FPN10-41

Jim Drake to Receive APS Maxwell Prize

July 22, 2010

The American Physical Society (APS) has announced the selection of Prof. James Drake (U. Maryland) as the recipient of its 2010 James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics. Prof. Drake is recognized "for pioneering investigations of plasma instabilities in magnetically-confined astrophysical and laser-driven plasmas; in particular, explication of the fundamental mechanism of fast reconnection of magnetic fields in plasmas; and leadership in promoting plasma science." The prize, which consists of $10,000 and a certificate, will be presented at the annual meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics in November in Chicago.

The Maxwell Prize was established in 1975 by Maxwell Technologies, Inc. and is currently sponsored by General Atomics. A list of previous recipients is posted at http://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/maxwell.cfm

Prof. Drake can be reached at drake@poynting.umd.edu