Y.Y. Lau co-authors IEEE TPS Best Paper

Y.Y. Lau, professor emeritus of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, co-authored the paper selected as the winner of the 2023 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Transactions on Plasma Science (TPS) Best Paper Award. The paper, entitled, “Effect of Nonuniform Emission on Miram Curves,” by David Chernin and Lau, et al., solves the longstanding issue of nonuniform cathode emission.

“The Miram curve, a plot of the anode current as a function of cathode surface temperature (see figure), is an important tool to characterize cathode performance and cathode life,” said Lau. “For example, it predicts the life of thermionic cathodes which in turn dictates the useful life of a communication satellite that employs them. This paper provides the first, high-fidelity, theoretical study of realistic effects of nonuniform emission on Miram curves.” 

The research was performed jointly by Leidos, Inc., the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin, and was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). Co-authors of this paper include NERS alumni, Dr. Abhijit Jassem and Prof. John Booske (University of Wisconsin-Madison). 

Lau has also co-authored a new paper on a closely related subject, entitled, “On the Child-Langmuir Law in One, Two, and Three Dimensions.” Other co-authors include NERS alumni, Dion Li, and the Leidos scientist, Dr. David Chernin.

Other members of the NERS community who received this IEEE TPS Best Paper Award include Prof. Ryan McBride in 2021 and alum Ryan G. McClarren in 2022.