No IDC durip coherent rayleigh-brillouin scattering instrument for velocity/temperature/density measurement nonequilibrium high-enthalpy flows

The University of Illinois received a $799,483 Project Grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) under the Basic and Applied Scientific Research program (CFDA 12.300), awarded October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2026. This award funds the development and implementation of a Coherent Rayleigh-Brillouin Scattering (CRBS) instrument designed to measure velocity, temperature, and density in nonequilibrium high-enthalpy flows. The instrumentation and associated research capabilities will support fundamental and applied research with applications to naval operations and marine systems, consistent with ONR's mission to advance technological capabilities for the Navy and Marine Corps.

The project delivers specialized research instrumentation and diagnostic capabilities that enable advanced measurement of fluid properties under extreme conditions relevant to hypersonic vehicles, propulsion systems, and other high-energy applications of naval interest. This award represents one of ONR's merit-based, competitively selected research investments supporting institutional capabilities in specialized scientific instrumentation and fluid dynamics research at a major research university with substantial federal research experience across multiple scientific and engineering disciplines.