James Oliver

James Oliver is a Senior Fast Particle Physicist at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). He studies energetic particles and plasma waves present in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas. James’s current work seeks to understand the interaction between fast particles and plasma waves in more detail by running experiments and exploiting the latest high-performance codes. In addition, he conducts studies on the losses of fast particles from tokamak plasmas and the interaction between plasma waves and the thermal plasma. The insights gained from these investigations help reduce energetic particle losses, thereby mitigating the risk of damage to the reactor wall in fusion reactors and improving fusion efficiency.

James joined UKAEA after completing his PhD in plasma physics at the University of Texas at Austin in 2020, where he developed methods of spectroscopy using plasma waves. Prior to his time in Texas, James obtained an integrated master’s degree from the University of Bristol.