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MIT_Johan Frenje
Johan Frenje
Senior Research Scientist
Head, High-energy Density Physics Division
617-452-4941
NW17-235
Lab Website
Education

PhD in Applied Nuclear physics, Uppsala University, Sweden (1998)

Awards
DOE Secretary’s Honor Achievement Award, 2024

LLNL Director’s Science and Technology Award, 2023

The Secretary of Energy Achievement Award, 2023

Fusion Power Associates Leadership Award, 2023

Defense Programs Award of Excellence for exceeding Lawson’s criterion for ignition, 2023

NNSA Secretary's Honor Award for the achievement of energy gain larger than one, 2022

APS’s John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research, 2022

NNSA Secretary's Honor Award for the achievement of a Burning Plasma, 2021

LLNL Director’s S&T Award for the Creation of a Burning Plasma in the Laboratory, 2021

Director for Science and Technology Excellence in Publication Awards, 2018

LLNL S&T Excellence in Publication awards in Applied Science, 2017

LLNL Deputy Director’s for Science and Technology Excellence in Publication Awards, 2016 Phys.

Phys. Plasmas Referee acknowledgment, 2015

LLNL directors Excellence in Publication in Basic Science Award, 2014

Defense Programs Award of Excellence, 2013

APS Fellow, Division of Plasma Physics, 2012

National Ignition Facility and Photon Science Award, 2011

Johan's research is conducted in the areas of High-Energy-Density-Plasmas (HEDP), Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), and Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE). Together with his students, he is building and using a wide range of diagnostics in support of the ICF programs at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester, National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Z facility at Sandia National Laboratory, as well as to conduct basic science experiments at these facilities. He has initiated collaborations with Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Pacific Fusion, and Focused Energy in the private sector. In addition, Johan has pioneered a new field of research, called plasma nuclear science, which blends the disciplines of plasma and nuclear physics. In his pioneering experiment, he demonstrated for the first time that an ICF facility and high-energy-density plasma can be used to study basic nuclear physics. This work was featured in APS Physics.

Johan has authored/co-authored more than 340 peer-reviewed journal papers. He was elected member of the Executive Committee for the High Temperature Plasma Diagnostics (HTPD) conference in 2014; member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Institute of Laser Engineering Osaka University in 2023; member of the Executive Steering Committee for the National Diagnostic Planning effort, initiated by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) (2014-2023); and member and co-chair of the Executive Committee of the Omega Laboratory Users Group (2016-2023). He was also chairing the ICF-HEDP National Ignition Implosion Physics (NISP) Working Group, an effort initiated by NNSA in 2015-2018; a panel member of the DOE High-Energy-Density Laboratory Physics (HEDLP) ReNew Panel 2009; a member of the NNSA Basic Research Directions on User Science at the NIF panel in 2010; and panel lead for the Stagnation properties and burn panel, which was part of the NNSA Review on Science of Fusion Ignition in 2012.

He has received several awards, including the APS’s John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research in 2022; the Fusion Power Associates Leadership award in 2023; the Department of Energy Secretary's Honor Award in 2021, 2022 and 2023; the Defense Programs Award of Excellence for exceeding Lawson’s criterion for ignition in 2023. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society (Division of Plasma Physics).

