Robert McCrory

Background

About Robert McCrory

Professor McCrory received his B.Sc. in Physics (1968) and his Ph.D. in Applied Plasma Physics (1973) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After positions as Research Associate in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at MIT and Staff Member in the Theoretical and Theoretical Design Divisions at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, he joined the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (UR/LLE) in 1976. Prof. McCrory is the 1995 recipient of the Edward Teller Medal for his outstanding contributions to inertial fusion science and applications. The Fusion Power Associates Board of Directors awarded Dr. McCrory the 1996 Leadership Award for his outstanding leadership qualities in accelerating the development of fusion. The Board noted the key role he plays in the management councils of the national and international inertial confinement fusion communities and his important role in bringing an academic perspective to the national inertial confinement fusion program. He has served on the Director's Advisory Committee for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and as a consultant to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Prof. McCrory was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1985 for his many contributions to fundamental understanding of hydrodynamic instability and thermal transport in laser-driven plasmas. In 2004 he was elected to fellowship by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He served on the National Academy of Sciences' Naval Studies Board Committee on Space Technology to advise US CINC on the military use of space, space architecture, and space policy for eight years. Specialties: Dr. McCrory has made numerous contributions to inertial fusion, beginning with his work on the wavelength dependence of hydrodynamic efficiency on laser-driven targets and the hydrodynamic stability of inertial fusion capsules. He was awarded the 1995 Edward Teller Medal for his pioneering research and leadership in the use of lasers for controlled thermonuclear fusion.