Need an Expert?

Need an Expert?Whether you’re reporting on fusion energy or plasma science, or have questions about physics, chances are we have an expert you can interview. See inside for details on renowned experts at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, a national laboratory managed by Princeton University for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

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These are some of the areas of expertise of sta� at the Princeton Plasma Physics

Laboratory. PPPL is devoted to creating new knowledge about the physics of

plasmas — hot, charged gases that make up the fourth state of matter — and to

developing practical solutions for the creation of controlled fusion energy. In

addition, results of PPPL research have ranged from a portable nuclear materials

detector for anti-terrorist use to universally employed computer codes for analyzing

and predicting the outcome of fusion experiments. The Laboratory is managed by

Princeton University for the U.S. Department of Energy’s O� ce of Science.

Fusion. Energy. Plasma. Physics. Tokamaks. Stellarators. Radioactivity. Nanotechnology. Astrophysics. Computational simulations. Vacuum technology. Materials science. Electronics. STEM education.

To reach any of these experts, please contact Larry Bernard at (609) 243-2755 or email larrybernard@princeton.edu.

1

Neway AtnafuExpert Topics: Mechanical engineering, Project management,

Structural analysis, Cooling systems, Crane operation

Neway Atnafu is a licensed professional engineer (PE) and certified

project management professional (PMP). He is a mechanical engineer

and engineering project manager who has worked on many aspects of

the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U), including the cooling systems,

neutral beam relocation, vacuum vessel analysis, magnetic coil bus bars, passive plate

modifications and structural support design. He is the responsible engineer for the NSTX-U

cooling systems, and is expert in the safe operation of mobile and overhead cranes, hoisting

and rigging. Atnafu also assigns permits for core drilling of concrete structures throughout

the Laboratory. He is an executive board member for the American Society of Mechanical

Engineers, Greater Trenton Section.

Amitava BhattacharjeeExpert Topics: Space and Astrophysical Plasma Physics,

Fusion theory, Magnetic Reconnection, Turbulence,

High-Performance and Exascale Computing

Amitava Bhattacharjee, a plasma physicist, is Professor of Astrophysical

Sciences at Princeton University and Head of the PPPL Theory Department.

He is also Director of the Princeton Center for Heliophysics. His expertise is in the broad

application of theory to develop fusion and in space and astrophysical plasmas. He can discuss

many aspects of fusion, space and astrophysics, including magnetic reconnection, turbulence

and singularity formation, kinetic theory, free-electron lasers, and complex plasmas. He also

is heading efforts to simulate the first complete high-fidelity model of a fusion plasma as part

of the U.S. Exascale Computing Project. Prof. Bhattacharjee has won numerous awards, and is

a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of

Science, and the American Geophysical Union.

2

Ahmed DialloExpert Topics: Laser diagnostics, Plasma physics

Ahmed Diallo is leader of the pedestal structure and control topical science

group of the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) and is

a recipient of a DOE Early Career award. He is developing a fast-burst laser

system to investigate the dynamics of the pedestal as well as to control it.

He has contributed to the upgrade of the Thomson scattering diagnostic system in prepa-

ration for the NSTX-U, and has participated in the operation of the National Spherical Torus

Experiment (NSTX) and the Thomson scattering system prior to their upgrades. He has more

than 15 years of experience in laser-aided plasma diagnostics, has authored many scientific

papers and given more than 10 talks at national and international scientific meetings.

Atiba BreretonExpert Topics: Diagnostic equipment, Computer aided design (CAD),

Fusion energy

Atiba Brereton is a diagnostic engineer who contributes to the design,

fabrication, and installation of various types of diagnostic equipment on

PPPL’s National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U). He has

worked on several diagnostics such as SPRED (Survey, Poor Resolution, Extended Domain),

a spectrometer that will be used to measure impurities in the divertor of the tokamak, and

FIReTIP (Far InfraRed Tangential Interferometer/Polarimeter), which will be used to monitor

plasma density. He is also a popular PPPL tour guide and a frequent volunteer with the

Office of Communications and Public Outreach.

