Plasma Science and Fusion Center
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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honors & awards Archives
2006
Three at PSFC Promoted to PrincipalThree members of the PSFC's sponsored research staff have recently been promoted to the position of Principal Research Scientist (or Engineer). They are: Timothy Antaya, Principal Research Engineer; Chikang Li, Principal Research Scientist, and; Stephen Wukitch, Principal Research Scientist. Individuals holding an appointment as a Principal Research Scientist (or Engineer) possess all the qualifications of research scientist or research engineer and, in addition, have demonstrated the ability to generate and develop worthy research concepts independently and to conduct independent research. As such, incumbents are accorded principal investigator status. Promotion to this rank requires selection from among the individual's peers on the basis of unique scholarly or other technical contributions to research projects. Timothy Antaya joined the PSFC in 2002 as a member of the Center's Fusion Technology and Engineering Division. Timothy is the technical leader of the Division's development of superconducting magnet and cryocooler technology for a private sponsor who is licensing the technology and building a 250 MeV synchrocyclotron - a device which creates a proton beam that is used in cancer treatment to bombard tumors. The PSFC-developed technology will allow the sponsor to reduce the scale of a facility, and therefore its cost which is on the order of $150 million, to about one-tenth the current cost. Prior to joining the PSFC, Timothy was design chief and project manager at BWX Technologies. Earlier, he was a senior physicist at Michigan State's National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. As the Alcator Project's ICRF Group Leader, Steve Wukitch (right) is responsible for performance of the 8 MW ICRF heating and current drive systems. His research interests have been in the areas of wave physics and antenna development. Steve has made important contributions to the understanding of ICRF mode conversion in D(He-3) and D(H) plasmas in C-Mod and has done extensive research on internal transport barriers in plasmas. His technical contributions have led to important improvements in Alcator's ICRF antennas, allowing for higher power handling and improved reliability of the ICRF system. Chikang Li (center) is co-principal investigator of all research programs of the PSFC's new High-Energy-Density Physics Division. Since 1990, Chikang has been involved in theoretical and experimental studies of hot, dense plasmas created through inertial confinement. In recent years, his primary interest has focused on the experimental studies of various aspects of direct-drive, ICF capsule implosions, including implosion dynamics; the effects of instabilities upon the fuel-shell mix and target performance; capsule-implosion asymmetry; and time-evolving shock and compression yields. Chikang conducts much of his experimental work as a collaborator at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics. He was selected as Fellow of the American Physical Society in October, 2006.
Li, Rice and Whyte Become APS Fellows
Principal Research Scientists Chikang Li and John Rice and Associate Professor Dennis Whyte were honored as 2006 APS fellows at the APS-DPP meeting in October, in Philadelphia, PA. The honor recognizes their outstanding contributions to their fields of research. Chikang Li, who is part of the PSFC's High Energy Density Physics Group (HEDP) was cited by APS "for innovative analysis of implosion physics utilizing novel charged-particle techniques that have led to insightful measurements and understanding of fuel-shell mix, of areal density, and of a asymmetry growth."
John Rice, of the Alcator Project, was honored "for significant contributions in the areas of spontaneous rotation, momentum and impurity transport, internal transport barrier formation and spectroscopy of medium and high Z impurities in magnetic fusion confinement devices."
Dennis Whyte, Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, was singled out "for major contributions to the understanding of physical processes in the edge of magnetic confinement plasma devices, the physics of plasma surface interactions and disruption mitigation." Prof. Whyte, who works with the Alcator Project, is providing a talk during IAP 07 about his research entitled "Living on the Edge: Materials & Fusion Plasmas" on January 29 at 2PM.
For more information on APS Fellows: |
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| Miklos Porkolab (left) congratulates Paul Woskov on his sixth R&D 100 Award. |
Thermal Analyzer. Developed in conjunction with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Savannah River National Laboratory, the device is currently the only thermal characterization technology that can monitor the properties of materials in the extreme conditions inside a glass melter or process reactor. This technology was designed to withstand previously inaccessible conditions created by high temperatures, corrosive fluids, melting materials and radioactive or biologically contaminated environments. top
Gary Dekow and George MacKay are recipients of the 2006 Infinite Mile Award.
On June 2, PSFC Infinite Mile Award recipients Gary Dekow and George MacKay were honored, along with twelve other recipients, at a reception hosted by Alice Gast, Vice President for Research and Associate Provost. The Infinite Mile Award recognizes superior job performance at MIT.
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| Gary Dekow (left) and George MacKay were recipients of the 2006 Infinite Mile Award. |
The program distributed at the reception highlighted some of thereasons Gary and George were selected for this honor.
Gary L. Dekow, Operations & Engineering Coordinator, Plasma Science and Fusion Center: Gary is an inspiration to the staff that work with and for him. Gary has done an exceptional job of providing leadership to the staff. He works constantly to improve both hardware and software, and putting in whatever hours are required to accomplish the task on time and with high standards. Because of his dedication to his job and the hard work he puts in, Gary inspires hard work from those he directs. The success of Alcator Operations very much depends on Gary and the team of nearly thirty people whom he directs.
George T. MacKay, Project Technician, Plasma Science and Fusion Center: George's positive attitude motivates students, technicians, engineers, and scientists who work with him on the Lower Hybrid Project. Through his tireless efforts he has become the person most knowledgeable about many of the project's engineering systems. His unselfish determination and other exceptional qualities make him a role model for professionalism and dedication to MIT.
2006 Graduate Students Awards
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| Evgenya Smirnova received award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research in Beam Physics. |
Evgenya Smirnova: The American Physical Society has awarded Dr. Smirnova the award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research in Beam Physics for her thesis, "Novel Photonic Band Gap Structures for Accelerator Applications." The citation reads: "For the design, fabrication and successful testing of a 17 GHz electron accelerator utilizing a photonic crystal structure."
Eunmi Choi: On April 25, 2006 Ms. Eunmi Choi, a graduate student in Physics
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Eunmi Choi in the gyrotron lab. |
Roark Marsh: In May 2006, Mr. Roark Marsh, a graduate student in
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| Roark Marsh bows as he accepts his award. |
Physics, won a Distinguished Performance Award at the International Accelerator School for Linear Colliders in Japan for outstanding academic achievement. Roark was one of eighty students selected from around the world to learn about the International Linear Collider (ILC), a very large accelerator the world community hopes to build in a few years. He is working with Dr. Richard Temkin on his thesis.
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| PSFC professor MIklos Porkolab |
Miklos Porkolab to Become AAAS Fellow
Prof. Miklos Porkolab, Director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, has been awarded the distinction of Fellow from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is one of 6 faculty members, along with MIT President Susan Hockfield, to receive this honor this year. The Association acknowledged him for "pioneering experimental and theoretical research in nonlinear dynamics of plasmas and for leadership in advancing controlled fusion."
