Who are the big historical names in fusion, and who is doing fusion now?
Historical FiguresHans Bethe (1906-2005)
Education: University of Frankfurt, University of Munich, University of Cambridge
Main area of research: Theoretical physics, astrophysics Made famous for: Showing that stars are powered on fusion. Edward Teller (1908-2003)
Education: University of Karlsruhe, University of Leipzig, University of Göttingen
Main area of research: Chemical engineering, atomic physics Made famous for: Developing the hydrogen bomb Lev Artsimovitch (1909-1973)
Education: Byelorussion University, USSR Academy of Sciences, University of Warsaw
Main area of research: Nuclear fusion, plasma physics Made famous for: Leading the team that created the first functioning tokamak |
Current ResearchersAhmed DialloEducation: Ph.D. in experimental plasma physics from University of Iowa
Main areas of research: Plasma diagnostics Current project: Pedestal physics in high-confinement plasmas; National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Walter GuttenfelderEducation: Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison in electrical engineering
Main areas of research: Experimental and computational plasma physics Current project: Modeling turbulence and transport in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Zach HartwigEducation: B.A. of physics from Boston University
Main areas of research: Particle physics, fusion, Current project: Pursuing a Ph.D. in nuclear science and engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with research in plasma physics, applying his Monte Carlo particle transport simulator to study plasma-material interactions at the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. Frank JenkoEducation: PhD from University of Munich in turbulence
Main areas of research: theoretical physics, turbulence, computational physics Current project: theoretical and computational plasma physics, physics of turbulence and transport in magnetized plasmas, magnetohydrodynamics, plasma astrophysics. At Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik (IPP) in Germany. Rachael McDermottEducation: Ph.D. from MIT in Plasma Physics and Fusion Technology
Main areas of research: turbulence Current project: microturbulence in fusion plasma at Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik (IPP) in Germany. Working on the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. Saskia MordjickEducation: Ph.D. from UCSD in plasma physics
Main areas of research: Magnetic confinement fusion Current project: Perfecting design and diagnostics of tokamaks, at the College of William and Mary, collaborating with the DIII-D tokamak in San Diego, CA. |