Gilbert "Rip" Collins

Rip Collins is the Group Leader for Shock Physics and Section Leader for High Energy Density Science in the Physical and Life Science Directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

His recent research focus is to understand the nature of solids when rapidly compressed to pressures of 10's of millions of atmospheres, the chemistry that occurs in fluids and solids at densities where core electrons play a significant role in bonding, the behavior of hydrogen at densities where the interatomic distance is comparable to the de Broglie wavelength, and the fundamental physics integral to creating a burning plasma in inertially confined fusion.  To explore such extreme conditions he and his collaborators develop and use novel dynamic compression techniques with high-energy lasers and pulse power systems.  He is the recipient of the 1998 Excellence in Plasma Physics Award and the 2006 NNSA Science and Technology Award, and is a fellow of the American Physical Society.