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2025 EPS – PPCF Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize

We are pleased to announce that the 2025 EPS – PPCF Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize has been awarded to Arno Vanthieghem from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France, for major contributions to the plasma physics of extreme astrophysical phenomena through innovative theoretical models and high-performance numerical simulations.

Vanthieghem works at the intersection of theoretical and computational plasma physics, multimessenger astrophysics, and laboratory astrophysics. He develops first-principles kinetic plasma models of extreme astrophysical phenomena and validates them with high-performance particle-in-cell (PIC) numerical simulations. In a short time span, he has made major contributions to the physics of shock waves, whether collisionless, relativistic or non-relativistic, weakly or strongly magnetized, or even radiation-mediated, and thus advanced significantly our understanding of the plasma processes at work in these extreme sources.

In a series of remarkable publications, he has developed a novel and advanced theoretical description of plasma heating and electron-ion energy partition in the transition layer of weakly magnetized collisionless shocks and validated it with PIC simulations. This problem, until now a major theoretical unknown, is of fundamental importance for the interpretation of observed emissions from shock-heated electrons in astrophysical sources, from supernova remnants to relativistic astrophysical jets.

Building on these achievements, Vanthieghem has been able to advance the complex kinetic physics of radiation-mediated shock waves, which propagate in dense environments and generate the first radiative signals of explosive astrophysical transients, including gravitational wave events associated with coalescing neutron stars and gamma-ray bursts. In particular, through advanced theoretical and numerical modelling, he has characterized new channels of energy dissipation, opening up exciting possibilities for complementary sources of precursor radiation from these events.

More recently, he has carried out the world’s first kinetic numerical simulations of relativistic magnetized shock waves forming in the magnetospheres of magnetars and provided a compelling theoretical model of their structure, thereby opening a new window on the processes thought to be at the origin of the enigmatic “fast radio burst” sources.

His research is unique in its skillful combination of theoretical, semi-analytical and numerical methods, and his early achievements have made him a world-renowned expert in the modeling of shock waves and a rising star of extreme plasma astrophysics.

2025 EPS Plasma Physics Division Innovation Award

We are pleased to announce that Eric Robert and Sébastien Dozias from GREMI, Orléans University, France are the joint recipients of the 2025 EPS Plasma Physics Division Innovation Award for for pioneering work on atmospheric pressure plasma jets and demonstrations of plasma effects on cancer in vivo, synergetic effects of plasma treatment and chemotherapy, and plasma oxygenation of tissues, leading to hospital medical applications especially in cancer treatment and wound healing.

Robert and Dozias developed a plasma jet, the Plasma Gun (PG), in 2005-2006. This was patented in 2007 (US 60/999,083). This plasma jet at atmospheric pressure at long distances (a few centimeters to several meters) in several rare gases (He, Ne, Ar) was the basic tool for their first studies of the interactions between plasmas and biological targets. The plasma jet of the PG is produced using high voltage microsecond pulses (1-40 kV) at frequencies ranging from single-shot to several tens of kilohertz. Control and on-demand matching of the high voltage waveforms provided a unique opportunity to achieve major breakthroughs in the physics of the plasma jets. These include the key interactions between plasma jets and various targets, including those relevant for biological/biomedical applications. Robert and Dozias demonstrated the potential provided by the ability of the plasma jet to allow the production of multijets, from a single reactor, making possible the treatment of large surfaces. Their work also led to a better understanding of the processes linked to the production of the main reactive species, RONS, whose role is essential in the effects observed, particularly in plasma medicine, and those linked to plasma/gaseous environment interactions influencing the channeling of the carrier gas that is important for applications.

