B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2009). Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University (2016). Postdoctoral Fellowship in the US Air Force Research Laboratory (2016-2017).
Biographical Data
Main areas of research
Combustion:
Ignition and flame dynamics in subsonic and supersonic flows, plasma-assisted combustion (PAC), hydrocarbon fuel and plasma chemical kinetics, alternative fuel characterization.
Measurement Technique Development:
Infrared thermography and spectroscopy, tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS), laser induced fluorescence (LIF), optical emission spectroscopy (OES).
Research position available for M.Sc. and Ph.D. StudentsSelected publications
1. J.K. Lefkowitz, J.S. Heyne, S.H. Won, S. Dooley, H.H. Kim, F.M. Haas, S. Jahangirian, F.L. Dryer, Y. Ju, “A Chemical Kinetic Study of tertiary-Butanol in a Flow Reactor and a Counterflow Diffusion Flame,” Combust. Flame 159 968-978, 2012.
2. J.K. Lefkowitz, S.H. Won, Y. Fenard, Y. Ju, “Uncertainty Assessment of Species Measurements in Acetone Counterflow Diffusion Flames,” Proc. Combust. Inst. 34, 813-820, 2013.
3. J.K. Lefkowitz, P. Gou, T. Ombrello, S.H. Won, C. Stevens, J. Hoke, F. Schauer, Y. Ju, “Schlieren Imaging and Pulsed Detonation Engine Testing of Ignition by a Nanosecond Repetitively Pulsed Discharge,” Combust. Flame 162, 2496-2507, 2015.
4. J.K. Lefkowitz, M. Uddi, B.C. Windom, G. Lou, Y. Ju, “In situ Species Diagnostics and Kinetic Study of Plasma Activated Ethylene Dissociation and Oxidation in a Low Temperature Flow Reactor,” Proc. Combust. Inst. 35, 3505-3512, 2015.
5. J.K. Lefkowitz, P. Guo, A. Rousso, Y. Ju, “Species and Temperature Measurements of Methane Oxidation in a Nanosecond Repetitively Pulsed Discharge,” Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 373, 20140333, 2015.
6. Y. Ju, J.K. Lefkowitz, C.B. Reuter, S.H. Won, X. Yang, S. Yang, W. Sun, Z. Jiang, Q. Chen, “Plasma Assisted Low Temperature Combustion,” Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing 36, 85-105, 2016.
7. S. Yang, J.K. Lefkowitz, S. Nagaraja, X. Gao, V. Yang, Y. Ju, W. Sun, “Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma Activated C2H4/O2/Ar Mixtures in a Flow Reactor,” J. Propul. Power 32, 1240-1252, 2016.
8. Y. Ju, J.K. Lefkowitz, C.B. Reuter, S.H. Won, X. Yang, S. Yang, W. Sun, Z. Jiang, Q. Chen, “Plasma Assisted Low Temperature Combustion,” Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing 36, 85-105, 2016.
9. A. Rousso, S. Yang, J.K. Lefkowitz, W. Sun, Y. Ju, “Low Temperature Oxidation and Pyrolysis of n-Heptane in Nanosecond-pulsed Plasma Discharges,” Proc. Combust. Inst 36, 4105-4112, 2017.
10. J.K. Lefkowitz, T. Ombrello, “An Exploration of Inter-pulse Coupling in Nanosecond Pulsed High Frequency Discharge Ignition,” Combust. Flame 180, 136-147, 2017.
11. L. Wermer, J.K. Lefkowitz, T. Ombrello, M.S. Bak, S. Im, “Spatiotemporal Evolution of the Plasma from Dual-pulsed Laser-induced Breakdown in an Atmospheric Air”, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 27, 015012, 2018.
12. J.K. Lefkowitz, T. Ombrello, “Reduction of Flame Development Time in Nanosecond Pulsed High Frequency Discharge Ignition of Flowing Mixtures,” Combust. Flame 193, 471-480, 2018.
13. R.D. Stachler, J.K. Lefkowitz, J.S. Heyne, S.D. Stouffer, T.M. Ombrello, J.D. Miller, “The impact of residence time on ignitability and time to ignition in a toroidal jet-stirred reactor,” Proc. Combust. Inst. 37, 5039-5046, 2019.
14. J.M. Bonebrake, D.L. Blunck, J.K. Lefkowitz, T.M. Ombrello, “The Effect of Nanosecond Pulsed High Frequency Discharges on the Temperature Evolution of Ignition Kernels,” Proc. Combust. Inst. 37, 5561-5568, 2019.
15. L. Wermer, J.K. Lefkowitz, T. Ombrello, S. Im, “Ignition Enhancement by Dual-pulse Laser-induced Spark Ignition in a Lean Premixed Methane-air Flow,” Proc. Combust. Inst. 37, 5604-5612, 2019.
16. S.F. Adams, J.A. Miles, T. Ombrello, R. Brayfield, J. Lefkowitz, “The Effect of Inter-Pulse Coupling on Gas Temperature in Nanosecond-Pulsed High-Frequency Discharges,” J. Phys. D Appl. Phys. 52, 355203, 2019.
17. D. Cuppoletti, T. Ombrello, C. Carter, S. Hammack, J. Lefkowitz, “Ignition Dynamics of a Pulse Detonation Igniter in a Supersonic Cavity Flameholder,” Combust. Flame 215, 376-388, 2020.
18. L. Wermer, J.K. Lefkowitz, T. Ombrello, S.-K. Im, “Spark and flame kernel interaction with dual-pulse laser-induced spark ignition in a lean premixed methane-air flow,” Energy 215, 119162, 2021.
19. J.K. Lefkowitz, S.D. Hammack, C. Carter, T. Ombrello, “Elevated OH Production from NPHFD and its Effect on Ignition,” Proc. Combust. Inst. 38, 6671-6678, 2021.
20. G. Faingold, J.K. Lefkowitz, “A Numerical Investigation of NH3/O2/He Ignition Limits in a Non-Thermal Plasma,” Proc. Combust. Inst. 38, 6661-6669, 2021.
21. K.C. Opacich, T. Ombrello, J.S. Heyne, J.K Lefkowitz, “Analyzing the Ignition Differences Between Conventional, Spark Discharges and Nanosecond-Pulsed High-Frequency Discharges,” Proc. Combust Inst. 38, 6615-6622, 2021.
22. G. Faingold, J.K. Lefkowitz, “Plasma reforming for enhanced ammonia-air ignition: a numerical study,” Fuel Communications 12, 100070, 2022.
23. S. Shen, I. Laso Miqueo, N. Rozin, J.K. Lefkowitz, “On Energy Distribution and Minimum Ignition Power for Ignition of Flowing Mixtures,” Proc. Combust. Inst. (In press).
24. S. Nath, Iker Laso, L. Mallick, Z. Sobe, S. Koffler, B. Blumer-Ganon, E. Borzin, N. Libis, J.K. Lefkowitz, “Comprehensive Ignition Characterization of a Non-toxic Hypergolic Hybrid Rocket Propellant,” Proc. Combust. Inst. (In press).
25. O. Hamo, D.R. Lev, M. Rubanovich, A. Kapulkin, J. Lefkowitz, “Experimental investigation of an external discharge very low anode power (< 20 W) hall thruster.” Journal of Electric Propulsion 1, 1-22, 2022.
26. D.A. Castaneda, S. Hassid, J. Lefkowitz, B. Natan, “Modeling Hypergolic Ignition based on Thermal Diffusion for Spherical and Cylindrical Geometries,” Combustion Science and Technology, 1-18, 2022.
