Emeritus Professor John Howard

Emeritus Professor
Research School of Physics

John Howard obtained his PhD degree in 1983 in the field of plasma physics at the University of Sydney. He subsequently worked in the Dept of Electrical Engineering at UCLA until his return to The Australian National University in 1989. Prof Howard has worked on many aspects relating to the diagnosis and physics of plasmas in the H-1 heliac. He also has interests in the broad area of remote sensing and inverse methods with strong links into industry and medical imaging. He has been head of the toroidal plasma physics group since 2009.

Professor Howard is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics. He has served on a number of international review and/or conference committees and editorial boards, and has organised the very successful biannual Japan-Australia Plasma diagnostics workshop series since 2002. He has won more than $2.5M in research grants since 2005 and has approximately 90 papers in peer reviewed journals. Professor Howard has supervised or advised 20 PhD or MPhil students and 10 honours students.

Research interests

  • Plasma diagnostic and remote sensing systems
  • Inverse methods (tomography)
  • Toroidal plasma confinement
  • Optical coherence and polarization imaging systems

Groups

  • Nishiura, M, Yoshida, Z, Kenmochi, N et al 2019, 'Experimental analysis of self-organized structure and transport on the magnetospheric plasma device RT-1', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 59, no. 9, pp. 1-6.
  • Harrison, J, Akers, R, Allan, S et al 2019, 'Overview of new MAST physics in anticipation of first results from MAST Upgrade', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 59, no. 11, pp. 1-12.
  • Petty, C, Abadie, L, Abrams, T et al 2019, 'DIII-D research towards establishing the scientific basis for future fusion reactors', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 59, no. 11, pp. 1-16.
  • Abramovic, I, Pavone, A, Moseev, D et al. 2019, 'Forward modeling of collective Thomson scattering for Wendelstein 7-X plasmas: Electrostatic approximation', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 90, no. 2, pp. 1-12.
  • Samuell, C, Allen, S, Meyer, W et al 2018, 'Verification of doppler coherence imaging for 2D ion velocity measurements on DIII-D', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 89, no. 9, pp. 8pp.
  • Nakamura, K, Nishiura, M, Takahashi, N et al 2018, 'Coherence-imaging spectroscopy for 2D distribution of ion temperature and flow velocity in a laboratory magnetosphere', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 89, no. 10, pp. 5pp.
  • Thorman, A, Michael, C, Howard, J et al 2018, 'Motional Stark effect imaging first results on the DIII-D tokamak', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 89, pp. 1-5.
  • Dinklage, A, Beidler, C, Helander, P et al 2018, 'Erratum to: Magnetic configuration effects on the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator (Nature Physics, (2018), 14, 8, (855-860), 10.1038/s41567-018-0141-9)', Nature Physics, vol. 14, no. 8, p. 867.
  • Wolf, R, Alonso, A, Baldzuhn, J et al 2017, 'Major results from the first plasma campaign of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 57, no. 10, pp. 102020 (13pp).
  • Michael, C, Zhao, F, Blackwell, B et al 2017, 'Influence of magnetic configuration on edge turbulence and transport in the H-1 Heliac', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 1-11.
  • Kirk, A, Howard, J, Michael, C et al 2017, 'Overview of recent physics results from MAST', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 57, no. 10, pp. 102007 (16pp).
  • Kirk, A, McMillan, B, Barnes, M et al. 2017, 'Overview of recent physics results from MAST', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 57, no. 10, pp. 102007 (16pp).
  • Samuell, C, Allen, S, Meyer, W et al 2017, 'Absolute calibration of Doppler coherence imaging velocity images', Journal of Instrumentation, vol. 12, no. 8, pp. 1-8pp.
  • Thorman, A, Howard, J, Michael, C et al 2016, 'A photoelastic-modulator-based motional Stark effect polarimeter for ITER that is insensitive to polarized broadband background reflections', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 87, no. 7, pp. 73504-73504.
  • Howard, J, Kocan, M, Lisgo, S et al 2016, 'Stokes-Doppler coherence imaging for ITER boundary tomography', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 87, no. 11, pp. -.
