Author: Alfredo Portone

On 14th-15th May, the Energy Group (EG) of the European Physical Society met in Cadarache (France) for its annual meeting that, this year, was celebrated at the Cadarache Château just next to the chantier of the largest nuclear fusion experiment under construction: the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

On 14th May, 19 EPS members gathered at the Cadarache Château to visit the ITER site located nearby. After a brief lunch at the ITER canteen the group was briefed by three members of the ITER Staff about the project, its key features, and the visit highlights.

The group first visited the Assembly Hall where the main reactor components are pre-assembled prior to their transport inside the neighbouring tokamak pit for final assembly. The assembly hall is just overwhelming for its dimensions and amount of high-tech equipment it contains. Two superconducting Toroidal Field coils were located on the pre-assembly station together with one of the nine 40-deg vacuum vessel sector. Similarly, in the Central Solenoid area of the hall, 2 modules of the CS coils stack were also being assembled.

Then the group moved to the tokamak pit where the final tokamak will be located and where the actual fusion experiments will take place. The pit is less impressive but far more important for the final function it will play. This is a higher quality clear area that will be soon very crowded by hosting an increasingly large number of components that will be finally assembled inside it. At present only the 2 lowermost Poloidal Field (PF) coils (PF5 and PF6) are installed down inside the pit.

Following the visit, at 5 PM the group returned to the Château where the workshop started to focus on four main themes: (a) critical issues associated to the present EU de-carbonization plans ( “energy trilemma”), (b) developments in the field of energy production and optimization (fission, fusion, energy storage, etc.), (c) impact of global warming on society, for example in terms of natural disasters and (d) contribution of EPS to the discussion on energy matters within the EU institutions.

Regarding this last point, the presence of Prof. Mairi Sakellariadou (new EPS President) was particularly appreciated. Indeed, Mairi presented her views on the priorities and goals that the EPS-EG should be focussing on in such dialogue with the EU Institutions. She also showed a strong interest in following up regularly our group activities.

The group of participants at the ITER HQ ready to visit the ITER construction platform.  

The ITER tokamak building

The ITER Assembly Hall

The ITER Assembly Hall: the TF-vessel assembly area (left) and CS assembly area (right).
Inside the ITER Assembly Hall: 2 (wrapped) TF coil is being mounted on the vacuum vessel sector.

Inside the ITER Assembly Hall: the Central Solenoid coils modules being stacked together.   

Inside the ITER Tokamak Pit: 18 TF coils gravity supports surround the PF6 coil (all wrapped).
The grey central post will be later replaced by the stack of 6 superconducting coils modules (Central Solenoid).

Dinner at the Cadarache Château

FLTR: Monika Ritsche-Martke, Petra Rudolf and Ilaria Zardo - image credit: Gina Gunaratnam

Petra Rudolf, chair of the EPS Equal Opportunities Committee, and Gina Gunaratnam, EPS communication coordinator, interviewed Ilaria Zardo [IZ], from the Department of Physics, University of Basel (CH), and Monika Ritsch-Marte [MRM], from the of the Institute of Biomedical Physics, Dept. of Physiology & Medical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck (AT). They are laureates of the EPS Emmy Noether Distinction 2022.

Why did you choose physics?

IZ: I was interested in Greek, Latin and Philosophy. When I told my parents I wanted to study physics, it was a big surprise. Especially to my father who wondered why I had studied all these subjects to "end up" with sports (in Italian "physics" and "sports" is the same word).

MRM: I wanted to find a position in relation to Nature. I come from an academic family, so they encouraged me. But outside, I didn't get positive reactions. After having attended the Open Days in Innsbruck, I knew that I wanted to get a master's degree in sciences.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your career and what difficulties did you encounter?

MRM: It is nice to have recognition from the community but the most rewarding is when I do active research, when I get results and I understand things from Nature.

In the 80s', women had to face difficult times. There were aggressive attitudes.  My younger brother and my husband are also scientists and they were offered positions while I didn't get one.

IZ: The most rewarding is when I first finish a project. When I realise that I found something. When I have gone through all the paths to get where I want to go and I reach it, this is a rewarding moment. It is also beautiful to see the same way of thinking/development in people you work with.

Difficulties: We are trained to be scientists but not to deal with people. You have a strong contact with your colleagues. You need trust and faith. This is very challenging.