The use of the PG allowed Robert and Dozias to achieve several firsts in plasma medicine and plasma biology which have led to numerous other works carried out by other teams and to hospital applications, in particular in the areas of cancer and chronic wound treatment. With their team, Robert and Dozias carried out the first in vivo plasma cancer study and the first study showing the beneficial effect of combined use of plasma/chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer, since then confirmed by others. Another important first is the demonstration of the induction of a temporary increase in oxygenation and blood flow in the treated tissues. This result, subsequently confirmed by other teams, is extremely important in the treatment of chronic wounds and more generally in all treatments where oxygenation plays a major role, with applications now envisaged in sports medicine. It is also important to note their pioneer work on time resolved characterization of the intense transient electric field inherent to the plasma jets ignition and propagation and its delivery in interaction with various substrates. This allowed them to highlight the major role played by the plasma induced electric field, both at the cellular and skin levels, important for applications in cosmetics and dermatology. Very recently, they applied a multi-branched PG system to natural and synthetic fiber treatment, leading to a patented process in Europe and the USA.

Beyond applications in medicine, cosmetics, disinfection and material treatment, it is important to note that the work of Robert and Dozias, in collaboration with many other teams around Europe, recently led to a successful application to establish a European Doctoral Network on the use of multijets for the treatment of actinic keratosis. This project will be a unique opportunity to train eight early career researchers to plasma jet technology for innovative approach in cancer therapy, with the main objective of translating this laboratory-inspired research effort to medical institutions.

2025 EPS Plasma Physics Division PhD Research Award

Congratulations to the winners!

• Dr Robert J. Ewart (University of Oxford,UK) for his thesis “Universal equilibria,    phase-space structure of collisionless plasma systems, and turbulence in non-Maxwellian plasmas”
• Dr Benedikt Zimmermann (Technical University of Munich, Germany) for his thesis “Validation of Momentum Transport Theory in the Core Plasma of the ASDEX Upgrade Tokamak”
• Dr Li Wang (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany) for her thesis “Process control in low pressure capacitive radio frequency plasmas based on kinetic simulations”
• Dr Henri Kumpulainen (Aalto University, Espoo, Finland) for his thesis “Validation of tungsten erosion and transport simulations in tokamaks”

From left to right: Robert Ewart, Benedikt Zimmermann, Li Wang and Henri Kumpulainen

2025 Hannes Alfvén Prize

The 2025 EPS Hannes Alfvén Prize is awarded to Michel Koenig (LULI, France) for outstanding and continuous contributions to the experimental study of laser-plasma interactions applied in the domain of laboratory astrophysics, of high-energy density physics, and of inertial confinement fusion.

© École Polytechnique – J. Barande

51^st EPS DPP Plasma Physics Conference

The 51^st EPS DPP Plasma Physics conference will take place from July 7^th to July 11^th 2025 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

More information can be found on the conference website. Abstract submission is open now and will close on February 12^th 2025.

Proceedings of the EPS Conference on Plasma Physics

Contributed papers presented at every EPS Conference on Plasma Physics back to the first one in Munich in 1966 can now be accessed through a single web page.

Contributed papers presented at the 2024 conference in Salamanca can be found here.

50^th EPS DPP Plasma Physics conference

The 50^th EPS DPP Plasma Physics conference was held from July 8^th to July 12^th 2024 in Salamanca, Spain.

More information can be found on the conference website. Details of prizes awarded at the conference are provided below.

The 2024 PPCF / EPS / IUPAP Student Poster Prizes were awarded to:

• Aridai Bordón Sánchez (Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain) for his poster “Spectroscopic and MHD modelling of strongly magnetized cylindrical implosions at the National Ignition Facility”;
• Ida Ekmark (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden) for her poster “Fluid and kinetic modeling of runaway electron seed generation during disruptions”;
• Julien Herbelot (Aix Marseille University, France) for his poster “Electric field measurements in the presence of magnetic field with the EFILE diagnostic”; 
• Thershi Siddarth Seebaruth (Sorbonne University, France) for his poster “Simulations and experiments of shocks in weakly collisional plasma”.

The 2024 People’s Choice Poster Prize was awarded to:

Emilia Solano (Laboratorio Nacional de Fusion, Spain) for her poster “Potential research programme for JET”.

