Prize Recipient

Justin Wark
University of Oxford

"For creative and novel use of the hard xray free electron laser to isochorically create high density plasmas and accurately measure the ionization potential depression, and for new theory that addresses discrepancies with long standing models and provides stimulus for continued developments."

Justin Wark received his degree in physics from the University of Oxford in 1982, and his Ph.D. in plasma physics from Imperial College in 1985. He was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship at the University of Oxford, where he set up a research group working in high power laser-matter interactions. His research includes high harmonic generation, XUV lasers, x-ray spectroscopy, and the development and use of novel x-ray sources in studying shock and isentropic compression of solid-state matter via x-ray diffraction. His research group has recently been highly active in exploiting so-called 4th generation light sources – XUV and X-Ray Free Electron Lasers which have a spectral brightness over a billion times greater than those of any synchrotron. He has used such sources to both create and diagnose matter under extremes of density, temperature, and pressure. He is currently a fellow, tutor and professor of physics at Trinity College, Director of the Oxford Centre for High Energy Density Science (OxCHEDS), and a fellow of APS.

Paul Terry, Chair; Mark Herrmann; Hartmut Zohm; Eric Blackman; Warren Mori