Recommendations to encourage diversity

IZ: I am extremely happy to have a very diverse group: different countries, different backgrounds. I was motivated by a colleague who told me that you gain much more from someone who is different from you, who will have another approach to a problem.

MRM: Quotas are important to get women involved [in research groups] and I don't care about being called "Quotenfrau" ("quota woman" in German). It shouldn't be the aim but is a necessary measure to have more women. If they can do the job, they should be given the chance. 

Career and family

MRM: I married a colleague! So there was competition between us. It is difficult to get everything you want once you have a family. I consider it a "fermionic principle ": either you choose the field of research you are interested or the place where you want to live. You cannot have the two at the same time. My advice: be determined but flexible. And ask yourself the following: What is something I cannot live without?

In my case, I changed fields: from theoretical physics, I switched to medical physics.

IZ: "I am not a hero!" I have three children and my husband is also a physicist working in industry. I would advise to not pay attention to judgement. When asked about children, you can answer that your husband is never asked about them.

More info

• EPS Emmy Noether Distinction
  
• EPS Emmy Noether Distinction 2022 for Ilaria Zardo and Monika Ritsch-Marte
• Monika Ritsch-Marte Research Group
  
• Ilaria Zardo Research Group and  announce on the website nanoscience.unibas.ch

The participants of the EPS Young Minds Leadership Meeting in from of the Henry Ford building in Berlin - image credit: EPS Young Minds

Authors: Anna Grigoryan and Carmen Martín Valderrama

Monday 25th of March was the first day of the Young Minds (YM) Leadership Meeting (LM) at the EPS Forum 2024 in Berlin. More than 70 participants from the YM network, representing 30 YM sections, as well as guests from other associations, were welcomed by the LM organization committee chair Anna Grigoryan, the EPS Secretary General Anne Pawsey and EPS Former Chair Luc Berge. EPS YM former chair Mattia Ostinato presented an overview of the YM program and the newly elected YM chair Carmen Martín Valderrama was presented to the participants. Following two masterclasses on scientific writing given by the EDP Science Senior publisher Isabelle Auffret-Babak and Publishing Director Anne Ruimy, the participants attended the lecture given by Antigone Marino on Impostor Syndrome. Could not be missing the "From PhD to CEO" panel discussion, always inspiring, in collaboration with OPTICA. The panelists were Co-Founder of Keequant Imran Khan and Co-Founder of Quantune Jan Kischkat.

Tuesday 26th of March, the day started with the Nobel Prize Laureates' Lectures. The opportunity to attend such interesting sessions was allowed by the co-location with the EPS Forum. The morning continued with lecturer Tatevik Chalyan on writing a successful grant application, after which Steven Goldfarb presented the talk “Why we bother – the urgency of education and outreach”. To further connect with other YM delegates, a networking session was conducted and the LM concluded with the YM activity poster session and the corresponding “Young Minds Best activity award by EPL” ceremony where the YM sections PONYS and SPAM Caserta received the winner's certificates from EPL and 250 euros.

The meeting brought together YM delegates from more than 10 different countries, as well as many interested students and young researchers from outside of the YM network, making it a great success. Beyond the programme of the LM, the participants could learn about industrial opportunities and attend lectures from world-class researchers conducted in the EPS Forum. Thanks to the European Physical Society and Luc Bergé for the invitation and this opportunity and congratulations to the organization for the success of the event.

We believe that scientific outreach, cultural exchange and mutual understanding, and peaceful international collaboration are more important than ever and we believe that bringing young scientists together and equipping them with tools and skills is a great way of fostering these aspects.

We are very excited that so many young minds gathered for the meeting, and we are very much looking forward to the Leadership Meeting in 2025.

A series of conferences are organised by the European Physical Society through its Conference Service and its Divisions and Groups.

Are you already registered? Check our calendar of events and visit the conference websites to know the deadlines and benefit from early bird registration fees!

• Calendar of events
• EPS Conference Service
  

Author: Kristel Crombé

The Plasma Physics Division of the European Physical Society is happy to announce its 2024 prizes.

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.

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 EPS PPD PhD Prize

The 2024 EPS PPD PhD Prize has been awarded as follows:

• 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 Fédérale 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”