The 2024 Kyushu University Itoh Project Prize in Plasma Turbulence and Transport was awarded to:

Olivier Panico (Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France) for his poster “Indirect evidence of avalanche-like transport in TCV plasmas backed by 1D nonlinear simulations”.

Two other posters entered for this prize were highly recommended by the judges:

Synne Brynjulfsen (Arctic University of Norway, Norway) for her poster “Numerical simulations of turbulence and blob structures in the scrape-off layer of magnetized plasmas”;

Miriam La Matina (Consorzio RFX, Italy) for her poster “Experimental analysis of ELM precursors with the Thermal Helium Beam diagnostic at TCV”.

2024 Lev D. Landau & Lyman Spitzer Jr. Award for Outstanding Contributions to Plasma Physics

The winners of the 2024 Lev D. Landau and Lyman Spitzer Jr. Award are Anna Grassi (Sorbonne University, France: top left photo below), Frederico Fiuza (Instituto Superior Tecnico, Portugal: top right photo), George F. Swadling (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA: bottom left photo) and Hye-Sook Park (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA: bottom right photo). The team receives the prize “for the critical advancement in the understanding of the particle acceleration physics in astrophysically-relevant shocks through theoretical analysis and experiments at the National Ignition Facility”.

2024 EPS – PPCF Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize

We are pleased to announce that we have received an outstanding array of nominations for the 2024 EPS – PPCF Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize. The quality of submissions reflects the remarkable talent, the strength and vitality of our community. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to all those who took the time to submit nominations. 

After careful consideration and evaluation of numerous outstanding nominations, we are delighted to reveal that the winner of the first EPS – PPCF Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize is: 

Dr. Varchas Gopalaswamy from the University of Rochester, USA, for “the development of statistical modelling to achieve accurate predictions of laser fusion experiments thereby improving implosions and achieving record Lawson products for direct-drive on OMEGA”.

His dedication, innovation, and commitment to advancing the field of plasma physics has truly distinguished him as a rising star in our community.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Varchas Gopalaswamy for this well-deserved honour. His exemplary work serves as an inspiration to us all, demonstrating the profound impact that early-career researchers can have on the field.

In addition to the prize of 1,500 EUR and a certificate, Dr. Varchas Gopalaswamy has accepted our invitation to give a talk on his work at the 50th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, which will take place in Salamanca, Spain, from July 8th to 12th, 2024.

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Varchas Gopalaswamy and his remarkable achievements. We invite you to share this exciting news with your colleagues and networks, as we collectively applaud the exceptional talent and dedication within our field.

We encourage you to follow the Plasma Physics Division of the European Physical Society on LinkedIn for updates and news regarding plasma physics research, awards and community events. We also urge you to visit Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion (PPCF) to keep up to date with the latest high quality research published in the journal and awards promoted by PPCF to celebrate the achievements of our community.

2024 EPS Plasma Physics Division PhD Research Award

Congratulations to the winners!

• Dr Lucas Rovige (Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France) for his thesis “Optimization, stabilization and optical phase control of a high-repetition rate laser-wakefield accelerator“
• Dr Baptiste Frei (École Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland) for his thesis “A Gyrokinetic Moment Model of the Plasma Boundary in Fusion Devices“
• Dr Toby Adkins (University of Oxford, UK) for his thesis “Electromagnetic instabilities and plasma turbulence driven by the electron-temperature gradient“
• Dr Mathias Hoppe (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden) for his thesis “Runaway-electron model development and validation in tokamaks”

Long citations

• Dr Lucas Rovige (Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France) for his Thesis “Optimization, stabilization and optical phase control of a high-repetition rate laser-wakefield accelerator“

