Carolyn Jacobs

Dr. Carolyn Jacobs serves as a Lecturer at the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, University of Queensland. She holds dual affiliations as an Affiliate of both the Centre for Advanced Materials Processing and Manufacturing (AMPAM) and the Centre for Hypersonics, reflecting her interdisciplinary work bridging aerospace engineering and materials science.

Dr. Jacobs earned her PhD from the University of Queensland in 2011 with thesis research on "Radiation in low density hypervelocity flows," following her 2005 B.Sc thesis on turbulence modeling for rotating cylinder electrodes. Her educational background established the foundation for her current research trajectory.

Her primary research focuses on hypersonic flows and plasma physics with applications to spacecraft atmospheric entry. Key research areas include:

• Radiative heat transfer in low-density hypervelocity flows
• Vacuum ultraviolet radiation measurements for planetary entry simulation
• Plasma torch testing of heat shield materials
• Shock tube experiments for atmospheric re-entry conditions
• Fluid dynamics applications to civil engineering infrastructure

Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent research in hypersonics and plasma physics spanning nearly two decades, with recent work (2022-2025) emphasizing advanced optical diagnostics systems for hypersonic testing. Her research bridges aerospace engineering with applications in both spacecraft thermal protection and civil infrastructure hydraulics.

Dr. Jacobs has secured substantial research funding through the Australian Research Council:

• Current (2023-2027): "3D Hypersonic Shock-Turbulent-Boundary-Layer Interactions" (ARC Discovery Projects)
• Past (2020-2023): "Non-equilibrium reacting shock layers" (ARC Discovery Projects)

She actively supervises five PhD students across diverse projects including non-equilibrium plasma applications for wound healing, plasma fuel engines, turbulent boundary layers, state-to-state modeling of shock layers, and high-speed emission spectroscopy systems for planetary entry studies.

Dr. Jacobs works within the hypersonics research ecosystem at the University of Queensland, utilizing specialized facilities including shock tubes, expansion tubes, and plasma torch systems. Her research group collaborates extensively with international partners on spacecraft re-entry physics and thermal protection systems development.