Walter Gekelman Explained

Walter Gekelman
Birth Name:Walter N. Gekelman
Nationality:American
Fields:Plasma physics
Workplaces:UCLA
Education:Brooklyn College (B.S.)
Stevens Institute of Technology (Ph.D.)
Thesis Title:Optical Determination of the Ion and Electron Temperatures in a Barium Q Plasma
Thesis Url:https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1972PhDT........49G/abstract
Thesis Year:1972
Known For:Large Plasma Device

Walter N. Gekelman is an experimental plasma physicist and a professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).[1] [2] He is known for the development and construction of the Large Plasma Device (LAPD),[3] [4] an over 20-meter long cylindrical plasma device to study fundamental plasma processes, such as Alfvén waves[5] and magnetic flux ropes,[6] [7] under laboratory conditions. He is an elected fellow of the American Physical Society.[8]

Early life and career

Gekelman received a B.S. in physics from Brooklyn College in 1966 and a Ph.D. in experimental plasma physics at Stevens Institute of Technology in 1972.

Gekelman joined UCLA in 1974. In 1991, he constructed the original 10-meter-long LAPD to study Alfvén waves in plasmas[9] and served as the director of the facility for 15 years until he was succeeded by Troy Carter in 2016.[10] During his tenure as director, the LAPD was upgraded to a 20-meter long version in 2001 and became a designated national user facility for the study of basic plasma science, which garnered funding support from the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy.[11] He was also a member of the National Research Council (NRC) Plasma Science Committee and the NRC Burning Plasma Assessment Committee.

Scientific outreach

Gekelman was involved in scientific outreach for high school students.[12] In 1993, he led the formation of the Los Angeles Teachers Alliance Group (LAPTAG) and established a plasma laboratory for high school students to conduct research that was subsequently published.[13] [14] [15] The laboratory is a device similar in construct to the LAPD, but smaller.

In 2002, Gekelman was interviewed by Robyn Williams on his science talk show to discuss the LAPD.[16] He also appeared in the Death Stars episode of Phil Plait's science TV documentary Bad Universe in 2010.

Gekelman also collaborates with UCLA's Art Sci Center as a scientist to deliver public lectures and create works of art inspired by plasma physics.[17] [18]

Honors

In 1996, Gekelman was elected as a fellow to the American Physical Society for "a unique, original program of complete and definitive diagnostic studies of magnetic field reconnection and current disruptions in plasmas, achieving major advances and linking space and laboratory plasma physics".

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UCLA Physics & Astronomy . 2024-01-21 . www.pa.ucla.edu.
  2. Book: National Research Council (U.S.). Plasma 2010 Committee.. Plasma science : advancing knowledge in the national interest. 2007. National Academies Press. 978-0-309-10944-4. Washington, DC. 567909228.
  3. Gekelman . W. . Pfister . H. . Lucky . Z. . Bamber . J. . Leneman . D. . Maggs . J. . 1991 . Design, construction, and properties of the large plasma research device−The LAPD at UCLA . Review of Scientific Instruments . 62 . 12 . 2875–2883 . 1991RScI...62.2875G . 10.1063/1.1142175 . 0034-6748.
  4. Gekelman . W. . Pribyl . P. . Lucky . Z. . Drandell . M. . Leneman . D. . Maggs . J. . Vincena . S. . Van Compernolle . B. . Tripathi . S. K. P. . 2016 . The upgraded Large Plasma Device, a machine for studying frontier basic plasma physics . Review of Scientific Instruments . en . 87 . 2 . 025105 . 2016RScI...87b5105G . 10.1063/1.4941079 . 0034-6748 . 26931889.
  5. Gekelman . Walter . Vincena . Stephen . Leneman . David . Maggs . James . 1997 . Laboratory experiments on shear Alfvén waves and their relationship to space plasmas . Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics . en . 102 . A4 . 7225–7236 . 10.1029/96JA03683 . 0148-0227.
  6. Grossman . Lisa . 2010-08-31 . Tube Full of Plasma Creates Solar Eruption in the Lab . 2020-02-16 . Wired . 1059-1028.
  7. Gekelman . W. . Lawrence . E. . Van Compernolle . B. . 2012 . Three-dimensional reconnection involving magnetic flux ropes . The Astrophysical Journal . 753 . 2 . 131 . 10.1088/0004-637X/753/2/131 . 0004-637X.
  8. Web site: APS Fellow Archive . 2020-02-16 . American Physical Society . en.
  9. Web site: Aldag . J. Matthew . 2002-03-25 . Unlocking Secrets of Plasma . 2020-02-16 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  10. Web site: Troy Carter . 2020-02-16 . www.physics.ucla.edu.
  11. News: Wertheim . Margaret . 2003-08-19 . Machines Explore Odd Behaviors of Ubiquitous Plasmas . 2020-02-16 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  12. Web site: Gekelman . Walter . 2002 . LAPTAG—A Physics Outreach Program at UCLA . 2020-02-16 . APS News . en.
  13. Gekelman. Walter. Pribyl. Patrick. Birge-Lee. Henry. Wise. Joe. Katz. Cami. Wolman. Ben. Baker. Bob. Marmie. Ken. Patankar. Vedang. Bridges. Gabriel. Buckley-Bonanno. Samuel. 2016. Drift waves and chaos in a LAPTAG plasma physics experiment. American Journal of Physics. 84. 2. 118–126. 10.1119/1.4936460. 0002-9505. 2016AmJPh..84..118G.
  14. Echtebas. Chloe. Hwang. Roland. Shin. Jane. Gekelman. Walter. Pribyl. Patrick. Wise. Joe. Baker. Robert. Lee. Amy. 2010. Experimental Measurement of Whistler Waves at the LAPTAG high school plasma laboratory. APS. en. 2010. C1.046. 2010APS..APR.C1046E.
  15. Layton. William. Gekelman. Walter. Pribyl. Patrick. 1999. LAPTAG High School Plasma Physics laboratory. APS. en. 41. GP1.10. 1999APS..DPP.GP110L.
  16. Web site: LAPD. 2002-04-18. ABC Radio National. en-AU. 2020-02-16.
  17. Web site: Walter Gekelman UCLA Art Sci Center + Lab . 2024-01-19 . artsci.ucla.edu.
  18. Web site: Plasma: The Most Abundant State of Matter BIOTECH+ART: HONORS 177 . 2024-01-19 . biotechart.artscinow.org.

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