Extreme Science
From innovations in military armor to the ambition of clean energy through fusion, shock-wave physics research is at the core of many scientific advances vital to our nation’s security. Yogendra Gupta and his colleagues in the Institute for Shock Physics at WSU are at the forefront of this research, compressing materials to extreme pressures in a billionth of a second (or less) to learn what happens.
Results of their fundamental shock-wave research extend beyond academic interests. Through the institute’s Spokane-based Applied Sciences Laboratory and unique collaborations with the U.S. National Laboratories, they’re developing practical applications for national security and energy sustainability. Dr. Gupta explains these unique partnerships and latest advances in “extreme science”—from the next generation of body armor to the potential to generate energy without carbon emissions.
Featuring: Yogendra M. Gupta, Ph.D.
Regents Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy
College of Sciences
Director, WSU Institute for Shock Physics
ymgupta@wsu.edu