BRUNO COPPI, Professor of
Physics
Research Interests
Professor Bruno Coppi has given basic contributions to the fields
of plasma physics, nuclear fusion research, space physics and plasma
astrophysics. He is the leader of the international undertaking,
"Physics of High Energy Plasmas," based at MIT, and of
the Ignitor Project in Europe. Professor Coppi has developed novel
experimental programs on thermonuclear plasmas, both in the US and
overseas, the results of which have led to the proposal and design,
for the first time, of experiments capable of demonstrating ignition
by nuclear fusion reactions.
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Biographical Sketch
Professor Coppi was named full Professor at MIT in 1968 after carrying
out research in theoretical plasma physics, fusion, and space physics
at Princeton University, Stanford University, U.C.–San Diego
and the Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton University.
In addition to his theoretical contributions to these fields,
he developed the Alcator (experimental) Program at MIT, which is
one of the three main experimental efforts on magnetically confined
plasmas in the U.S. He also started the Frascati Torus Program,
presently the major experimental undertaking on plasma physics in
Italy, and developed and leads the Ignitor Program, based in the
U.S. and Europe. Ignitor arose directly out of the Alcator program
and has been the first experiment proposed and designed to reach
ignition by nuclear fusion reactions in the laboratory. He was a
member of the Voyager II science team for encounters with Uranus
(1986) and Neptune (1989).
Professor Coppi has been a member of the American Academy for
Arts and Sciences since 1976. He received both the Maxwell Prize
and the Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics of the American Physical
Society. He also received the Prize for Science of the Italian Government
and the International Italgas Prize for Science and Technology.
Other awards include the Theresian Medal by the University of Pavia
(together with K. Popper), the Dante Alighieri Prize in the U.S.,
the Distinguished Achievement Award for Fusion Research by the U.S.
F.P.A, and the Gold Medal of the Polytechnic of Milan. He has been
knighted Great Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic by
the President of Italy. He is a fellow of the American Physics Society
and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Professor Coppi was formerly Chairman and a founder of the Plasma
Astrophysics Subdivision of the American Physical Society. He has
been a director of three of the International Conferences on Plasma
Astrophysics (including the E. Fermi School at Varenna) and of the
original Varenna International Courses on Plasmas Close to Thermonuclear
Conditions. He served on, and was chairman of, the American Physical
Society Committee on the International Freedom of Scientists.
Since his days at Princeton University, Professor Coppi has annually
presented invited papers and lectures at major international conferences,
universities and research centers on plasma physics, space physics,
astrophysics, fusion research, and technology for advanced experimental
machines.
[top] Selected Publications
B. Coppi, "Accretion theory of 'spontaneous' rotation in toroidal
plasmas," Nucl Fusion 42, 1: 1-4 (2002).
B. Coppi, G. Laval, and R. Pellat “Dynamics of the Geomagnetic
Tail,” Phys. Rev. Letters 16, 26: 1207-1210 (1966).
B. Coppi, M.N. Rosenbluth, and R.V. Sudan “Non-linear Interactions
of Positive and Negative Energy Modes”, Ann. Physics 55, 2:
248-270 (1969).
B. Coppi, F. Pegoraro, R. Pozzoli and G. Rewoldt “Slide Away
Distributions and Relevant Collective Modes in Hihg-Temperature
Plasmas”, Nucl. Fusion 16, 2: 309-328 (1976).
B. Coppi “Nonclassical Transport and the ‘Principle
of Profile Consistency’”, Comments Plasma Phys. Cont.
Fusion 5, 6: 261-270 (1980).
B. Coppi, A. Airoldi, F. Bombarda, et al. "Optimal regimes
for ignition and the Ignitor experiment," Nucl Fusion 41, 9:
1253-1257 (2001).
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