  • J. A. Frenje, “Nuclear diagnostics for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) plasmas,”
    Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 62 (2020) 023001.
  • J. A. Frenje, R. Florido, R. Mancini, T. Nagayama, P. E. Grabowski,
    H. Rinderknecht, H. Sio, A. Zylstra, M. Gatu Johnson, C. K. Li, F. H. Séguin,
    R. D. Petrasso, V. Yu. Glebov, and S. P. Regan,
    “Experimental Validation of Low-Z Ion-Stopping Formalisms around the Bragg Peak in
    High-Energy-Density Plasmas,” Physical Review Letters 122, 015002 (2019).
  • J. A. Frenje, P. E. Grabowski, C. K. Li, F. H. Séguin, A. B. Zylstra,
    M. Gatu Johnson, R. D. Petrasso, V. Yu. Glebov, and T. C. Sangster,
    “Measurements of Ion Stopping Around the Bragg Peak in High-Energy-Density Plasmas,”
    Physical Review Letters 115, 205001 (2015).
  • J. A. Frenje, R. Bionta, E. J. Bond, J. A. Caggiano, D. T. Casey,
    C. Cerjan, J. Edwards, M. Eckart, D. N. Fittinghoff, S. Friedrich, V. Yu. Glebov,
    S. Glenzer, G. Grim, S. Haan, R. Hatarik, S. Hatchett, M. Gatu Johnson, O. S. Jones,
    J. D. Kilkenny, J. P. Knauer, O. Landen, R. Leeper, S. Le Pape, R. Lerche, C. K. Li,
    A. Mackinnon, J. McNaney, F. E. Merrill, M. Moran, D. H. Munro, T. J. Murphy,
    R. D. Petrasso, R. Rygg, T. C. Sangster, F. H. Séguin, S. Sepke, B. Spears,
    P. Springer, C. Stoeckl, and D. C. Wilson,
    “Diagnosing implosion performance at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) by means of
    neutron spectrometry,” Nuclear Fusion 53 (2013) 043014.
  • J. A. Frenje, C. K. Li, F. H. Séguin, D. T. Casey, R. D. Petrasso,
    D. P. McNabb, P. Navrátil, S. Quaglioni, T. C. Sangster, V. Yu. Glebov,
    and D. D. Meyerhofer,
    “Measurements of the differential cross section for the elastic n-3H and n-2H scattering
    at 14.1 MeV by using an Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) facility,”
    Physical Review Letters 107, 122502 (2011).
  • J. A. Frenje, “MIT and LLE: A 30-Year Partnership,” LLE Milestone Celebration, Rochester, NY, July 15–17, 2026.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “A status update on Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and path-forward toward realizing Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE),” NSE Dept. Riserca Sistema Energetico (RSE) visit, Cambridge, MA, October 22, 2024.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “MIT’s studies of ion-stopping power in Warm Dense Matter (WDM) plasmas – A status update and path forward,” 66th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics, American Physical Society, Atlanta, GA, October 7–11, 2024.
  • J. A. Frenje, “Review of the MIT education program,” 3rd Workshop on Education, UC San Diego, San Diego, December 16–17, 2019.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Nuclear Diagnostics for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) plasmas,” Mini-Course: New Directions in Plasma Diagnostics for High Energy Density and Burning Plasmas, Denver, CO, June 28–29, 2018.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Measurements of ion stopping around the Bragg peak and its dependence on temperature and density in HEDP (invited),” 59th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, American Physical Society, Milwaukee, WI, October 23–27, 2017.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Measurements of Ion Stopping around the Bragg Peak and its Dependence on Temperature and Density in High-Energy-Density Plasmas (invited),” 10th International Conference on Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications, St. Malo, France, September 11–15, 2017.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Observations of residual bulk-fluid motion and low-mode ρR asymmetries at peak convergence in NIF implosions through spectral measurements of DD and DT neutrons (invited),” 26th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, IAEA CN-234, Kyoto, Japan, October 17–22, 2016.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Measurements of ion stopping around the Bragg peak and its dependence on electron temperature and density in HED plasmas (invited),” 57th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, American Physical Society, Savannah, GA, November 16–20, 2015.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Measurements of ion stopping around the Bragg peak and its dependence on temperature and density in HEDP (invited),” 9th International Conference on Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications, Seattle, WA, September 20–25, 2015.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “High Energy Density (HED) plasmas for studying Basic Nuclear Science and Nuclear Astrophysics (plenary),” 21st International Conference on Few-body Problems in Physics, Chicago, IL, May 18–22, 2015.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) – One plausible approach to achieving ignition and energy gain in a laboratory (invited),” Physics Colloquium, University of Nevada, Reno, April 3, 2015.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) – One plausible approach to achieving ignition and energy gain in a laboratory (invited),” Physics Colloquium, UC Irvine, June 26, 2014.