3

Philip EfthimionExpert Topics: Plasma physics, Electric and magnetic theory

and applications, Instrumentation

Philip Efthimion heads the PPPL Plasma Science and Technology (PS&T)

Department, overseeing disciplines ranging from plasma astrophysics

to nanotechnology synthesis. He has authored or co-authored more

than 200 papers on a broad range of plasma physics and technology topics, teaches

Fusion Plasmas and Plasma Diagnostics in the Program in Plasma Physics in the Princeton

University Department of Astrophysical Sciences, and is a Fellow of the American Physical

Society.

Fatima EbrahimiExpert Topics: Theory and computational extended

magnetohydrodynamics, Plasma physics

Fatima Ebrahimi is a Research Physicist at the PPPL Theory Department

and an Affiliated Research Scholar at the Department of Astrophysical

Sciences, Princeton University. She has many years of experience in theo-

retical and global computational extended magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) with wide appli-

cations to laboratory fusion and astrophysical plasmas. Her main research interests are MHD

stability in fusion plasmas, momentum transport, dynamos, and magnetic reconnection

in laboratory fusion and astrophysical plasmas. She has written many papers over a wide

range of topics and peer-reviewed journals. She is an elected executive committee member

of the APS Topical Group in Plasma Astrophysics (GPAP), 2018-2021, and program commit-

tee member for U.S. Magnetic Fusion Research (MFR) Strategic Directions, 2017-2018.

4

David A. GatesExpert Topics: Stellarators, Tokamaks

David Gates is a principal research physicist for the advanced projects

division of PPPL, and the stellarator physics leader at the Laboratory. In

the latter capacity he leads collaborative efforts with the Wendelstein

7-X and Large Helical Device stellarator projects in Germany and Japan,

respectively. He is an American Physical Society Fellow.

Robert EllisExpert Topics: Mechanical engineering for high-power radio frequency

heating components and plasma diagnostics.

Robert Ellis is the responsible engineer for diagnostics on the National

Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U), and mechanical engineer

for radio frequency heating equipment for PPPL and collaborative lab-

oratories. He has designed radio frequency heating equipment and diagnostics for fusion

research centers that include the DIII-D tokamak at General Atomics, the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology (MIT), the Joint European Torus (JET) in the United Kingdom, and

the Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) facility in South Korea.

5

Erik P. GilsonExpert Topics: Non-neutral plasmas and beam dynamics,

Plasma astrophysics, Magnetized liquid metals for plasma research,

Advanced liquid centrifuge applications

Erik Gilson is a principal research physicist with expertise in plasmas in

which self-electric and self-magnetic fields are dominant. He studies

dynamics and instability of intense charged particle beams. Such beams can be applied

to high-energy and nuclear physics, medical isotope generation and proton therapies,

free-electron lasers, and high-energy density physics. Other research aims to understand

turbulence in magnetized liquid metal flows. These experiments simulate accretion disks –

clouds of ionized gas that accumulate on objects such as black holes or neutron stars. His

advanced liquid centrifuge provides improved flow that reduces turbulence at high speed to

allow more efficient separation for use in industry.

Stefan GerhardtExpert Topics: Fusion energy, Plasma diagnostics, Plasma physics,

Stellarators, Tokamaks

Stefan Gerhardt is head of Experimental Research Operations for the

National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U). He operates

numerous diagnostics on NSTX-U, along with designing plasma control

schemes and running physics experiments. He has previously worked on a wide variety of

fusion machines, including spherical tokamaks, stellarators, and field-reversed configurations.

Gerhardt won the Fusion Power Associates 2016 Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award.

6

Walter GuttenfelderExpert topics: Fusion energy, Plasma physics, Turbulence,

Tokamaks, Stellarators

Walter Guttenfelder is a research physicist and leader of the transport

and turbulence topical science group in the National Spherical Torus

Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) project. He has over 15 years of research

experience in the area of plasma turbulence and transport, with a focus on validating

direct numerical simulations and models with measurements. He has worked on and col-

laborated with numerous tokamak and stellarator experiments. He enjoys giving tours and

outreach talks on fusion plasmas and is the current editor of the online U.S. Burning Plasma

Organization eNews newsletter.

