Staff Profile
Doctor Philippe Ferrer
| Position | SENIOR LECTURER |
| Qualifications | MSc, BScHons, PhD |
| Phone | 0117176865 |
| Philippe.Ferrer@wits.ac.za | |
| Organisational Unit | School of Physics |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5415-7490 |
I completed my PhD in 2006 on fermionic vector model solitons, but have since shifted my research interests.
Current research interests include plasma propulsion for space applications, specifically micropropulsion. My work revolves around a miniaturised plasma engine, with coupled ionisation/acceleration mechanism of the propellant plume. The engine can be built very small, in the region of grams, and is foreseen to propel satellites, space probes, and if stacked, larger vehicles.
I also work in alternative energy conversion/generation, specifically solar thermal energy, such as a solar trough power plant. The project involves various ways in which the efficiency of the conversion of solar to electric energy can be improved.
Selected publications reflecting the above interests are listed.
T his is the info page for Dr. Phil Ferrer, Center for Theoretical Physics, School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa