The Cooper Research Group studies the dynamic response and behaviors of materials in severe environments. Of particular interest are heterogeneous materials formed from densely packed granular media which are found in a diverse range of applications including structural materials, energy storage, pharmaceuticals, and energetic materials including pyrotechnics, propellants, and explosives. Our experiments and analysis combine aspects of shock physics, mechanics of materials, material science, thermal science, and combustion to uncover the effect of thermal and mechanical damage mechanisms on bulk material performance.

We are located in the Dynamic Material Response Lab (Building 1298) at the Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.