Robert J. GoldstonExpert Topics: Fusion energy, Plasma physics, Plasma exhaust,

Tokamaks, Non-proliferation and arms control

Robert Goldston is a professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton

University and an international leader in the fields of plasma physics and

magnetic fusion energy. From 1997 to 2009 he served as Director of

PPPL. He is the author of 220 papers in journals and conference proceedings, and in 1995

co-authored with Paul Rutherford the textbook “Introduction to Plasma Physics.” He is a

contributing author to five other books. In 1988, he was awarded the American Physical

Society Prize for Excellence in Plasma Physics. Goldston is a fellow of the American Physical

Society. He received a 2014 Leading Global Thinker award from Foreign Policy magazine

for his work on arms control and a 2015 Nuclear Fusion Award at the International Atomic

Energy Agency’s 2016 Nuclear Fusion Energy Conference in Kyoto, Japan.

7

Hantao JiExpert Topics: Plasma astrophysics, Magnetic reconnection,

Magnetorotational instability, Dynamo effects and magnetic

self-organization, Free-surface liquid metal flows across strong

magnetic fields

Hantao Ji is a professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University

and a Distinguished Research Fellow at PPPL. For more than 20 years he has been inter-

ested in the growing fields of plasma physics and astrophysics, and has dedicated his career

to bringing them closer together.

Richard HawrylukFusion energy, ITER, NSTX-U, NSTX-U Recovery Project,

Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

A physicist who formerly headed the National Spherical Torus Experi-

ment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) Recovery Project, Richard Hawryluk has been at

PPPL since 1974 and was Head of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR),

the first facility to produce fusion with a high-power mix of deuterium and tritium, from 1991–

1997. He served as deputy director of PPPL from 1997–2008; Head of the ITER and Tokamaks

Department from 2009–2011 and again from 2013–2016; Interim Lab Director until July 2018;

and deputy director-general for the Administration Department of ITER from 2011–2013. Haw-

ryluk has won numerous awards, including the American Physical Society Prize for Excellence

in Plasma Physics. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

and of the American Physical Society. He is chair of the board of editors of Nuclear Fusion,

the leading monthly journal in the field of controlled fusion energy.

8

Jerry D. LevineExpert Topics: Nuclear energy, Nuclear safety

Jerry Levine has more than 35 years experience in managing, coordinating

and reviewing licensing, safety, and environmental matters for fusion-en-

ergy research activities and the nuclear waste program. As the head of the

Environment Safety and Health Department, Levine directs a department

of more than 40 professionals responsible for oversight and support of activities ranging

from radiation protection and electrical safety to emergency preparedness, environmental

protection and security.

Bruce E. KoelExpert Topics: Materials chemistry, Plasma-materials interactions,

Surface science

Bruce Koel is a professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at

Princeton University. He is an associated faculty member in Chemistry,

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the Princeton Institute for the

Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM), the Andlinger Center for Energy and the

Environment (ACEE), and a collaborator on the Lithium Tokamak Experiment-β at PPPL.

Koel is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American

Physical Society and the American Vacuum Society.

9

Jonathan E. MenardExpert Topics: Fusion energy, NSTX-U, Plasma physics, Tokamaks

Jonathan Menard is program director for the National Spherical Torus

Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) and is responsible for guiding the scientifi c

research program of the NSTX-U, working with an international research

team. His research interests include the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)

equilibrium and stability properties of spherical torus (ST) and tokamak plasmas, advanced

operating scenarios in the ST, and the development of next-step ST options for fusion energy.

Dick MajeskiExpert topics: Fusion, Plasma, Tokamaks, Walls for Fusion Devices

Dick Majeski is a principal research physicist and head of the Lithium

Tokamak Experiment (LTX), a device that allows scientists to study the

eff ect of the liquid metal on fusion reactions. He is an expert in tokamaks

and walls for fusion devices, especially those coated in lithium.

10

Charles L. NeumeyerExpert Topics: ITER, Power systems, NSTX-U

Charles Neumeyer is a registered professional engineer with more than 40

years experience in advanced technology research and project manage-

ment. His experience covers functions ranging from design to procure-

ment and commissioning. Neumeyer has had managerial roles in activities

associated with ITER and the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U). He

has been responsible for U.S. equipment contributions for the ITER Steady State Electrical

Network, which will supply AC power to all ITER plant systems, is deputy head of the PPPL

Engineering Department and serves as the Chief Engineer of PPPL.

