Engineering Science and Mechanics Background

The strength of the Penn State Engineering Science and Mechanics program in mechanics, materials, mathematics, and thin-film electronic and opto-electronic devices is evident from faculty interests, thesis titles, publications, and research projects.

The Engineering Sciences include:

Engineering Mechanics

  • Statics: structures, systems in equilibrium
  • Dynamics: response of particles, rigid bodies, and deformable media to unequilibrated forces
    • Vibrations
    • Nonlinear dynamics and chaos
    • Wave motion
    • Acoustics
  • Continuum mechanics: strength of materials, elasticity, plasticity,Viscoelasticity Stress analysis

Materials

  • Homogeneous materials
  • Biological materials
  • Engineered materials systems
    • Composites -- Structural (polymer, ceramic, metal matrix, carbon-carbon)
    • Composites -- Nonstructural (thin films, sensors, actuators)
  • Characterization
    • NDE nondestructive evaluation
      • thermography, microscopy (SEM, SAM, laser optical), holography, laser vibrometry, X-ray, ultrasonics, eddy current
    • Destructive
      • multiaxial systems, fatigue, high strain rate, impact, creep
  • Failure analysis and prevention
    • Response to mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical,radiation, interactive loads, fracture mechanics, ductile failure, fatigue
    • Environmental degradation
    • Micromechanics

Thin-Film Electronic Opto-Electronic Devices

  • Device physics
    • Schottky barriers
    • M.O.S. capacitors
    • p-n junctions
  • Materials and device processing
    • Ion implantation
    • Dry etching
    • Defect control in processing
    • Physical and chemical deposition
  • Photovoltaics
  • Solid state sensors

Applied Mathematics

  • Engineering analysis
  • Numerical methods
    • Finite elements
    • Computer-aided design (CAD)
    • Finite differences

Electricity and Magnetism

Thermodynamics

  • Thermostatics
  • Irreversible thermo and interactive processes

Wave Propagation and Scattering