collaborations:
- High-Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory (HPEPL)
- Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory
- Institute for Materials
Disciplines:
- Propulsion & Combustion
AE Multidisciplinary Research Areas:
- Space Exploration and Earth Monitoring
- Sustainable Transportation and Energy Systems
Mentor Expertise Areas
Aerodynamics or Fluid Mechanics
Propulsion Systems for Aircraft or Spacecraft
Space Systems
Mentor Focus Areas
Advice related to graduate school
Advice related to maximizing success at GT
General career mentoring
B.S.E., Aerospace Engineering, 1999, University of Michigan; M.S., Aerospace Engineering, 2000, University of Michigan; Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, 2004, University of Michigan;
- Provost’s Emerging Leaders Program, 2017
- Georgia Power Professor of Excellence Award, 2017
- National Academy of Engineering Symposium on Exploring a New Vision for Center-Based, Multidisciplinary Engineering Research, 2016
- National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Symposium Organizing Committee, Co-organizer for the session “Engineering the Search for Earth-like Exoplanets,” 2015
- National Academy of Engineering US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium – Participant, 2014
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics – Associate Fellow, 2011
- Lawrence Sperry Award, 2010
- AFOSR Young Investigator Program Award, 2006
- NASA Faculty Fellow, 2005
- Class of 1969 Teaching Fellow, 2005
- Chhavi Chavi, Mitchell L. R. Walker, "Azimuthal Magnetic Field Gradient Effects on a 5-kW Hall Effect Thruster Performance and Stability," Plasma Sources Science and Technology, Published Online - November 2025.
- Julian Lopez-Uricoechea, Dan Lev, Mitchell L. R. Walker, "Nondimensional Framework for the Hall Effect Thruster Discharge and its Facility Effects: Similarity Laws and Analysis of Background Pressure Studies," Journal of Electric Propulsion, Published Online - November 2025.
- Julian Lopez-Uricoechea, Mitchell L. R. Walker, "Statistical Inference of Higher-Order Moments of Electron Velocity Distribution Functions from Incoherent Thomson Scattering Spectra," Physics of Plasmas, Published Online - October 2025.
- William Brabston, Dan Lev, Mitchell L. R. Walker, "Hall Thruster Performance and Efficiency Analysis of a Molecular Propellant," Journal of Propulsion and Power, Published Online, August 2025.
- Igor Levchenko, Dan Goebel, Daniela Pedrini, Riccardo Albertoni, Oleg Baranov, Igal Kronhaus, Dan Lev, Mitchell L. R. Walker, Shuyan Xu, Kateryna Bazaka, "Recent Innovations to Advance Space Propulsion Technologies," Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Vol. 152, January 2025, pp. 100900.