Through chirped-pulse amplification, a sub-picosecond laser pulse creates in its wake, inside a plasma at atmosphere pressure, a periodic concentration of electrons travelling at close to the velocity of light in vacuum. Laser peak irradiance higher than 10 to the power 18 watts per square cm gives access to 100 GV/m-level axial field and realises the dream of a next generation of accelerators being compactified by a factor of 1000. The PhD work was in one of these few labs which have maintained a constant effort on the concept and the associated optics engineering. It used ultrashort laser pulses, down to 1.3 optical cycles, to generate MeV electrons for irradiation of biological samples. Many outputs from this 3-year experimental and numerical project deserve the “outstanding” label: an impressive stability of million consecutive laser shots during hours, for the first time carrier-envelope phase effects influencing the electron beam pointing, and the first proof-of-principle experiment measuring the survival rate of cancerous cells irradiated with a 1 Gy/s dose rate. Underlying these results is solid work to optimize a helium gas jet through fluid simulations and the laser irradiance via self-focusing through kinetic modelling to achieve eventually a beam divergence as low as 3 mrad and electron energies up to 8 MeV.

High praise recommendations pinpoint a quickly-achieved autonomy, an impressive scientific maturity of the student and an outstanding contribution that opens new perspectives in the wakefield accelerator field. This work is already recognized by 7 highly-cited papers in peer reviewed journals, 5 as first author in high-rated journals such as PRX and by 2 invited presentations at international conferences. With teaching experience at physics department of its institution and a postdoctoral researcher position obtained immediately at the University of California on laboratory astrophysics, showing his ability to work in other research domains, this brilliant and creative student is a worthy recipient of the European Physical Society PhD award.

• Dr Baptiste Frei (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)) for his Thesis “A gyrokinetic moment model of the plasma boundary in fusion devices“

Baptise Frei’s PhD thesis has tackled the challenge of modelling meaningfully the plasma edge region of a magnetically confined plasma. The aim of his work was to determine a framework with the correct physics representation and reasonable computational costs, able to reproduce the plasma edge behaviour in a wide range of collisionality regimes. Baptiste “invented” a new approach to the modelling of the plasma edge region, where gyrokinetic (GK) approaches developed for the plasma core are not suitable, and nor is fluid modelling typically used for the modelling of the Scrape-Off Layer (SOL). This new modelling framework is called the “Gyro-Moment” (GM) approach. The derivation of this model from a self-consistent electromagnetic GK boundary model is based on a polynomial expansion of the distribution function. Baptiste’s supervisor highlights in his letter of support that the analytical abilities shown by Baptiste in the model development are outstanding.

Applying the GM approach to the description of plasma dynamics in a wide range of collisionalities led Baptiste to derive a linearisation of the GM hierarchy including the GK Coulomb collisional operator and obtain closed analytical expressions. He then developed from scratch a numerical code implementing the GM approach. This led to the study of collisional effects in key plasma edge regimes (ITG, TEM, GAMs, and zonal flow damping), and comparison of the results with other modelling based on simplified collision operators. His analysis showed that the GM approach can indeed describe the relevant physics, as well as capturing new effects related to the improved collision model. To conclude, the PhD work of Baptiste Frei is of outstanding quality, quantity, and novelty, providing a framework for the modelling and understanding of a crucial but not very well understood plasma region, the edge, that is key to fusion plasma performance.

• Dr Toby Adkins (University of Oxford) for his Thesis “Electromagnetic instabilities and plasma turbulence driven by the electron-temperature gradient“

An understanding of the heat-transport properties of a magnetically confined plasma is crucial for the design of future power plants. This thesis contributes two key findings concerning this understanding.

