Congratulations to LLE Scientist Varchas Gopalaswamy, who has recently been awarded the 2024 European Physical Society–Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize. This award, which honors exceptional plasma physicists in the early stages of their careers, recognizes Gopalaswamy’s impressive contributions to the development of statistical modeling to achieve accurate predictions of laser fusion experiments, thereby improving implosions and achieving record Lawson triple products for direct drive on OMEGA.
“It is important to highlight the remarkable extent to which a young scientist like Varchas contributed to the record performance of a premier fusion facility of the size of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics,” says LLE Chief Scientist Riccardo Betti. “The statistical model developed and used by Varchas and his collaborators is a major step forward that will guide inertial confinement fusion scientists in designing ever better experiments.” In addition to a monetary award and certificate, Gopalaswamy has been invited to give a plenary talk at the upcoming EPS Plasma Physics Conference in Salamanca, Spain this July.
