List of plasma physicists

This is a list of physicists who have worked in or made notable contributions to the field of plasma physics.

NameKnown for
Robert Ellis Head of experimental projects at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory; co-led the Spheromak project
Igor GrabecExploration of unstable ionization waves (striations) in a positive column of a glow discharge and corresponding ionization turbulence.
Hannes Alfvén1970 Nobel Prize in Physics "for fundamental work and discoveries in magneto-hydrodynamics with fruitful applications in different parts of plasma physics"
Irving Langmuircoined the term "plasma" to hint at the lifelike behavior of this state of matter. Developed electron temperature concepts and an electrostatic probe, the Langmuir probe.
Ksenia Aleksandrovna Razumovafirst stable plasmas in tokamaks, first experimental measurement of plasma energy with diamagnetic loop, disruption studies, confinement studies, pioneering female leader of Russian fusion research, Alfvén Prize 2017
Anatoly Vlasovfirst suggested the Vlasov equation, a correct description of plasma with long-range interaction between particles
Andrey Dmitriyevich Sakharovproposed the development of the tokamak device for use in controlled thermonuclear fusion.
Boris B. Kadomtsevearly plasma turbulence theory, stability and nonlinear theory of MHD and kinetic instabilities. James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1998)
Katherine Weimerscientific research in the field of plasma magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and stability theory
Yu Lincomputational research in nonlinear physics in the boundary layers of space plasmas, Katherine Weimer Award (2002).
Elena Belovanumerical contributions to the fundamental physics of magnetically confined plasmas, Katherine Weimer Award (2005).
Lin Yinresearch on instabilities and magnetic reconnection in space plasmas and of the physics of relativistic laser-plasma interactions through complex modeling, Katherine Weimer Award (2008).
Yuan Pingpioneering experiments to explore the interaction of high-intensity laser light with matter, Katherine Weimer Award (2011).
Anne Whitefundamental contributions to the understanding of turbulent transport in tokamaks, Katherine Weimer Award (2014).
Félicie Albertpioneering development and characterization of x-ray sources from laser-wakefield accelerators, Katherine Weimer Award (2017).
Maria Gatu Johnsonsignificant contributions to Inertial fusion sciences and pioneering work in Stellar Nucleosynthesis through nuclear measurements, Katherine Weimer Award (2019).
Kristian BirkelandFirst suggested that polar electric currents (or auroral electrojets) are connected to a system of filaments (now called "Birkeland currents") that flow along geomagnetic field lines into and away from the polar region.
Lev LandauLandau damping
Meghnad SahaSaha ionization equation
Sydney Chapmandevelopment of the kinetic theory of gases
Vitaly Ginzburgtheory of electromagnetic wave propagation in plasmas
Vitaly Shafranovtheoretical contributions to plasma physics (e.g. Grad–Shafranov equation, Kruskal–Shafranov instability)
Willard Harrison BennettZ-pinch is a form of "Bennett pinch". Also invented radio frequency mass spectrometry.
Lyman Spitzertheoretical contributions to plasma physics, Spitzer resistivity, director of Project Matterhorn (1951-1961), James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1975)
Marshall Rosenbluthfundamental theoretical contributions plasma physics, and in particular, plasma instabilities, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1976)
John M. Dawsonintroduced the use of computer simulation to plasma physics, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1977)
Richard F. Postdeveloped the magnetic mirror concept for magnetic confinement fusion, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1978)
Tihiro Ohkawadeveloped the doublet approach for toroidal confinement fusion, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1979)
Thomas H. Stixdeveloped the doublet approach for toroidal confinement fusion, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1980)
John H. Nuckollsintroduced the inertial confinement approach to fusion, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1981)
Ira B. Bernsteinfundamental theoretical contributions plasma physics including a wave mode in his name, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1982)
Harold Fürthfundamental contributions to plasma physics including resistive instabilities, Director of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (1981-1990), James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1983)
Donald W. Kerstinvention of the levitated toroidal multipole, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1984)
John H. Malmbergexperimental demonstration of Landau damping and development of pure electron plasmas, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1985)
Harold Gradtheoretical contributions to magnetohydrodynamics, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1986)
Bruno Coppipioneering work in the conceptual and engineering design of high field tokamaks, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1987)
Norman Rostokerpioneering theoretical contributions to the statistical mechanics of particles with Coulomb interactions, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1988)
Ravindra Sudanpioneered the study of the generation and propagation of intense ion beams, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1989)
William L. Kruerseminal contributions to the theoretical and experimental understanding of the intense electromagnetic waves with plasmas, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1990)
Hans R. Griemcontributions to plasma spectroscopy and spectral line broadening in plasmas, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1991)
John M. Greenecontributions to theory of magnetohydrodynamic equilibria and ideal and resistive instabilities, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1992)
Russell M. Kulsrudpioneering contributions to basic plasma theory, including magnetic reconnection, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1993)
Roy W. Gouldpioneering research in beam-plasma interactions, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1994)
Francis F. Chenpioneering works on electrostatic probes, the plasma physics textbook "Introduction to Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion"James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1995)
Thomas M. O'Neilseminal contributions to plasma theory, including extension of Landau damping to the nonlinear regime James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1996)
Charles F. Kennelfundamental contributions to the basic plasma physics of collisionless shocks James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1997)
John Bryan Taylorhelicity conservation, bootstrap current, ballooning transformation, plasma theory James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (1999)
