Dr. Ranganathan Gopalakrishnan
R. Eugene Smith Associate Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator

Professional Experience:
- Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Memphis,
August 2022 - current
R. Eugene Smith Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (Sept. 2022 – Aug. 2023) - Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Memphis,
August 2016 – 2022
UMRF Ventures Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering (Sept. 2020-Aug. 2022)
R. Eugene Smith Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (Sept. 2021 – Aug. 2022)
US Dept of Energy EARLY CAREER Award 2020 https://science.osti.gov/early-career - Visiting Academic Fellow, Laboratoire des Sciences des Procédés et des Matériaux, University Paris XIII, July 1 – 20, 2018.
- Lecturer, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, The University of Iowa, August 2015 to July 2016
- Postdoctoral Scholar in Chemical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, October 2014 to July 2015.
- Postdoctoral Scholar in Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, September 2013 to September 2014.
Educational Background:
- Ph. D., University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, U. S. A., August 2013.
- Bachelor of Technology (Mechanical Engineering), National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India. May 2008.
Scholarly Interests:
- Transport processes in gas-phase systems (aerosols, dusty plasmas and ionized gases)
- High concentration aerosol generation using ultrasonic dispersion of powders
- Aerosol Impact Consolidation method for producing ceramic thin films
Peer Reviewed Publications:
2022
Suresh*, V., Liu*, Z., Perry*, Z. and Gopalakrishnan, R., Modeling Particle-Particle Binary Coagulation Rate Constants for Spherical Aerosol Particles at High Volume Fractions Using Langevin Dynamics Simulations. Journal of Aerosol Science 164: 106001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2022.106001
2021
Suresh*,#, V., Li*,#, L., Redmond Go Felipe*, J. and Gopalakrishnan, R., Modeling nanoparticle charge distribution in the afterglow of non-thermal plasmas
and comparison with measurements Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 54, 275205
(2021).
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/abf70c
Li*, L. and Gopalakrishnan, R. (2021), An experimentally validated model of diffusion charging of arbitrary shaped
aerosol particles. Journal of Aerosol Science 151: 105678.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2020.105678
Suresh*, V. and Gopalakrishnan, R. (invited article), Tutorial: Langevin Dynamics methods for aerosol particle trajectory
simulations and collision rate constant modeling. Journal of Aerosol Science 155:
105476.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2021.105746
2020
Li*, L., Chahl*, H. S. and Gopalakrishnan, R. (2020), Comparison of the predictions of Langevin Dynamics-based diffusion charging
collision kernel models with canonical experiments, J. Aerosol. Sci. 140, 105481.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2019.105481
Ahmed*, R., Suresh*, V., Li*. L. and Gopalakrishnan, R. (2020), Scalable generation
of high concentration aerosol in the size range of 0.1–10 μm from commercial powders
using ultrasonic dispersion, Powder Technology 376, 52.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2020.08.009
2019
Ahmed*, R., & Gopalakrishnan, R. (2019), Computational study of electrostatic focusing of aerosol nanoparticles using
an Einzel lens, Journal of Aerosol Science, 105443 (2019).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2019.105443
Chng*, E. J., Watson, A. B., Suresh*, V., Fujiwara, T., Bumgardner, J. D., & Gopalakrishnan, R. (2019), Adhesion of electrosprayed chitosan coatings using silane surface chemistry,
Thin Solid Films, 137454.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2019.137454
Chahl*, H. S. and Gopalakrishnan, R., (2019) High potential, near free molecular regime Coulombic collisions in aerosols
and dusty plasmas, Aerosol Science and Technology, 53(8): 933-957.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2019.1614522
Pokharel*, L., Parajuli*, P., Li*, L., Chng*, E. J., and Gopalakrishnan, R., (2019) An ultrasonic feeding mechanism for continuous aerosol generation from cohesive
powders. Aerosol Science and Technology, 53(3): 321-331.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2018.1559920
Wong, C.-S., Gopalakrishnan, R., and Goree, J. A., (2019) Fluctuation-theorem method of measuring a particle's mass
without knowing its shape or density, Journal of Aerosol Science, 129: 116-123.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2018.12.009
2018
Wong, C.-S., Goree, J. A., & Gopalakrishnan, R., (2018) Experimental demonstration that a free-falling aerosol particle obeys a fluctuation
theorem, Physical Review E (Rapid Communication), 97: 050601(R).
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.97.050601
2016 & prior years
Gopalakrishnan, R., Kawamura, E., Lichtenberg, A. J., Lieberman, M. A., & Graves, D. B., (2016) Solvated
electrons at the atmospheric pressure plasma-water anodic interface J. Phys. D: Appl.
Phys., 49: 295205.
https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/49/29/295205
Selected by the Editorial Board of J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. to feature in Highlights
of 2016.
Gopalakrishnan, R., McMurry, P. H., & Hogan, C. J., (2015). The Bipolar Diffusion Charging of Nanoparticles:
A Review and Development of Approaches for Non-Spherical Particles. Aerosol Science
and Technology, 49(12): 1181-1194.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2015.1109053
Gopalakrishnan, R., McMurry, P. H., & Hogan, C. J. (2015), The electrical mobilities and scalar friction factors of modest-to-high aspect ratio particles in the transition regime. Journal of Aerosol Science, 82: 24-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2015.01.001
Gopalakrishnan, R., Thajudeen, T., Ouyang, H. & Hogan, C. J. (2013), The unipolar diffusion charging
of arbitrary shaped aerosol particles. Journal of Aerosol Science, 64: 60-80.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2013.06.002
Gopalakrishnan, R., Meredith, M. J., Larriba, C. & Hogan, C. J. (2013), Brownian dynamics determination
of the bipolar steady charge distribution on sphere and non-spheres in the transition
regime. Journal of Aerosol Science, 63: 126-145.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2013.04.007
Thajudeen, T., Gopalakrishnan, R. & Hogan, C. J. (2012), The collision rate of non-spherical particles and aggregates
for all diffusive Knudsen numbers. Aerosol Science and Technology, 46(11): 1174-1186.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2012.701353
Ouyang, H., Gopalakrishnan, R. & Hogan, C. J. (2012), Nanoparticle collisions and growth in the gas phase in the presence of singular attractive potentials. Journal of Chemical Physics, 137: 064316. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4742064
Gopalakrishnan, R., & Hogan, C. J. (2012), Coulomb-influenced collisions in aerosols and dusty plasmas.
Phys. Rev. E, 85: 026410.
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.85.026410
Gopalakrishnan, R., Thajudeen, T. & Hogan, C. J. (2011), Collision limited reaction rates for arbitrarily
shaped particles across the entire diffusive Knudsen number range. Journal of Chemical
Physics, 135: 054302.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3617251
Gopalakrishnan, R., & Hogan, C. J. (2011), Determination of the transition regime collision kernel from
mean first passage times. Aerosol Science and Technology, 45: 1499-1509.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2011.601775
Granted Patents:
Gopalakrishnan, et al., “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISPERSION OF DRY POWDERS”, US Patent Number 11,358,112
https://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=Gopalakrishnan.AANM.&OS=AANM/Gopalakrishnan&RS=AANM/Gopalakrishnan
For prospective graduate assistants and postdoctoral applicants: If you would like to know more details about current projects in my group, feel free to contact me at rgplkrsh@memphis.edu. If you are seeking graduate assistant/postdoc positions, state "PhD/Postdoc applicant for Summer/Fall/Spring 20xx" in the subject line.