Ad Infinitum

Patrick J Shamberger

Last Updated: 9/01/2009

Research

1. Engineering phase transitions in Heusler alloys: Towards better magnetic refrigerants
Magnetocaloric materials offer the potential of replacing vapor phase compressors with highly efficient magnetic refrigeration cycles. First order phase transitions can lead to large magnetic entropy changes (the so-called "giant" magnetocaloric effect), but also are associated with reproducibility issues, hysteresis losses, and kinetic limitations. My PhD research focuses on the engineering the phase transition in Ni-Mn-Sn Heusler alloys in order to enhance the magnetocaloric effect in these materials.

2. Petrology of Hawaiian Volcanoes
The model of Hawaiian Island volcanism serves as the standard model for ocean island hotspot volcanoes. During my M.S. at the University of Hawaii, I studied various aspects of the petrology of the Hawaiian Islands, including magma differentiation and mixing processes, and development of the magmatic plumbing system of a volcano over time. This section describes research on magma mixing during the Puu Oo eruption, gabbroic and leucocratic summit xenoliths from Hualalai Volcano, and the growth of the submarine flanks of Hualalai Volcano.