  • Lester R, Zhai Y, Corr C & Howard J, J 2016, 'Coherence imaging for ion temperature and flow measurements in a low-temperature helicon plasma source', Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 25, no. 1, 015025
  • Wolf, R, Bock, A, Ford, O et al 2015, 'Motional Stark Effect measurements of the local magnetic field in high temperature fusion plasmas', Journal of Instrumentation, vol. 10, no. 10, pp. -.
  • Wolf, R, Bock, A, Ford, O et al 2015, 'Motional stark effect measurements of the local magnetic field in high temperature fusion plasmas', 1st EPS Conference on Plasma Diagnostics, ECPD 2015, IOP Publishing, TBC, pp. (22 pp).
  • Haskey, S, Blackwell, B, Nuhrenberg, C et al 2015, 'Experiment-theory comparison for low frequency BAE modes in the strongly shaped H-1NF stellarator', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 57, no. 9, pp. 1-12.
  • Chapman, I, Adamek, J, Akers, R et al. 2015, 'Overview of MAST results', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 55, no. 10, pp. 1-20.
  • Ford, O, Howard, J & Wolf, R 2015, 'The prototype imaging motional Stark effect diagnostic for ASDEX upgrade', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 86, no. 9, pp. 1-11.
  • Howard, J, Michael, C, Chen, H et al 2015, 'Spectro-polarimetrc optical systems for imaging plasma internal fields, structures and flows', Journal of Instrumentation, vol. 10, no. 9, pp. 13pp.
  • Michael, C, Thorman, A, Chung, J et al. 2015, 'Electron Cyclotron current drive studies on KSTAR using imaging MSE', European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2015, ed. Bingham R. Goncalves , European Physical Society, TBC, pp. -.
  • Haskey, S, Thapar, N, Blackwell, B et al 2014, 'Synchronous imaging of coherent plasma fluctuations', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 85, no. 3, pp. 1-6.
  • Haskey, S, Blackwell, B, Seiwald, B et al 2014, 'Visible light tomography of MHD eigenmodes in the H-1NF stellarator using magnetic coordinates', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 54, no. 8, p. 083031.
  • Silburn, S, Harrison, J, Howard, J et al. 2014, 'Coherence imaging of scrape-off-layer and divertor impurity flows in the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 85, no. 11, pp. 11D703-11D703.
  • Chung, J, Ko, J, Howard, J et al 2014, 'Motional Stark effect diagnostics for KSTAR', Journal of the Korean Physical Society, vol. 65, no. 8, pp. 1257-1260.
  • Silburn, S, Sharples, R, Michael, C et al. 2013, '2D impurity flow imaging on MAST with coherence imaging', 40th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2013, IOP Publishing, Espoo, pp. 1654-1657.
  • Howard, J, Wolf, R & Ford, O 2013, 'Performance tests of the ASDEX Upgrade Imaging Motional Stark Effect diagnostic (IMSE)', 40th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2013, IOP Publishing, Espoo, pp. 1618-1621.
  • Samuell, C, Blackwell, B, Howard, J et al 2013, 'Plasma parameters and electron energy distribution functions in a magnetically focused plasma', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 034502/1-4.
  • Fhager, A, Padhi, S, Persson, M et al 2013, 'Antenna modeling and reconstruction accuracy of time domain-based image reconstruction in microwave tomography', International Journal of Biomedical Imaging, vol. 2013, no. Article ID 343180, pp. 1-14.
  • Thorman, A, Michael, C & Howard, J 2013, 'A high spatial resolution Stokes polarimeter for motional Stark effect imaging', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 84, no. 6, pp. 63507-63507.
  • Haskey, S, Blackwell, B, Seiwald, B et al 2013, 'A multichannel magnetic probe system for analysing magnetic fluctuations in helical axis plasmas', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 84, no. 9.
  • Weber, T, Porter, G, Meier, E et al 2013, 'Impurity flow measurements at DIII-D using a coherence imaging spectrometer', Journal of Nuclear Materials, vol. 438, no. SUPPL, pp. S1257-S1260.
