Lan Gao

Title
Head, High Energy Density Laboratory Plasma Group
Bio/Description

Dr. Lan Gao's research interest includes high energy density (HED) plasma physics, x-ray spectroscopy, inertial confinement fusion (ICF), laboratory astrophysics, hydrodynamic instabilities, and intense laser-matter interactions. She obtained her B.S. in physics from University of Science and Technology in China in 2007 and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Rochester in 2014. Upon graduating from the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) at the University of Rochester, Dr. Gao has been devoted to developing innovative x-ray imaging and spectroscopic diagnostics for ICF and magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) plasmas spanning a wide range of plasma parameters, with a strong belief in diagnostics for facilitating our physics understanding. She led full calibration of multiple high-resolution x-ray spectrometers for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and the prototype laboratory test for the ITER core x-ray crystal spectrometer (XRCS-Core). She is currently the lead physicist for ITER XRCS-core and supporting the x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer for JT-60SA in Japan. With the entire fusion community enters the era for harvesting fusion energy, she is dedicated to developing the next generation of advanced x-ray diagnostics for burning plasmas and fusion power plants crosscutting the needs for both ICF and MCF. In addition to the intensive work on x-ray diagnostic development, Dr. Gao's research focuses on unraveling new physics for ICF, laboratory magnetic reconnection and magnetized jet formation and collision. She has been the PI for numerous proposals supported by LLE LBS, DOE HEDLP, DOE LaserNetUS and DOE NLUF programs. Her research has led to major findings including the first full measurement of the hot spot evolution at NIF, first particle acceleration in magnetically driven reconnection, observation of ion and electron acoustic bursts during magnetic reconnection, and plasma jet formation and collision. These work have been published in high-profile journals such as Nature Physics, Physical Review Letters and Astrophysical Journal Letters. She is passionately serving the community by mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, reviewing proposals and participating community planning meetings and workshops.