Fiction
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About On Leather Wings (From the archives of the Society)
John Carlos Ocampo works for 3S, a private security firm that is in reality a front for The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Natural Systems. Gaining access and influence through a global web of corporations, The Society monitors, catalogs, and preserves paranormal creatures and objects. Now Ocampo has been brought in to consult with Boston PD on a grizzly murder surrounded by unusual circumstances. An original short story that will appeal to fans of The X-Files, Fringe, Supernatural, and anyone that likes non-sparkly vampires. The first in a series of supernatural adventure fiction in the pulp tradition with modern sensibilities. Features an original cover by Keenan Bouchard. Read a sample on Amazon. |
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About Big Ideas, Small Form
Flash fiction aims to tell a complete story in a few hundred words. Contained within are seventeen short works that span all genres, from tales of dark futures to the ramblings of a child. These stories will make you laugh and cry, but they will always make you think. Science fiction, fantasy, dark comedy, and horror for people in a hurry. Read a sample on Amazon. |
About
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I am a professional scientist and freelance writer living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Over the years I've written numerous non-fiction pieces for various blogs (Sidekickcast, Outpost 31, and Panic in the Skies to name a few), and am currently working on numerous projects, both fiction and non-fiction. I am a research physicist by trade, having worked for both the United States Department of Defense and Department of Energy , and my efforts have earned me numerous defense research awards. Currently I work at Sandia National Laboratories, where I design experiments for the Z Machine to probe high energy density states of matter, a field relevant to astrophysics and fusion power generation. I hold degrees in both physics and aerospace science, with my doctorate being from the University of Michigan. My scientific publications can be found on Google Scholar, and a further listing of my scientific credentials in maintained on LinkedIn. The handsome man in the photo is Scooter, one of my cats.
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Select Scientific Publications
Below is a selection of my scientific publications illustrating the breadth of my research experience. I've never liked to be tied down to only one area of research, and have been fortunate enough to be free to explore what interests me. The descriptions are simplified, but should not be considered layman's explanations.
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I led a team of researchers who theorized, and then detected, a low density plasma that can have a major impact on electrical power flow in cylindrical geometry on the Z Machine. This discovery explains many long standing observations in a variety of experiments.
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My doctoral dissertation involved a weapon system of interest to the US Army. When igniting a conventional gun propellant with a plasma there one can achieve enhanced performance from the propellant. My doctoral thesis attempts to explain why utilizing computer models to probe the fundamental physics involved. This document was (and maybe still is) the largest comprehensive single work on electrothermal chemical guns.
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This application of theory and computer modeling to the interaction between plasma and propellants is currently my most heavily cited research paper. The results of this study indicate that radiation from the plasma plays a major role in the plasma-propellant interaction.
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As a plasma interacts with a propellant the propellant ablates, fundamentally changing the dynamics of how the two interact. It was necessary to develop a model which could adapt to this change. I'm very proud of this work because of the beautiful way the model transitions from a collisionless plasma sheath to a collisional one.
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Ultra-fast laser pulses (femtosecond lasers) can undergo a process called filamentation, in which the laser self focuses in air. When this happens the way the laser filament interacts with solid materials appears to change. My colleagues and I were interested in studying this phenomenon, and I provided a bit of theory for their experimental efforts. This study demonstrated interesting surface shapes created by filament-target interactions, and the theoretical work indicates that the shapes are not caused by traditional laser or plasma effects, thus are somehow unique to filamentation.
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