Rate My Professor Carolyn Jacobs

Jacobs' research specializations encompass hypersonic flows, non-equilibrium reacting shock layers, air plasma radiation, emission spectroscopy, radiative heat transfer measurements in low-density atmospheres, shock-wave boundary layer interactions, and plasma-ablator interactions. She has been principal investigator on two Australian Research Council Discovery Projects: "Non-equilibrium reacting shock layers" (2020-2023) and "3D Hypersonic Shock-Turbulent-Boundary-Layer Interactions" (2023-2027). Her scholarly output includes 44 works documented in UQ eSpace, spanning journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters. Notable publications feature "Prediction of nonequilibrium air plasma radiation behind a shock wave" (Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, 2016), "Measurements of Air Plasma/Ablator Interactions in an Inductively Coupled Plasma Torch" (Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, 2015), "3D streamers simulation in a pin to plane configuration using massively parallel computing" (Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 2018), "Air collisional-radiative modeling with heavy-particle impact excitation processes" (Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, 2016), and recent works such as "An intensified ultra-high-speed optical emission spectroscopy system for hypersonic impulse test facilities" (Experiments in Fluids, 2025) and "Measurements and modeling of air plasma radiation in the VUV" (Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, 2023). At UQ, she coordinates and lectures in courses including Thermodynamics & Heat Transfer (MECH3400) and advanced mechanical engineering topics (MECH7101), and is available for higher degree research supervision.