One topic concerns magnetized, electrostatic turbulence with wavelengths much shorter than the thermal ion gyroradius. Dr. Adkins concluded that an important parameter, the radial flux of energy induced by these turbulent fluctuations, scales with the size of the domain in the direction parallel (not perpendicular) to the equilibrium magnetic field. The thesis demonstrates, numerically and analytically, that in this short-wavelength limit, it is the weak inhomogeneity along the direction of the magnetic field that determines the turbulence-induced heat flux. This is clearly different from previous widely-used assumptions, and can be important for studies of instabilities limiting the performance of tokamak reactors. The second topic concerns electromagnetic instabilities driven by a gradient in the electron temperature. This subject is directly relevant for fusion physics and is well-known and often studied. Still, Dr. Adkins has identified and described the importance of the novel thermo-Alfvénic (TAI) instability. He found that this instability can be the dominant source of turbulence-induced thermal losses when the electron temperature gradient is steep. Dr. Adkins has investigated the relationship between this instability and others such as the longer wavelength kinetic ballooning mode. The differences between the TAI and the phenomenology of other instabilities can be traced to small differences in the governing equations.

A common idea is that the largest scales are the most important in determining the saturated amplitudes to which fluctuations and the related turbulent transport grow, regardless of the particular regime being considered (electrostatic, electromagnetic etc). This thesis shows a clear and deep insight into plasma physics, using a firm command of both analytical and numerical tools. Dr. Adkins is a worthy recipient of the European Physical Society PhD award.

• Dr Mathias Hoppe (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden) for his Thesis “Runaway-electron model development and validation in tokamaks”

Modelling physical phenomena is often a difficult problem because various features appearing in experiments must be synthesized using a mathematical formulation which can be used also to predict new scenarios. The work described in the thesis by M Hoppe reflects this path; the implementation of two codes, SOFT (Synchrotron detecting Orbit Following Toolkit) and DREAM (Disruption Runaway Electron Analysis Model), which are useful for the interpretation of the dynamics of electron runaway generation and development in tokamaks. These codes have been made available to the scientific community for interpreting experimental data in various devices in Europe and the USA. The generation of runaway electrons is one of the origins of disruptions in tokamaks and can lead to uncontrolled loss of plasma confinement and damage to the fusion device. The thesis describes accurately the concrete set-up of measurements used for the characterization of the runaway electrons, involving detection of synchrotron radiation (in the visible to infrared spectral range) and bremsstrahlung (in the gamma-ray range). The important directional characteristic of the radiation emitted by relativistic electrons is that it is essentially directed along the velocity direction, and this results in a great simplification of the runaway electron signature. Synthetic diagnostics derived using simplifying assumptions (in particular in the SOFT code) have been developed, and reconstructed images of runaways generated in a tokamak plasma have been compared with images recorded in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak showing a certain level of accuracy in the comparison, and a strong dependence on the assumptions in the model, in particular the parametrisation of the electron distribution function. The work described in the thesis represents a realization of original conceptual tools that are expected to help the scientific community to improve its understanding of runaway electron physics, a very important topic for the development of fusion energy.

2024 EPS Plasma Physics Division Innovation Award

With great honour and admiration, we announce that Dr. Anthony B. Murphy from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia is the recipient of the 2024 EPS Innovation Prize. This honour reflects his significant role in the advancement of thermal plasma processes, showcasing his reputation as the leading expert in the field.

Dr. Murphy’s extensive research over more than three decades has led to groundbreaking developments, especially in predictive modeling for arc welding. His innovations have improved the precision and efficiency of metal fabrication processes, marking a significant step forward in the application of thermal plasmas. His current work in expanding these models for use in wire-arc additive manufacturing represents a promising frontier in manufacturing technologies.

His venture into green plasma technology, particularly his research on the plasma-catalytic production of ammonia, underscores his commitment to pioneering sustainable industrial processes. These efforts highlight Dr. Murphy’s ability to blend scientific inquiry with practical solutions for environmental sustainability.

Dr. Murphy’s collaborative endeavors and dedication to the field have not only contributed to the scientific community but have also spurred innovation across industry. His work embodies the spirit of the EPS Innovation Prize, celebrating not just scientific achievement but the practical application and societal impact of these innovations.

By awarding Dr. Murphy the EPS Innovation Prize, we not only honour his past contributions but also recognize his ongoing commitment to innovation. His work serves as an inspiration for future advancements, embodying the innovative spirit and pursuit of excellence that the prize aims to celebrate.

