Prof. Gianluca Gregori was recently awarded the IOP's 2022 Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Medal and Prize for “pioneering experiments that have established laboratory astrophysics as a tool to study turbulent magnetised plasmas, particularly dynamo amplification, particle acceleration and heat conduction."
Prof. Gregori has worked with the Central laser Facility (CLF) for over a decade, using our high power laser facilities to conduct his many lab-astro experiments.
Notable to this award, Prof. Gregori has led experiments using the CLF's Vulcan laser to help unlock the vast unpredictability of extra-terrestrial turbulence.
[Supersonic plasma generated in the experiment (left) and CO integrated intensity map of the Taurus Molecular Cloud (right).]
Additionally, back in 2013 he led the experiment to simulate the supernova, Cassiopeia A, using Vulcan laser in order to help prove a theory on why it such an ununiform shape.
[The supernova Cassiopeia A. Prof Gregori and his team used the CLF's Vulcan Laser to prove that the supernova's odd shape was caused by gas clouds surrounding it.]
Read more about Prof. Gianluca Gregori's Award here.
