Christine Anne Coverdale is an American plasma physicist at

Sandia National Laboratories Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), also known as Sandia, is one of three research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Headquartered in Kirtland Air Force B ...

, where she is a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff.

Education and career

Coverdale earned a Ph.D. in plasma physics from the

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...

, in 1995, based on research performed at the

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center in Livermore, California, United States. Originally established in 1952, the laboratory now i ...

. After working briefly for Physics International, she joined Sandia National Laboratories in 1997, initially working on the

Z Pulsed Power Facility The Z Pulsed Power Facility, informally known as the Z machine or simply Z, is the largest high frequency electromagnetic wave generator in the world, operated by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It has primarily been ...

. Her research at Sandia also involves the certification of nuclear weapons and radiation detection of X-rays from plasma

Z-pinch In fusion power research, the Z-pinch (zeta pinch) is a type of plasma confinement system that uses an electric current in the plasma to generate a magnetic field that compresses it (see pinch). These systems were originally referred to simpl ...

confinement. She was named a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia in 2011. Coverdale has written over 120 papers in her career, and she continues to regularly present at conferences. In addition to this, Coverdale stays actively involved in her community by serving as a judge to science fairs at local elementary schools.

Recognition

Coverdale was elected as a

Fellow of the American Physical Society The American Physical Society honors members with the designation ''Fellow'' for having made significant accomplishments to the field of physics. The following lists are divided chronologically by the year of designation. * List of fellows of the ...

(APS) in 2008, after a nomination from the APS Division of Plasma Physics, "for exceptional experimental achievements in both laser and z-pinch plasma physics, dedicated service to the professional community, and leadership in promoting laboratory and university collaborations". She became an

IEEE Fellow , the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and ot ...

in 2010, "for contributions to the development of neutron sources". In the IEEE, Coverdale served three terms on the Executive Committee of the IEEE Plasma Science and Applications Committee. In addition, she also served as technical program chair for the IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2015. Coverdale also served one four-year term for the IEEE Nuclear Plasma Sciences Society Administrative Committee. Now, she is senior editor for High Energy Density Physics for IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science.. IEEE Plasma Science and Applications Committee Award, becoming the first woman to win this award. The Prism Award honors a woman who has charted her own path throughout her career, providing leadership in technology fields and professional organizations along the way." In order to win the Prism Award, the recipient must have 15-20 years of experience in the field and must have a clear understanding of how her career path has ultimately led to her achievements. She became the first woman to win a 28-year-old international award for outstanding contributions to the field of plasma science through research, teaching, and professional service to the scientific community.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coverdale, Christine Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American physicists American women physicists University of California, Davis alumni Sandia National Laboratories people Fellows of the American Physical Society Fellows of the IEEE 21st-century American women