Research Interests

Richard Kraus's thesis research was on the thermodynamics of planetary impact events with a focus on impact induced vaporization. In September of 2013 he joined the HED Shock Physics group at LLNL as a Lawrence Postdoctoral Fellow. His research interests include

• Entropy generation during shock and shockless compression
• Equation of state development
• Viscosity and strength at high pressure and temperature conditions

Ph.D., Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, 2013

M.S., Applied Physics, Harvard University, 2013

MPhil, Physics, University of Cambridge, UK, 2008

B.A., Physics, University of Nevada, Reno

1. R.G. Kraus, S. Root, R. W. Lemke, S. T. Stewart, S. B. Jacobsen, T. R. Mattsson, Shock Thermodynamics of Iron and Impact Vaporization of Planetesimal Cores, submitted.
2. R.G. Kraus, S. T. Stewart, M. G. Newman, R. E. Milliken, N. J. Tosca, Uncertainties in the Shock Devolatilization of Hydrated Minerals: A Nontronite Case Study, J. Geophysical Research-Planets, accepted August 2013.
3. R.G. Kraus, S. T. Stewart, D. C. Swift, R. Smith, S. Hamel, B. D. Hammel, D. G. Hicks, J. H. Eggert, G. W. Collins, C. A. Bolme, D. K. Spaulding, Shock Vaporization of Silica and the Thermodynamics of Planetary Impact Events, J. Geophysical Research – Planets, 214, E09009, doi: 10.1029/2012JE004082, 2012.
4. R.G. Kraus, L.E. Senft, S. T. Stewart, Impacts onto H2O Ice: Scaling Laws for Melting, Vaporization, Excavation, and Final Crater Size, Icarus, 214, 724-738, doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2011.05.016, 2011.
5. R.G. Kraus, S.T. Stewart, A. Seifter, A.W. Obst, Shock and Post-Shock Temperatures in an Ice-Quartz Mixture: Implications for Melting During Planetary Impact Events, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 289, 162-170, 2010.
6. R.G. Kraus, D.J. Chapman, W.G. Proud, and D.C. Swift, Hugoniot and Spall Strength Measurements of Porous Aluminum, J. Appl. Phys. 105, 114914, 2009.