  • Howard, J, Svensson, J, Wolf, R et al 2013, 'First results from the imaging motional stark effect diagnostic on ASDEX upgrade', 40th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2013, IOP Publishing, Espoo, pp. 37-40pp.
  • Howard, J, Muir, J, Glass, F et al 2012, 'A single-probe-beam double-heterodyne polarimeter-interferometer for plasma Faraday rotation measurements', Journal of Instrumentation, vol. 7, p. 9.
  • Blackwell, B, Caneses, J, Samuell, C et al. 2012, 'Design and characterization of the Magnetized Plasma Interaction Experiment (MAGPIE): A new source for plasma-material interaction studies', Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 1-7.
  • Ma, S, Howard, J, Blackwell, B et al. 2012, 'Measurements of electron density and temperature in the H-1 heliac plasma by helium line intensity ratios', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 83, no. 3, pp. 33102-33102.
  • Howard, J & Chung, J 2012, 'Spatial heterodyne Stokes vector imaging of the motional Stark-Zeeman multiplet', Topical Conference on High-Temperature Plasma Diagnostics 2012, ed. Brentley C. Stratton, Session Chairman, American Institute of Physics, New York USA, pp. 10D510-10D510.
  • Weber, T, Howard, J & Allen, S 2012, 'C-III flow measurements with a coherence imaging spectrometer', Topical Conference on High-Temperature Plasma Diagnostics 2012, ed. Brentley C. Stratton, Session Chairman, American Institute of Physics, New York USA, pp. 1E+103-1E+103.
  • Padhi, S, Howard, J, Fhager, A et al 2011, 'A PC-controlled microwave tomographic scanner for breast imaging', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 82, no. 1, pp. 14702-14702.
  • Howard, J, Diallo, A, Creese, M et al. 2011, 'Coherence Imaging of Flows in the DIII-D Divertor', Contributions to Plasma Physics, vol. 51, no. 2-3, pp. 194-200.
  • Kumar, S, Blackwell, B, Howard, J et al 2011, 'Spontaneous transition of core radial electric field driven by magnetic islands in the H-1NF heliac', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 51, no. 8, pp. 1-6.
  • Ma, S, Howard, J & Thapar, N 2011, 'Relations between light emission and electron density and temperature fluctuations in a helium plasma', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 18, no. 8, pp. 1-14.
  • Svensson, J, Ford, O, Werner, A et al 2010, 'Connecting physics models and diagnostic data using bayesian graphical models', 37th EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2010, EPS 2010, IOP Publishing, Dublin Ireland, pp. 169-172.
  • Hatae, T, Howard, J, EBIZUKA, N et al 2009, 'Development of polarization interferometer for Thomson scattering diagnostics in JT-60U', Journal of Plasma and Fusion Research, vol. 8, pp. 680-684.
  • Hole, M, O'Connor, D, Blackwell, B et al 2008, Review of the National Innovation System: Australian ITER Forum submission.
  • Hole, M, O'Connor, D, Collins, G et al 2006, Australian ITER Forum Submission to the Uranium, Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy Review.
  • Howard, J 2010, 'Coherence imaging spectro-polarimetry for magnetic fusion diagnostics', Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, vol. 43, no. 14, p. 144010.
  • Hatae, T, Howard, J, Ebizuka, N et al 2010, 'Progress in Development of the Advanced Thomson Scattering Diagnostics', International Symposium on Laser-Aided Plasma Diagnostics (LAPD 2009), ed. Conference Program Committee, Institute of Physics Publishing, Treviso Italy, p. 012002.
  • Hole, M, von Nessi Jr., G, Bertram, J et al 2010, 'Model Data Fusion: developing Bayesian inversion to constrain equilibrium and mode structure', Journal of Plasma and Fusion Research, vol. 9, pp. 479-486.
  • Hole, M, von Nessi Jr., G, Pretty, D et al 2010, 'The use of Bayesian inversion to resolve plasma equilibrium', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 81, no. 10, pp. 1E+128-1E+128.
