Quick Shot

The winners of the first Al Simon Award for Best Paper published in 2019 are Research Engineer Wade Bittle, Scientist Russ Follett, and Department of Mechanical Engineering graduate student, Varchas Gopalaswamy. The Al Simon Award for Best Paper was established to further motivate and to recognize peer-reviewed articles written by LLE lead authors. Professor Al Simon was an outstanding plasma physicist at LLE and a Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of Rochester. His research in plasma physics was exceptional and led to the publication of several seminal papers on laser–plasma instabilities. In honor of Professor Simon and supported by the Simon family, the award is given to the three best papers chosen by the award committee whose chair is appointed by the LLE Director. The committee and chair are selected from a list of scientists and research engineers recommended by Division and Group Leaders whom are not in management positions.

Award Winning Papers:
A Rate-Doubled 10-GHz Fiducial Comb Generator for Precision Optical Timing Calibration, W. A. Bittle et al.
Thresholds of Absolute Instabilities Driven by a Broadband Laser, R. K. Follett et al.
Tripled Yield in Direct-Drive Laser Fusion Through Statistical Modelling, V. Gopalaswamy et al.