Topical Group in Plasma Astrophysics Fellowship
Fellowship in the American Physical Society is a great honor. In accordance with the APS Constitution, "there shall be elected to Fellowship only such Members who have contributed to the advancement of physics by independent, original research or who have rendered some other special service to the cause of the sciences." All APS members are invited to nominate deserving colleagues as potential Fellows of APS.
Rules and eligibility
Nominating a colleague for APS Fellowship is a way to commend them for excellence in physics and their service to the physics community.
To nominate a colleague for APS Fellowship, you and the additional nominating co-sponsor must be active APS members. The colleague you nominate must also be an active APS member.
Process and selection
To nominate a colleague for APS Fellowship, please include the following:
- The nominee's name
- The co-sponsor's name, and email address
- A 300 character suggested citation that does not include the nominee's name, gendered pronouns, or symbols, and begins with, "For..."
- A 2,500 character paragraph expanding on the citation to indicate the originality and significance of the contributions
- A PDF sponsor's recommendation letter
- The co-sponsor's recommendation letter, which must be uploaded by the co-sponsor
- The nominee's curriculum vitae (CV), which must include academic and employment history, professional honors, a list of principal publications only, and other significant contributions to physics
- Optional: Up to two additional PDF letters of support, which must be uploaded by the letter writers
Selection Committee
- Muni Zhou
- Anna Tenerani
- Damiano Caprioli
- Christopher Chen
Recent recipients
Christopher Chen
2025 recipient
For outstanding use of in-situ solar-wind spacecraft observations to probe the detailed physics of turbulence and kinetic processes in astrophysical plasmas, bridging observational space plasma physics and fundamental plasma theory.
Yi-Min Huang
2024 recipient
For seminal contributions to the plasmoid theory of magnetic reconnection and the problem of current singularities in three-dimensional magnetic fields.
Maxim Lyutikov
2023 recipient
For pioneering contributions to relativistic plasma astrophysics, greatly advancing our understanding of astrophysically important plasma processes such as relativistic magnetic reconnection and the coherent generation of radiation around compact objects.
Justin C. Kasper
2022 recipient
For fundamental contributions to the understanding of instabilities, collisions, and heating in the solar wind, and for conceiving and building innovative spacecraft instrumentation that has advanced the field of space plasma physics.
Anatoly Spitkovsky
2020 recipient
For pioneering applications of numerical methods to the study of high-energy astrophysical plasmas, especially the structure of pulsar magnetospheres, particle acceleration in shocks and relativistic reconnection, and the propagation of thermonuclear burning fronts on neutron stars.
APS Honors recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of the global physics community. Guided by our core values, APS Honors encourages nominations that reflect the full range of talent, distinction, and experience in our field, and supports broad canvassing for professional achievement across diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise.
Nominees for and holders of APS Honors (prizes, awards, and fellowship) and official leadership positions are expected to meet standards of professional conduct and integrity as described in the APS Ethics Standards. Violations of these standards may disqualify people from consideration or lead to revocation of honors or removal from office.
Topical Group in Plasma Astrophysics Fellowship
Related
Prepare your nomination materials and review the submission process to recognize your colleagues and students.
Prepare your Fellowship nomination materials and review the submission process.
As approved by the Council of Representatives on April 10, 2025.
APS honors exceptional contributions to the physics community, including travel support for students and early career physicists.