[Picture of Dawson]

John M. Dawson

Accelerator & Theoretical Plasma
Office: Knudsen 1-130M
Phone: (310)825-7814
dawson@physics.ucla.edu

Educational Background:

Univ. of Maryland, B.S., 1952
Univ. of Maryland, M.S., 1954
Univ. of Maryland, Ph.D., 1957

Honors and Awards:

James Clerk Maxwell Prize Plasma Physics, 1977;
Jessie and John Danz Lectr. Univ. of Washington, 1974;
TRW Exceptional Scientific Achievement Award, 1977;
First Kerst Memorial Lecture 1994;
Aneesur Rahman Prize, 1994.

Professional Experience:

Research Physicist, Proj. Matterhorn, Princeton Univ., 1956-62; Plasma Physics Lab., 1962-64; Associate Head Theoretical Group, 1964-66, head 1966-73, Lecturer, 1960-1973; Professor of Physics, UCLA, 1973-present; Director Center Plasma Physics and Fusion Engineering, 1976-87; Associate Director of the Institute for Plasma Physics and Fusion Engineering, 1987-89; Interim Director of the Institute for Plasma Physics and Fusion Engineering, 1993-96; Director of New Projects, Institute for Plasma Physics and Fusion Engineering, 1996-present.

Concurrent Positions:

RCA Corp., 1962-63; Boeing Co., 1964; Northwestern University 1972; TRW Systems, 1973-86; Fulbright Fel., Institute Plasma Physics, Univ. Nagoya, 1964-65; Sci. Adv., Dir. Naval Ra Lab., 1969-71; Chairman, Plasma Physics Division, Am. Phys. Sc., 1970-71; Chairman, Gordon Conf. Plasma, 1970 and Gordon Conf. Lasers, 1977; Guest, Soviet Acad. Sci., 1971 and Japanese Atomic Energy Agency, 1978; Chinese Acad. Sci. 1988; Member, National Acad. of Science; Fel., Am. Phys. Soc.; Sigma Xi; Fel. AAAS; Fel., New York Acad. Sci.; Res: Plasma, Atomic and Molecular Physics; Plasma Simulation.

Published over 300 papers in plasma physics in Basic Plasma Physics, Space Plasma Physics, Applications of Plasmas to High Energy Physics, and Controlled Fusion. Holds numerous patents in the plasma area.

Research Interest:

  1. Numerical Modeling of Plasma
  2. Numerical Tokamak
  3. Plasma Accelerators and Light Sources
  4. Numerical Modeling of Basic Plasma Processes.

Recent Publications:

  1. J. M. Dawson, R. Bingham, and V. D. Shapiro, X-rays from Comet Hyakutake, Proceedings of the International Conference on Plasma Physics, 9-13, Sept. 1996, Nagoya, Japan.
  2. C. Joshi, C. E. Clayton, W. B. Mori, J. M. Dawson, and T. Katsouleas, The Prospects for a GeV Plasma Beat Wave Accelerator, Comments Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion, 16, No. 2, 65-77 (1994).
  3. Bingham, R. J., J. M. Dawson, J. J. Su, and H. A. Bethe, "Collective Interactions Between Neutrinos and Dense Plasmas," Phys. Letters A 193 (1994) 279-284.
  4. Nunan, W. J. and J. M. Dawson, "Steady-State Tokamak Operation Without External Current Drive," Phys. Rev. Lett., 73, 1628 (1994).
  5. Dawson, J. M., "Non-Energy Applications for Fusion: Presented at 2nd Wisconsin Symposium on 3He and Fusion Power", Proc. of 2nd Wisconsin Symposium on 3He and Fusion Power, Madison, WI, July 18-21, 1993.
  6. Dawson, J. M. V.K. Decyk, R. Sydora, and P. Liewer, "High-Performance Computing and Plasma Physics" Physics Today, 46, 64, March 1993.
  7. M. C. Clements, K. G., R. Bingham, J. J. Su, J. M. Dawson, and D. S. Spicer, "Lower Hybrid Resonance Acceleration of Electrons and Ions in Solar Flares and the Associated Microwave Emission," Astrophys. J., 409. 465, (1993).
  8. Dawson, J. M., W. Nunan, and S. Ma, "On the Possibility of a Steady State Tokamak Maintained by Bootstrap Current Drive Alone," Proc. of European Topical Conference on RF Heating and Current Drive of Fusion Devices, Brussels, Belgium, July 7-10, 1992.
  9. Dawson, J.M., "Plasma Accelerators and Lenses," Proc. of the International Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion (Innsbruck, Austria), 34, 2039, (1992).
  10. Dawson, J.M., "The Numerical Tokamak: A Grand Challenge for Fusion Plasma Modeling," Proc. of IAEA Technical Committee Meeting on Advances in Simulation and Modeling Thermonuclear Plasmas, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 15-17, 1992, pg. 1.
  11. Dawson, M. M.., R. D. Sydora, V. K. Decyk, P. C. Liewer, and R. D. Ferraro, "Physics Modeling of Tokamak Transport: A Grand Challenge for Controlled Fusion," Int'l. J. Supercomputing Applications, 5, 13 (1991).
  12. Dawson, J. M., "Plasma Particle Accelerators," Scientific American, 260, 54, 1989.
  13. Wilks, S. C., J. M. Dawson, W. B. Mori, T. Katsouleas, and M. E. Jones, "A Photon Accelerator," Phys. Rev. Lett., 62, 2600, 1989.
  14. Chen, P. and J. M. Dawson, "The Plasma Wakefield Accelerator," Proc. Second Workshop on Laser Acceleration of Particles, Malibu, CA. p. 201, Jan. 7-18, 1985.
  15. Dawson, J.M., "The Future of Space Plasma Simulation," Space Sci. Rev., 42, 187 (1985).


© Frank S. Tsung 10/29/96