PERSONNEL

Dr. R. Michael Banish

Associate Director CMMR, UAH
Center for Microgravity and Materials Research
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, AL 35899

Office: VBRH D-11
Phone: (256) 824 6969
Fax: (256) 824 6944
Email: banishm@email.uah.edu

Educational Background

Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah (1992)
B.S. in Chemistry and Biology, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah (1981)

Professional Experience

1986-present University of Alabama in Huntsville: Associate Director, Center for Microgravity and Materials Research
1978-1984 U.S. Bureau of Mines, Salt Lake City, Utah: Analytical Chemist

Present Research Interests

Measurement of self-diffusion coefficients of liquid metals and II-VI semiconductors (binary and impurity diffusion) by an in-situ radiotracer technique.
Measurement of thermal diffusivity and thermal expansion of molten II-VI semiconductors.
Development of spaceflight hardware for these experiments.

Ph.D. Students and Post-doctoral Associates:
Mr. Timothée Pourpoint: study of thermal diffusivity
Mr. Jay Wilson: thermal expansion, expansion at the melting point
Dr. Yu Yu Khine
Dr. Lyle B. Jalbert

Other Research Topics

The design and development of a semi-automated four zone crystal growth furnace for the vapor phase growth of CdTe and ZnSe using effusive ampoule physical vapor transport, the growth of organic nonlinear optical materials by effusive ampoule physical vapor transport, the analysis of CdTe for electronically active impurities, mass spectroscopic investigations of the outgassing behavior of commercial silica glasses at high temperatures, and the development of an automated apparatus for determining protein solubilities using scattered light.

Selected Publications

  • R.M. Banish, R.F. Xiao and F. Rosenberger, Vapor Concentration Measurement by Photothermal Deflectometry, J. Appl. Physics 64 (1988) 2907.

  • R.M. Banish, F. Rosenberger and W. Duvall, Vapor Crystal Growth Technology Development- Application to Cadmium Telluride, NASA TM 103786, Lewis Research Center, 1991.

  • L.B. Jalbert, R.M. Banish and F. Rosenberger, Real-time Diffusivity Measurements in Liquids at Several Temperatures with one Sample, Phys. Rev. E 57 (1998) 1727.

  • L.B. Jalbert, F. Rosenberger and R.M. Banish, On the Sensitivity of Liquid Diffusivity Measurements to Deviations from 1-D Diffusion, J. Phys.: Cond. Matter 10 (1998) 1.

  • J. Iwan D. Alexander and R. Michael Banish, Modeling g-sensitivity of low-gravity experiments, Microgravity Science and Technology XI (1998) 90.

  • A. Taylor, R. M. Banish, Rhoda Hirsch and P.G. Vekilov, Miniaturized scintillation technique for protein solubility determination, Review of Scientific Instruments, 70 (1999) 2845.

  • R.M. Banish, L.B. Jalbert, In-situ Diffusivity Measurement Technique, Advances in Space Research 24 (1999) 1311.

  • G. Emslie and R. M. Banish, 3-D Numerical Modelling of Gamma Radiation Emitted through a Collimator from a Cylindrical Source, accepted for Applied Radiation and Isotopes 54 (2001) 35.

  • R.M. Banish, L.B. Jalbert, Self-diffusivity Measurements in Liquid Indium at 185°C on the Mir Space Station, submitted to Experiments in Fluids.

  • R.M. Banish, L.B. Jalbert, Experimental Confirmation of the Intensity of Diffusion Measurements to Deviations from 1-D Transport, accepted for Review of Scientific Measurements 71 (2000).

  • T. Pourpoint, R.M. Banish, F. Wessling and R.F. Sekerka, A Real-time Method for Thermal Diffusivity Determinations, accepted for Review of Scientific Measurements 71 (2000).

  • John P. Kizito, J.I.D. Alexander and R.M. Banish, Transient Effects on Diffusion Measurements, 38th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, AIAA, submitted to Physics of Fluids.

    • Teaching Experience

    Fall 1999-00, Chemistry 421/521 Instrumental Analysis - evaluation 92.6
    Fall 1999-00, Chemical Eng. 294 Properties of Materials - evaluation 89.6
    Spring 1999-00, Chemical Eng. 459 Special Topics, Parabolic Aircraft (KC-135) Student Experiments
    Supervised REU student-summer 1999

    12.Dec.00