Professor Peter Norreys was presented the 2025 Société Française de Physique and Institute of Physics Prix Fernand Holweck at the 3rd France-UK workshop on Inertial Fusion Energy & High Energy Density Science, which took place this week. The gold medal recognises his outstanding contributions to fundamental studies of high energy density plasmas using high power petawatt-class lasers, including fast ignition inertial fusion, particle acceleration, and ultra-bright X-ray sources. A large part of this work was done in the high-power laser facilities of the Cenrtal Laser Facility, such as Vulcan and Gemini.

​The Fernand Holweck prize was founded in 1945 by the Physical Society of London to honour the memory of the eminent French physicist Fernand Holweck (1890-1941), widely known for his work among scientists in the Allied nations, who was martyred and murdered by the Gestapo for his resistance work against Nazi occupation. Intended to maintain friendly links between English and French physicists, the prize is awarded annually, alternately to a French physicist by the Institute of Physics (IOP) and to an English physicist by the Société Française de Physique. The prize is one of the Société Française de Physique's bilateral Grands Prix.

Professor Norreys was appointed Professor of Inertial Fusion Science at the University of Oxford in 2013, and was an Individual Merit Fellow of the CLF until 2021. ​​​​​

Professor Norreys said: “I am delighted to be recognised by the IoP and SFP with the 2025 Fernand Holweck Medal and Prize. I extend my appreciation to my colleagues and friends in the UK, France and internationally for their support and collaborations over many years.”​