George “Hutch” NeilsonExpert topics: ITER fabrication, Stellarators, Fusion reactor design,

Fusion strategic planning

George “Hutch” Neilson manages PPPL’s ITER fabrication activities, which

include design and fabrication of several ITER diagnostic systems and

associated shielding and structural support. As PPPL’s head of Advanced

Projects, Neilson is the national technical coordinator for U.S. collaborations with the

Wendelstein 7-X stellarator experiment in Germany. He also oversees advanced design

activities, including the U.S. system studies program and collaborations with South Korea

and China on studies of fusion engineering facilities that would take the next steps beyond

ITER toward fusion power plants.

11

Yevgeny RaitsesExpert Topics: Low Temperature Plasma and Gas Discharges, Plasma-

Surface Interactions and Plasma Diagnostics, Plasma Thrusters for

Spacecraft, Plasma-Based Synthesis and Processing of Nanomaterials

Yevgeny Raitses is a principal research physicist who heads the

Laboratory for Plasma Nanosynthesis (LPN) at PPPL, which conducts

research on plasma science and materials science associated with the use of plasma to

create new high-quality nanomaterials at low cost and at an accelerated pace. His research

in this area could be applied to a broad range of fields from microchips to biopharmaceu-

tical manufacturing. He also leads research on physics and engineering of plasma thrusters

for satellite applications that will eventually provide propulsion and steering for missions to

distant objects in the solar system and beyond. His research interests also cover emerging

fields of plasma-catalysis and plasma medicine.

Francesca PoliExpert Topics: Integrated tokamak modeling

Francesca Poli’s expertise is in simulating the evolution of tokamak

plasma discharges. She uses waves and neutral beams to modify the

plasma current profile and to optimize the plasma performance. She

applies her expertise to interpret existing experiments, to predict and

design new experiments, and to predict plasma performance in ITER, the international

demonstration of the practicality of fusion being built in the south of France. She is also an

ITER Scientist Fellow, a member of a network of researchers that consults with ITER.

12

Masaaki YamadaExpert Topics: Magnetic reconnection, Tokamaks

Masaaki Yamada is a Distinguished Laboratory Research Fellow and the

head of the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX) research program.

He is also a co-principal investigator of the Center for Magnetic Self-

Organization in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas, a Physics Frontier

Center established by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Valeria RiccardoExpert Topics: Fusion energy, tokamak design, ITER,

plasma-facing materials

Valeria Riccardo is PPPL’s head of engineering, the largest department at

PPPL. She worked for more than 20 years at the Culham Centre for Fusion

Energy in Oxfordshire, England, which operates the Joint European Torus

(JET) and the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) facility, a sister facility to PPPL. As

chief engineer at the Culham Center for five years, she was responsible for ensuring that the

consequences of any design, installation and operation decision were understood. She was

previously deputy engineering design and manufacture team leader for the ITER-like Wall

(ILW) project for five years. The project used the same materials on the interior of the JET

tokamak as those that will be used on the interior of the ITER tokamak, the huge interna-

tional fusion experiment being built in Cadarache, France.

13

Andrew P. ZwickerExpert Topics: Education, Science literacy, STEM

Andrew Zwicker, a physicist, science educator, and a science communica-

tor, heads the Offi ce of Communications and Public Outreach at PPPL. A

fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), the American Association

of Physics Teachers has named him to its list of 75 leading contributors

to physics education. He is a member of the APS Committee on Informing the Public,

past editor of the APS Forum on Physics and Society’s newsletter, and a past chair of that

Forum. Additionally, he is a past member of the APS Committee on Education. At Princeton

University he was a lecturer in the Writing Program for a decade and is currently a faculty

advisor for freshmen and sophomores as well as for the women’s soccer team.

Michael C. Zarnstorff Expert Topics: Fusion energy, Fusion reactor design, International

collaborations, Plasma physics, Stellarators, Tokamaks

Michael Zarnstorff is the deputy director for research at PPPL, where he

oversees research that ranges from testing ideas for harnessing fusion

to developing rockets for space fl ight. His job encompasses keeping

projects aligned with DOE goals and envisioning new research opportunities for PPPL.

An award-winning physicist and a co-discoverer of the bootstrap current in magnetically

confi ned fusion plasmas, he joined PPPL in 1984 and has been deputy director for research

since 2009.

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