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Exploration of Basic Nuclear Science, Stellar and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis using High Energy Density Plasmas (HEDP) (invited),” 224th American Astronomical Society Meeting, Boston, MA, June 1–5, 2014.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Exploration of Basic Nuclear Science, Stellar and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis using High Energy Density Plasmas (HEDP) (invited),” 23rd International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry, San Antonio, TX, May 25–30, 2014.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “High Power Lasers for studies of Basic Nuclear Physics, Stellar Nucleosynthesis and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) (invited),” INPP Colloquium, Ohio University, March 11, 2014.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Plasma Nuclear Science: A New Field of Research Enabled by the OMEGA laser and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) (plenary),” American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting, Chicago, February 13–17, 2014.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Nuclear Diagnostics for probing Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) implosions and for conducting basic nuclear science (invited),” Nuclear Physics Colloquium, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy, November 28, 2013.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Nuclear Diagnostics for probing Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) implosions and for conducting basic nuclear science (invited),” 3rd International Conference on Frontiers in Diagnostic Technologies, Frascati, Italy, November 25–27, 2013.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Nuclear Diagnostics for probing Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) implosions and for basic nuclear science (invited),” HEDP Summer School, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, July 19, 2013.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Diagnosing Implosion Performance at the National Ignition Facility by Means of Advanced Neutron-Spectrometry and Neutron-Imaging Techniques (invited),” 24th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, IAEA CN-197, San Diego, CA, October 8–13, 2012.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Plasma nuclear science – A new field of research using high energy density plasmas at OMEGA and the NIF (invited),” 240th Annual Meeting of the Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, American Chemical Society, Philadelphia, PA, August 19–23, 2012.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Using advanced neutron spectrometry to diagnose implosion performance at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) (invited),” 39th European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics and 16th International Congress on Plasma Physics, Stockholm, Sweden, July 2–6, 2012.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Nuclear Science using High Energy Density Plasmas (HEDP) – A new field of research (plenary),” 11th International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Scattering, Austin, TX, May 27–June 1, 2012.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “High-accuracy measurements of yield, areal density and ion temperature, using the Magnetic Recoil Spectrometer (MRS) on the NIF (invited),” 7th International Conference on Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications, Bordeaux, France, September 12–16, 2011.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Nuclear spectrometry for absolute measurements of the ICF-neutron spectrum and for basic-science experiments at OMEGA and the NIF (invited),” 51st Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, American Physical Society, Atlanta, GA, November 2–6, 2009.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “The Magnetic Recoil Spectrometer (MRS) for absolute measurements of the neutron spectrum at OMEGA and the NIF (invited),” 6th International Conference on Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications, San Francisco, CA, September 7–11, 2009.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “The Magnetic Recoil Spectrometer (MRS) for absolute measurements of the neutron spectrum at OMEGA and the NIF (invited),” 238th Annual Meeting of the Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, August 16–20, 2009.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “First measurements of the absolute neutron spectrum using the Magnetic Recoil Spectrometer (MRS) at OMEGA (invited),” 36th International Conference on Plasma Science, San Diego, CA, May 31–June 5, 2009.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “First measurements of the absolute neutron spectrum using the Magnetic Recoil Spectrometer (MRS) at OMEGA (invited),” 17th High Temperature Plasma Diagnostics Conference, Albuquerque, NM, May 11–15, 2008.
  • J. A. Frenje et al., “Measurements of shock-bang timing and ρR evolution of D3He implosions at OMEGA (invited),” 45th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, American Physical Society, Albuquerque, NM, October 27–31, 2003.