Tammy Ma

Tammy Ma is a plasma physicist at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Her research focuses on inertial confinement fusion (ICF), specifically on understanding and improving the implosion process used to compress and heat fuel to fusion conditions.

Ma is known for her contributions to diagnosing implosion performance and identifying key factors limiting fusion yield. Her work utilizes a variety of advanced diagnostics to measure parameters such as fuel density, temperature, and shape during implosions. These measurements are crucial for validating theoretical models and guiding experimental design improvements.

She received her Ph.D. in experimental plasma physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ma has received numerous awards and recognition for her work, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). She is a strong advocate for science education and outreach and frequently presents her research to diverse audiences. Her research is considered vital to the progress of inertial confinement fusion research.