  • Lischtschenko, O, Bystrov, K, De Temmerman, G et al 2010, 'Density measurements using coherence imaging spectroscopy based on Stark broadening', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 81, no. 10, pp. 10E521-10E521.
  • Howard, J, Diallo, A, Jaspers, R et al 2010, 'Spatial Heterodyne Spectro-Polarimetry Systems for Imaging Key Plasma Parameters in Fusion Devices', Journal of Plasma and Fusion Research, vol. 5, pp. S1010 (6).
  • Kumar, S, Blackwell, B, Howard, J et al 2010, 'Core magnetic islands and plasma confinement in the H-1NF heliac', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 17, no. 8, pp. 082503,1-8.
  • Howard, J, Diallo, A, Creese, M et al. 2010, 'Doppler coherence imaging and tomography of flows in tokamak plasmas', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 81, no. 10, pp. 10E528-10E528.
  • Creese, M & Howard, J 2010, 'Available information in 2D motional Stark effect imaging', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 81, no. 10, pp. 10D722-10D722.
  • Howard, J, Jaspers, R, Lischtschenko, O et al 2010, 'Imaging charge exchange recombination spectroscopy on the TEXTOR tokamak', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 52, no. 12, pp. 125002 (10).
  • Fhager, A, Padhi, S & Howard, J 2009, '3D Image Reconstruction in Microwave Tomography Using an Efficient FDTD Model', IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, vol. 8, pp. 1353-1356.
  • Padhi, S, Fhager, A, Persson, M et al 2009, 'Experimental performances of Antennas for a proposed Microwave Tomography System using the time-domain approach', 2009 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, APSURSI 2009, ed. A.Q. Martin, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE Inc), Charleston, USA, p. 4.
  • Collis, S, Dall, R, Howard, J et al. 2009, 'Validation of collisional radiative modelling of emission line ratios for helium beam plasma diagnostic', Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer, vol. 110, pp. 340-346.
  • Green, B, Hole, M, Blackwell, B et al 2009, Fusion Down Under, ITER Newsline.
  • Blackwell, B, Pretty, D, Howard, J et al. 2008, 'Configurational Effects on Stability and Confinement in the H-1NF Heliac', International Atomic Energy Agency Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2008), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Geneva.
  • Howard, J & Hatae, T 2008, 'Imaging interferometers for analysis of Thomson scattered spectra', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 79, pp. 10E704-1 10E704-3.
  • Howard, J 2008, 'Snapshot-imaging motional Stark effect polarimetry', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 50, pp. 1-18.
  • Blacksell, M, Wach, J, Anderson, D et al. 2008, 'Imaging photomultiplier array with integrated amplifiers and high-speed USB interface', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 79, pp. 10F506-1 - 10F506-3.
  • Padhi, S, Fhager, A, Persson, M et al 2008, 'Measured Antenna Response of a Proposed Microwave Tomography System Using an Efficient 3-D FDTD Model', IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, vol. 7, pp. 689-692.
  • Goodwin, M, Cheetham, A, Howard, J et al 2007, A strategy for Australian fusion science and engineering: through ITER and into the future.
  • Howard, J, Glass, F & Michael, C 2007, 'Doppler spectroscopy and tomography of plasmas', Journal of Plasma and Fusion Research, vol. 2, pp. S1014/1-7.
  • Hatae, T, Howard, J, Hirano, Y et al 2007, 'Development of Polarization Interferometer based on Fourier transform spectroscopy for Thomson Scattering Diagnostics', Journal of Plasma and Fusion Research, vol. 2, pp. S1026/1-5.
  • Warr, G, Tarrant, R, Bilek, M et al 2007, 'Tomographic interferometry of a filtered high-current vacuum arc plasma', Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 101, pp. 073302 /1-11.
  • Howard, J & Oliver Esq, D 2006, 'Electronically swept millimeter-wave interferometer for spatially resolved measurement of plasma electron density', Applied Optics, vol. 45, no. 34, pp. 8613-8620.
  • Blackwell, B, Pretty, D, Harris, J et al. 2006, 'Observations of Alfvenic MHD Activity in the H-1 Heliac', International Atomic Energy Agency Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2006), Conference Organising Committee, Website, p. 8.
