HPLSE editorial tribute to Professor David Neely

Colin Danson,Paul Mckenna

doi:10.1017/hpl.2020.52

Abstract

Abstract David Neely was an internationally recognised scientist who formed collaborations and friendships across the world. His passion for his work always shone through. He always made time for early-career scientists and became a mentor and supervisor to many. He was an active Editorial Board Member of the international journal High Power Laser Science and Engineering. Sadly, David was taken from us much too early. In this Editorial we pay tribute to his work through his publications in the journal.

Highlights

David Neely completed a BSc Honours degree in Physics at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB)
David’s PhD studies culminated in 1991 with the use of two opposed slab targets to compensate for refraction and increase the gain length product, enabling saturation using neon-like germanium at 23 nm with Vulcan at the Central Laser Facility (CLF)
In 1993 David moved to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory to take up a position on the Vulcan laser and in 2005 took charge of the CLF’s Experimental Science Group

Summary

Introduction

David Neely completed a BSc Honours degree in Physics at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). Livermore National Laboratory and the Brookhaven National Laboratory, for example He held a Visiting Mitsuyuki Abe Chair position at the Proton Medical Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, giving him an even greater international profile. The journal hosted a biennial symposium in Suzhou, China, which he regularly attended, giving him an opportunity to consolidate his research collaborations in China and present his work in the international arena (Figure 1) He formed a very close relationship with two groups in China: Prof. In the weeks before his untimely death on 27 August 2020, David was working on his contribution to a manuscript on the history of high-power laser research and development in the UK, for publication in HPLSE[1]. We have brought together the paper that he was working on at the time of his death and other papers that he published in the journal

Scientific highlights through publications in HPLSE

Summary