Instructor Insights

Instructor Insights pages are part of the OCW Educator initiative, which seeks to enhance the value of OCW for educators.

Course Overview

This page focuses on the course 16.55 Ionized Gases as it was taught by associate Professor Paulo Lozano and Professor Emeritus Manuel Martinez-Sanchez in Fall 2014.

This course focused on the properties and behavior of ionized gases, or plasmas, including equilibrium, kinetic theory and gas surface interactions. Also covered was radiation in plasmas and diagnostics.

Course Outcomes

Course Goals for Students

  • Understand how energy conversion, plasma propulsion, and gas lasers impact the properties and behavior of low-temperature plasmas.
  • Describe gas surface interactions, radiation in plasmas, and the ways in which these phenomena relate to diagnostics.
  • Apply the equilibrium and kinetic theory of ionized gases, along with an understanding of other theorems and their inter-relationships, to solve problems relating to low-temperature plasmas.

Possibilities for Further Study/Careers

This course prepares students for graduate study in the area of space propulsion engineering.

 

Curriculum Information

Prerequisites

8.03 Physics III

Requirements Satisfied

16.55 can be applied toward a graduate degree in This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.Space Propulsion Engineering (PDF) or This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.Space Systems Engineering (PDF) from the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Offered

Every other fall semester

The Classroom

  • This photo shows the room the lectures were given in with rows of tables and moveable chairs for a maximum of 20 students. There is an overhead and manual slide projector, a large chalkboard at the front and a window to the students’ right.

    Room 1 of 1

    Lecture

    Lectures were presented in a room outfitted with an overhead projector, a manual slide projector, and a large chalkboard at the front of the room. There were 4 rows of tables each with 5 moveable chairs seating a maximum of 20 students.

 

Assessment

The students' grades were based on the following activities:

The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by homework assignments. 50% Homework assignments (5)
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by quizzes. 50% Quizzes (2)
 

Student Information

12 students took this course when it was offered in Fall 2014.

Breakdown by Year

Graduate students

Breakdown by Major

Aeronautics and Astronautics graduate students in This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.Space Propulsion (PDF) or This resource may not render correctly in a screen reader.Space Systems Engineering (PDF) degree programs.

 

How Student Time Was Spent

During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:

In Class

3 hours per week
  • Met 2 times per week for 1.5 hours per session; 25 sessions; mandatory attendance.
  • Two additional sessions were used for quizzes.
 

Out of Class

9 hours per week
  • Complete assigned readings.
  • Complete 5 homework assignments.
 

Semester Breakdown

WEEK M T W Th F
1 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled.
2 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled.
3 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled; assignment due date. No classes throughout MIT.
4 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled.
5 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled.
6 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled; assignment due date. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled.
7 No classes throughout MIT. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled; assignment due date. No session scheduled.
8 No session scheduled. Exam held. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled.
9 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled.
10 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled.
11 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled; assignment due date. No session scheduled.
12 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled.
13 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
14 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled; assignment due date. No session scheduled.
15 No session scheduled. Lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
16 No classes throughout MIT; exam held. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
Displays the color and pattern used on the preceding table to indicate dates when classes are not held at MIT. No classes throughout MIT
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when lecture sessions are held. Lecture session
Displays the symbol used on the preceding table to indicate dates when exams are held. Exam
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when no class session is scheduled. No class session scheduled
Displays the symbol used on the preceding table to indicate dates when assignments are due. Assignment due date