2024 Hannes Alfvén Prize

The 2024 EPS Hannes Alfvén Prize is jointly awarded to professor Tünde Fülöp (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden) and professor Per Helander (Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald, Germany) for outstanding contributions to theoretical plasma physics, yielding groundbreaking results that significantly impact the understanding and optimization of magnetically confined fusion plasmas.

Professors Tünde Fülöp and Per Helander have significantly advanced plasma theory through a number of fundamental contributions. Their research spans many topics including runaway electrons, kinetic instabilities and transport processes in magnetized plasmas. By pinpointing key physical mechanisms, they have catalyzed innovative developments in experimental devices for nuclear fusion applications.

Professor Tünde Fülöp has been a leader in the field of disruptions and relativistic “runaway” electrons associated with these events. She has systematically explored the physics of runaway electrons in tokamaks and beyond, and conducted unprecedented modelling efforts applicable to both existing experiments and future devices. As part of this endeavour, Professor Fülöp has investigated various facets of the problem, including runaway-electron-driven electromagnetic instabilities, the impact of different collision types, radiation reaction effects, and the role of partially ionized impurities on runaway electron dynamics. Additionally, she has evaluated and optimized disruption mitigation strategies involving external magnetic perturbations and massive material injection. Furthermore, Professor Fülöp has played a crucial role in overseeing the development of several open-source, state-of-the-art runaway modelling tools and synthetic diagnostics. These tools have gained widespread use in the scientific community, reflecting her commitment to advancing collective knowledge in the field.

Professor Per Helander has obtained seminal results in the theory of stellarator plasmas by systematically exploring the question of how the properties of magnetically confined plasmas depend on the geometry of the magnetic field. In most such plasmas, turbulent transport caused by micro-instabilities arising from plasma density and temperature gradients poses a significant challenge. Professor Helander foresaw a crucial development, the absence of the most important density-gradient-driven instability in certain types of magnetic fields. This prediction is believed to underpin the remarkable record plasma performance achieved in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator. In addressing long-standing concerns about neoclassical impurity accumulation in stellarators, professor Helander demonstrated a possible route to avoiding it in collisionality regimes relevant to reactors. Furthermore, he identified important differences between stellarators and tokamaks concerning plasma rotation. On large scales, it is relatively slow in stellarators and governed by neoclassical processes even in the presence of turbulent transport, and on small scales zonal flows behave differently. These and other revelations have shaped the general understanding of stellarator plasmas and the burgeoning field of stellarator optimization.

49^th EPS DPP Plasma Physics conference

The 49^th EPS DPP Plasma Physics conference was held from July 3^rd to July 7^th 2023 at the Bordeaux Congress Center (Bordeaux, France) with, among other very fascinating talks, the lectures given by the 2023 Hannes Alfvén and Innovation prize recipients.

The conference also provided an opportunity to encourage the youngest researchers and highlight their ongoing studies through two sets of awards:

The 2023 PPCF / EPS / IUPAP Student Poster Prizes were awarded to:

• Sophie Gorno (EPFL, Switzerland) for her poster “Experiments and modelling to characterize the effect of connection length on power exhaust in TCV”,
  special mentions to Paul Heinrich (IPP-Garching, Germany) for “Analysis of shattered pellet injection in ASDEX Upgrade”, Lina Velarde (University of Seville, Spain) for “Effect of Edge Localized Modes and magnetic perturbations on fast ion confinement in MAST-U”; Paul Mulholland (TU Eindhoven, The Netherlands) for “Enhanced transport at high plasma beta due to subthreshold kinetic ballooning modes in Wendelstein 7-X geometry” and Alessandro Balestri (EPFL, Switzerland) for “Role of aspect ration in confinement enhancement in negative triangularity plasmas”
• Radka Štefaníková (HZDR Dresden, Germany) for her poster “Spatially resolved X-ray emission lines as a signature of electron dynamics in short-pulse solid-density laser-plasma interaction”,
• Michael Nastac (Oxford University, UK) for his poster “Irreversible stochastic heating via phase-space entropy cascade in nearly collisionless plasma turbulence”,
• Swarnima Singh (Institute for Plasma Research, India) for her poster “Experimental observation of a triple point for a complex (dusty) plasma”.