  • Howard, J 2006, 'High-speed high-resolution plasma spectroscopy using spatial-multiplex coherence imaging techniques', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 77, no. 10, pp. 10F111-1-8.
  • Howard, J 2006, 'Application of polarization interferometers for Thomson scattering', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 48, no. 6, pp. 777-787.
  • Oliver Esq, D, Howard, J, Kumar, S et al. 2006, 'Three view electronically scanned interferometer for plasma electron density measurements on the H-1 heliac', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 77, no. 10, pp. 10E907-1-3.
  • Collis, S, Howard, J, Blackwell, B et al. 2006, 'A supersonic gas injection system for fueling and probing fusion plasmas', Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 797-804.
  • Blackwell, B, Howard, J, Hole, M et al 2006, 'The H-1 National Plasma Fusion Research Facility, and the prospects for Stellarators in the Quest for Fusion Power', Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference 2006, ed. Conference Program Committee, Pacific Nuclear Council, Sydney Australia, p. 6.
  • Glass, F, Howard, J & Blackwell, B 2005, 'Visible Emission Tomography in the H-1NF Heliac', IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 472-473.
  • Chung, J, Konig, R, Howard, J et al 2005, 'Time resolved coherence imaging spectrometer on WEGA stellarator', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 47, pp. 919-940.
  • Michael, C & Howard, J 2004, 'Determination of electron temperature from spectral line intensity decay for radiation dominated plasmas', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 75, no. 10, pp. 4180-82.
  • Harris, J, Shats, M, Blackwell, B et al. 2004, 'Fluctuations and stability of plasmas in the H-lNF heliac', Nuclear Fusion, vol. 44, pp. 279-286.
  • Michael, C, Howard, J & Blackwell, B 2004, 'Measurements and modeling of ion and neutral distribution functions in a partially ionized magnetically confined argon plasma', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 11, no. 8, pp. 4008-17.
  • Howard, J, Carraro, L, Puiatti, M et al 2003, 'Coherence-imaging approach to time-resolved charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy in high-temperature plasma', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 2060-2063.
  • Howard, J, Michael, C, Glass, F et al 2003, 'Time-resolved Two-dimensional plasma spectroscopy using coherence-imaging techniques', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 45, no. 7, pp. 1143-1166.
  • Collis, S, Howard, J, Warr, G et al. 2003, 'Studies of Resonantly Produced Plasmas in the H-1NF Heliac using a Far-infrared Scanning Interferometer', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 1629-1632.
  • Howard, J 2002, 'Electro-optically modulated polarizing Fourier-transform spectrometer for plasma spectroscopy applications', Applied Optics, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 197-208.
  • Andruczyk, D, Feng, P, James, B et al 2002, 'Comparison of hollow cathode and Penning discharges for metastable He production', Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 11, pp. 426-430.
  • Howard, J, Michael, C, Glass, F et al 2001, 'Optical coherence techniques for plasma spectroscopy', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 888-897.
  • Warr, G & Howard, J 2001, 'A three-dimensional Gaussian-beam ray-tracing program for designing interferometer/polarimeter plasma diagnostics', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 72, no. 5, pp. 2305-2309.
  • Michael, C, Howard, J & Blackwell, B 2001, 'The MOSS Camera on H-1NF', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 72, pp. 1034-1037.
  • Tanaka, K, Kawahata, K, Ejiri, A et al 1999, 'Faraday Rotation Measurements on Compact Helical System by Using a Phase Sensitive Heterodyne Polarimeter', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 70, pp. 730-733.
  • Howard, J 1999, 'MOSS Spectrometer Applications in Plasma Diagnostics', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 70, pp. 368-371.
  • Rudakov, D, Shats, M, Boswell, R et al. 1999, 'Overview of Probe Diagnostics on the H-1 Heliac', Review of Scientific Instruments, vol. 70, no. 1, pp. 476-479.
  • Howard, J 1999, 'Optical Coherence-Based Techniques for Motional Stark Effect Measurements of Magnetic Field Pitch Angle', Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, vol. 41, pp. 368-371.