22 November 2004 (To download a print-quality files of the photos for Drs. C.-Z. Cheng, H. Ji, and K.-L. Wong, go to the end of this article.)

PPPL Scientists Cheng, Ji, and Wong Receive APS Honors

Plainsboro, New Jersey -- The American Physical Society (APS) honored three scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) this week. PPPL's Chio Z. "Frank" Cheng and King-Lap Wong received the APS 2004 Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research and Hantao Ji was named an APS Fellow. APS officials announced the honorees during the society's Division of Plasma Physics annual meeting, held in Savannah, Georgia, last week. APS Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research Cheng and Wong were among five scientists to receive the Excellence in Plasma Physics Research Award in recognition for work related to the confinement of energetic alpha particles, which is important to fusion energy research. (More information about the award and all of the recipients is available on the APS web site at http://www.aps.org/praw/plasma/index.cfm.) PPPL Director Rob Goldston congratulated Cheng and Wong on their ground-breaking research of fundamental importance for the ITER project, a major international fusion experiment that is the next large step for the development of fusion. Cheng is the Head of the Energetic Particle Physics Group and of the Space Plasma Physics Division in PPPL's Theory Department. He is a 1996 PPPL Distinguished Research Fellow and an APS Fellow. Cheng's area of expertise is in theoretical and computational plasma physics with applications in fusion research and space physics. Cheng has more than 200 publications on laboratory and space plasma physics, and has presented more than 40 invited talks at major conferences. Cheng received a bachelor's degree in physics from the National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan, in 1969, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Iowa in 1975. He joined the research staff at PPPL in 1975. He is a resident of Belle Mead. Wong received a bachelor's degree in physics from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1968 and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1975. He worked for Columbia University for one year as a research associate, joining PPPL's research staff in 1976. Wong is on long-term assignment at General Atomics in San Diego, working on electron cyclotron wave heating and current drive experiments on the DIII-D fusion machine. He is an APS Fellow. He presently resides in Carmel Valley, San Diego. APS Fellow Ji received the lifetime appointment of Fellow in recognition of his contributions to the field of plasma physics. The APS rules limit the maximum number of Fellows selected each year to be no more than half of one percent of the Division membership. "Dr. Ji's work on fundamental plasma physics forms a key bridge between laboratory plasma science and plasma problems of high importance in astrophysics," said Goldston. Ji received a bachelor's degree in physics from Ehime University in Japan in 1985 and a doctor of science degree in physics from the University of Tokyo in 1990. He conducted plasma physics research at the National Institution for Fusion Sciences in Japan and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before coming to PPPL in 1995. He has been conducting experiments to study the physics of magnetic reconnection, magnetorotational instability (MRI), and other basic physical processes. (Information about magnetic reconnection is available on the web at: http://www.pppl.gov/projects/pages/magnetic_reconnect.html and about MRI at: http://www.pppl.gov/publications/pages/pppl_digests.html.) Ji has published many papers on laboratory studies of these subjects. Ji shared the 2003 Kaul Foundation Prize for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research and Technology Development given by Princeton University and the APS-DPP 2002 Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research. He is a resident of Plainsboro Township. PPPL, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and managed by Princeton University, is a collaborative national center for science and innovation leading to an attractive fusion energy source. Fusion is the process that powers the sun and the stars. In the interior of stars, matter is converted into energy by the fusion, or joining, of the nuclei of light atoms to form heavier elements. At PPPL, physicists use a magnetic field to confine a hot ionized gas, or plasma, as the fuel for fusion energy production. Scientists hope eventually to use fusion energy for the generation of electricity. The Laboratory is on Princeton's James Forrestal Campus, off U.S. Route 1 in Plainsboro, New Jersey. For further information, please contact: Anthony R. DeMeo Head, Information Services Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (609) 243-2755 ademeo@pppl.gov Patricia Wieser Information Services Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (609) 243-2757 pwieser@pppl.gov Downloadable print-quality photo of: Dr. Chio Z. "Frank" Cheng. Resolution is 300 dpi, print size is approximately 4 inches wide by 4.2 inches high, file type is jpeg, and file size is 1.0 MB. Photo by Elle Starkman, PPPL. Dr. Hantao Ji. Resolution is 300 dpi, print size is approximately 3.6 inches wide by 4.8 inches high, file type is jpeg, and file size is 1.2 MB. Photo by Elle Starkman, PPPL. Dr. King-Lab Wong. Resolution is 300 dpi, print size is approximately 2.1 inches wide by 3.0 inches high, file type is jpeg, and file size is 376 KB. Photo by Elle Starkman, PPPL.

PPPL is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and managed by Princeton University.

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Created: 22 November 2004 Send questions or comments to: Anthony R. DeMeo at ademeo@pppl.gov