IPP scientists awarded prize

Plasma heating method further developed / NIBS Prize for outstanding contributions to the physics of negatively charged ions

The Negative Ion Source Prize, the NIBS Award, has been conferred on three scientists from IPP at Garching, namely physicist Prof. Dr. Ursel Fantz, engineer Bernd Heinemann, and, posthumously, recently deceased physicist Dr. Peter Franzen. This distinction was recognition of their work on a special source of negatively charged ions. These high-energy, but highly sensitive particles allow strong particle beams to be produced and injected into plasmas. The powerful heating method is now being tested by the prizewinners’ team on the ELISE high-frequency ion source, at present the world’s largest source of negatively charged ions, and is being adapted to the high requirements of the ITER international test reactor.

The prize was awarded at the Negative Ions, Beams and Sources (NIBS) Symposium. The conference was held by IPP at Garching from 6 to 10 October 2014, at which 100 scientists from 14 countries exchanged views on all aspects of the production and application of negatively charged ions.

The NIBS Prize, endowed with 5,000 US dollars, was donated by the Canadian D-Pace company, a service and component supplier in the accelerator field, for innovative contributions to physics, production and diagnostics of negatively charged ions. The prizewinners were selected by the international Programme Committee of the NIBS Conference. This first prize for 2014 will in future be awarded annually.