For the 2023 Kyushu University Itoh project Prize, three highly recommended presentations were awarded, since they were too competitive to select a winner. The three selected presentations were:

• Mario Raeth for “Excitation of high frequency waves in 6D kinetic Vlasov ITG simulation”,
• Jean Cazobonne for “Experimental and numerical evidence of electron turbulent transport enhancement by electron-cyclotron waves in tokamaks”,
• Oliver Panico for “Transport and zonal flows dynamics in flux-driven interchange and drift waves turbulence”.

2023 EPS-PPD PhD Innovation Prize

The 2023 Innovation Prize of the EPS Plasma Division is awarded to Prof. Dr. Annemie Bogaerts (head of the PLASMANT research group, University of Antwerp, Belgium) and Dr. Georgi Trenchev (CTO of the climate tech start-up D-CRBN, Belgium) for their efforts that bring plasma-based CO2 conversion from the lab to industry.

2023 EPS-PPD PhD Research Awards

The 2023 PhD Research Awards of the EPS Plasma Division are awarded to:

• Dr Luis Gil (Instituto Superior Tecnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal) for his thesis on “Stationary ELM-free H-mode in ASDEX Upgrade”,
• Dr Maurizio Giacomin (Swiss Plasma Center, EPLF, Lausanne, Switzerland) for his thesis on “Turbulent transport regimes in the tokamak boundary”,
• Dr Livio Verra (Technical University Munich, Germany) for his thesis on “Electron Bunch Seeding of the Self-Modulation Instability in Plasma”, and
• Dr David Hosking (University of Oxford, UK) for his thesis on “The decay of MHD turbulence and the primordial origin of magnetic fields in cosmic voids”.

The 2022 Lev D. Landau and Lyman Spitzer Jr. Award for Outstanding Contributions to Plasma Physics, jointly sponsored by the Plasma Physics Divisions of the American Physical Society and the European Physical Society, is going to:
– Christopher Chen (Queen Mary University London, UK),
– Gregory Howes (University of Iowa, USA), and
– Kristopher Klein (University of Arizona, USA)
for “the theoretical development of the field-particle correlation technique and its application to spacecraft measurements directly showing that electron Landau damping plays a role in the dissipation of space plasma turbulence.”

The 2022 Selection Committee was composed of William Heidbrink (Chair), Vladimir Tikhonchuk (Vice Chair), Andrea Ciardi, Tammy Ma, Kristel Cromb and Troy Carter.

More information on the recipients on the APS website.
More information on the prize here.

On 1st July 2022, Richard Dendy stepped down as Chair of the EPS Plasma Physics Division at the closing session of the 48^th Annual European Conference on Plasma Physics, after leading the division for exactly six years. His successor as Chair is Kristel Crombé, who has been Hon. Sec. of the EPS-PPD Board since 2016.

The EPS condemns the continuing attacks by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Read the statement.

BP&IF conference announcements here

Implementation guidance on the Plan S principles released on November 27, 2018.
More information on the cOAlition S webpage.

Mentoring scheme for Women in Physics: for more information, click here.

Objectives of the Plasma Physics Division

• to unite European scientists interested in the physics of fully and partially ionized gases
• to promote research and teaching in plasma physics and its applications, to facilitate research collaboration and to represent European physicists outside Europe
• to coordinate activities with the other physical societies, such as the American Physical Society and the Physical Society of Japan
• to collaborate on the Editorial Board of Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion.

The Plasma Physics Division is responsible for the annual EPS Conference on Plasma Physics and for granting several Awards.

Useful links

• • • • European Physical Society
      • Europhysics News
      • e-EPS