Akira Hasegawatheories of nonlinear drift wave turbulence, including the Hasegawa-Mima equation James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2000)
Roald Sagdeevcontributions to modern plasma theory including collisionless shocks and stochastic magnetic fields James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2001)
Edward A. Friemantheory of magnetically confined plasmas, including fundamental work on the formulation of the MHD Energy Principle James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2002)
Eugene N. Parkerseminal contributions in plasma astrophysics, including predicting the solar wind, explaining the solar dynamo, and formulating the theory of magnetic reconnection James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2003)
Noah Hershkowitzfundamental contributions to the physics of low temperature plasmas James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2004)
Valery Godyakfundamental contributions to the physics of low temperature plasmas James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2004)
Nathaniel Fischtheoretical development of efficient rf-driven current in plasmas James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2005)
Chandrashekhar J. Joshiapplication of plasma concepts to high energy electron and positron acceleration James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2006)
John Lindlcontributions in high energy density physics and inertial confinement fusion research James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2007)
Ronald C. Davidsonpioneering contributions to the physics of one-component non-neutral plasmas, first director of MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (1991-1996), director of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (1991-1996), James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2008)
Maxim G. Ponomarev pioneering investigations of disturbances of all plasma species by modeling charged particle emissions from imaginary and additional sources:. Imaginary-emission method for modeling disturbances of all magnetoplasma species: Reflecting and absorbing objects in motion through a rarefied plasma at different angles to the ambient magnetic field (Phys. Rev. E 54, 5591 – Published 1 November 1996) and First suggested the Resonant Moments method for Enhanced acceleration of electrons populations by crossing electron cyclotron waves in an ambient magnetic field
Miklos Porkolabpioneering investigations of linear and nonlinear plasma waves and wave-particle interactions James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2009)
James Draketheory of the fundamental mechanism of fast reconnection of magnetic fields in plasmas James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2010)
Gregor Eugen Morfilldiscovery of plasma crystals as a solid state of aggregation of dusty plasmas (1994). Former Director of Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2011)
Liu Chenrecipient of numerous awards for research on plasma physics (e.g. John Dawson Prize (2004), Hannes Alfvén Prize (2008) and James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2012))
Phillip A. Spranglepioneering contributions to the physics of high intensity laser interactions with plasmas James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2013)
Clifford Surkoinvention of and development of techniques to accumulate, confine, and utilize positron plasmas James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2014)
Masaaki Yamadafundamental experimental studies of magnetic reconnection relevant to space, astrophysical and fusion plasmas James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2015)
Ellen G. Zweibelseminal research on the energetics, stability, and dynamics of astrophysical plasmas James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2016)
Dmitri Ryutovcontributions to the theoretical plasma physics of low and high energy density plasmas James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2017)
Keith H. Burrellestablished the links between sheared plasma flow and turbulent transport James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2018)
William H. Matthaeuspioneering research into the nature of turbulence in space and astrophysical plasmas James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2019)
Warren Bicknell Moripioneering contributions to the theory and kinetic simulations of nonlinear processes in plasma-based acceleration James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics (2020)
Melvin Gottliebresponsible for building Princeton Large Torus and Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor at PPPL, director of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (1961-1980)
Robert J. Goldstonempirical scaling relationship for the confinement of energy in tokamak plasmas, director of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (1997-2008)
Stewart C. Pragerdirector of the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) experiment, director of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (2008-2016)
Sir Steven Cowleypioneering research in astrophysical and turbulent plasmas, director of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (2018–present)
Friedrich Wagnerdiscovery of H-mode in ASDEX in 1984
Anthony Perattinfluential advocate of plasma cosmology
David Bohmderived the Bohm sheath criterion, which states that a plasma must flow with at least the speed of sound toward a solid surface
Eric Lernerpioneer of focus fusion and advocate of plasma cosmology
Forrest S. Mozerelectric field measurements in space plasma
Fran Bošnjaković
Franklin Chang-Diazcreated the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) concept, an electromagnetic thruster for spacecraft propulsion
Friedrich PaschenPaschen's law, an equation relating the breakdown voltage to the gas pressure and electrode gap length
Ghulam Murtaza
Mounir LaroussiPlasma pencil, seminal contributions to the biomedical applications of low temperature plasma, plasma medicine
Nam Chang-hee
Li Jiangang
Harold P. Eubank
Oscar Bunemancomputational plasma physics and plasma simulation, Farley–Buneman instability
Peter DebyeNobel Prize–winning physicist and chemist, after whom Debye shielding and Debye length are named
Philo Farnsworthinvention of the cathode ray tube, television and Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor
Predhiman Krishnan Kawfounding director of the Institute for Plasma Research (1986-2012)
Radu Bălescurecipient of the Hannes Alfvén Prize in 2000
Ratko Janev
Rudolf Seeligerspecialized in electric discharges in gases and plasma physics
Subrata Royinvention of the Wingless Electromagnetic Air Vehicle and serpentine geometry plasma actuator
Shaukat Hameed Khanlaser isotope separation, Chief Science Officer of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (1969-2005)
William Crookespioneer of vacuum tubes and the Crookes tube
A A Mamunpioneer of nonlinear dynamics of dusty plasma physics, Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award in 2009 from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

See also

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