Chikang Li

Senior Research Scientist
	MIT Plasma Science & Fusion Center Email: ckli@mit.edu Phone: (617) 253-0934 (office); (617) 504-0996 (cell) Address: NW17-239, 175 Albany St., Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Related links: High-Energy-Density Physics

Research Interests

Experimental and theoretical studies of high-energy-density (HED) physics and the dynamics of inertial-confinement-fusion (ICF) implosions.

Biographical Sketch

Since 1990 Dr. Chikang Li has been involved in theoretical and experimental studies of hot, dense plasmas. In particular, simple, analytic methods to treat moderately-coupled plasmas (i.e. plasmas that comprise most of the matter of stars as well as dense, inertially-confined laboratory plasmas) have been developed, which has been pivotal in motivating the experimental program at MIT. He was one of the key people involved in designing and implementing various charged-particle diagnostics for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments.
Later on, his primary interest has been in the experimental studies of various aspects of the direct-drive, ICF capsule implosions, including implosion dynamics and symmetry; effects of instabilities upon the fuel-shell mix and target performance; and time-evolving shock and compression yields. His most recent research has focused on using proton radiography to study the generation, interaction, instabilities and evolution of spontaneous electric and magnetic fields in laser-produced HED plasmas, and their effects on plasma dynamics. Among other recent roles: he is Associate Head of High-Energy-Density Physics Division at MIT PSFC and Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) of all research programs of MIT High-Energy-Density Physics; he is Vice Chair (2010-11) and Chair (2011-2012) of High-Energy-Density Science Association (HEDSA); he was a panel member of the DOE High-Energy-Density Laboratory Physics (HEDLP) ReNew Panel 2009; he was an organizing committee member of numerous international/national conferences; he is a frequent referee for numerous journals such as Phys. Rev. Lett., Phys. Plasmas, Phys. Rev., Nucl. Fusion and Rev. Sci. Instrum; he has given more than 16 invited talks in the major international/national conferences; with colleagues from MIT, University of Rochester, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he has authored/coauthored more than 180 peer-reviewed journal papers.

Education

(top)