New DFG-supported project at ACoM
12.06.2026
The proposal "Simulation of Rare and Transient Events in Rarefied Gas Dynamics" (PIs: Dr. Georgii Oblapenko and Prof. Manuel Torrilhon) has been successfully funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the associated project will run over the next 3 years.
The goal of the project is develop new capabilities for stochastic particle-based simulations of unsteady rarefied gas flows, with a more specific goal of being able to better model low-probability processes that despite their low incidence of occurence may be significant contributors to crucial physical effects. An example is the backscattering process in space propulsion, where even despite a low probability of particles ejected from the thruster flying in the direction of the satellite, the flux accumulates over the mission lifetime, leading to surface contamination and degradation. Modelling such low-probability phenomena is challenging, especially when 1) stochastic methods are used 2) the flow is unsteady.
Therefore, new mathematical models are needed to resolve these issues, and will be developed within the framework of the new project.