Hartmut Zohm — Biographical Profile
- Alfvén Prize (2016)
Primary Academic Discipline: Tokamak MHD Stability & ECCD|Active Research Era: Contemporary
2016 Hannes Alfvén Prize laureate recognized for stabilizing neoclassical tearing modes using electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) on ASDEX Upgrade.
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), Garching
Academic Career & Impact on Plasma Physics
Hartmut Zohm is the Director of the Tokamak Scenario Development division at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching, Germany. He received the 2016 Hannes Alfvén Prize from the European Physical Society for his pioneering demonstration that neoclassical tearing modes — a key performance-limiting instability in high-beta tokamaks — can be actively stabilized using localized electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD).
The technique was first proven on ASDEX Upgrade and is now baseline disruption-mitigation strategy for ITER. Zohm's broader work on advanced tokamak scenarios, edge-localized mode control, and burning-plasma physics has directly shaped ITER operational planning and the design of DEMO-class devices.
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