University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
Department of Physics and Astronomy

Ph.D., Physics, 2009
Committee Co-chairs: G. J. Morales, T. A. Carter
Thesis: Spontaneous Thermal Waves and Exponential Spectra Associated with a Filamentary Pressure Structure in a Magnetized Plasma [Web, PDF (5.5 MB, 162 pages)]

M.Sc., Physics, 2003

University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, USA
Department of Physics

B.S., magna cum laude Physics, 2002
Advisor: L. C. Krysac

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, 2010-2012
• Honorary Teaching Award, UCLA Department of Physics and Astronomy, 2006-2007
• Research Mentorship Fellowship, UCLA, 2004-2005
• Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, UCLA Department of Physics and Astronomy, 2004
• Cota Robles Fellowship, UCLA, 2002-2003
• Most Outstanding Senior, U. Pacific Department of Physics, 2002
• DOE Energy Research Undergraduate Laboratory Research Fellowship, 2001
• Dean’s Honor Roll, U. Pacific, 1998-2001

• US Member, International Tokamak Physics Activity: Energetic Particles Topical Group, 2011 - Present
• Deputy Leader, US Burning Plasma Organization: Energetic Particles Topical Group, 2011 - Present
• Physics Operator, Alcator C-Mod Tokamak, 2010 - 2011

General Atomics, San Diego, California
Scientist, December 2011 - Present
Research in magnetic confinement fusion concentrating on energetic ion transport in tokamaks. Participant in experiments at the DIII-D and Alcator C-Mod tokamaks.

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Postdoctoral Researcher, December 2010 - November 2011
Supervisor: R.S. Granetz, Plasma Science and Fusion Center, MIT
Postdoctoral fellowship conducted on-site at the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. This research is focused on constructing an array of fast ion loss detectors for the study of Alfvén eigenmodes and ion-cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) on Alcator C-Mod. Collaboration with the DIII-D tokamak includes the addition of a second Fast Ion Loss Detector (FILD) and experiments concerning the turbulent transport of energetic ions and other energetic ion topics.

University of California, Irvine
Postdoctoral Researcher, January 2009 - November 2010
Principle Investigator: W.W. Heidbrink, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Fusion energy research studying energetic particle phenomena in tokamak plasmas. Primary topics include energetic ion transport due to microturbulence and MHD modes. Collaborated in the design and implementation of a new FILD on the DIII-D tokamak [Pace, RSI 2010]. Additional diagnostic experience obtained with the Fast Ion Dα (FIDA) charge exchange system. Simulation and modeling efforts include collaboration on gyrokinetic simulations of fast ion transport with the GYRO, GTC, and TGYRO/TGLF codes and teams. This research resulted in two IAEA invited talks (2009, 2010).

University of California, Los Angeles
Graduate Student Research, February 2005 - December 2008
Ph.D. research in basic plasma physics conducted on the Large Plasma Device at the Basic Plasma Science Facility. Study includes electron heat transport and temperature gradient driven flow.

Lab Design and Construction, Winter 2006
Work through grant to continue development of undergraduate plasma laboratory at UCLA (PHYS 180E). Includes design and construction of plasma sources, Langmuir probes, and laboratory exercises for undergraduate students.

Graduate Student Research, June 2002 - February 2005
Principle Investigator: R. J. Taylor
Research in tokamak plasma physics in the Electric Tokamak Laboratory. Topics of study include particle pinches, neoclassical transport, and tokamak stability. Projects include optical diagnostic design and construction, Langmuir probe design and construction, power system construction, data acquisition systems development, and computer simulation/modeling.

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Undergraduate Researcher, Summer 2001
Advisor: H. Ji
Experimental studies of liquid metal surface waves in the presence of magnetic fields. Future applications may include liquid lithium walls in fusion reactors.

University of California, Los Angeles
Teaching Assistant Coordinator, Fall 2006, Fall 2005
Responsibilities included participating in and leading, with other Coordinators, instructional course for new teaching assistants in the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy. Experience covers teaching methods such as collaborative learning and general characteristics of effective teaching. This further provided significant experience with university policies regarding academics and student relations.

Teaching Assistant
Professor: T. A. Carter
Led one discussion section per week for upper division electrodynamics course. Provided solutions to homework sets and assisted the professor in writing exams and their solutions. Held weekly office hours and special review sessions prior to final exam.

• PHYS 110A Electricity and Magnetism: Winter 2004
• PHYS 110B Electricity and Magnetism: Spring 2004, Fall 2005

Teaching Assistant
Responsibilities include construction, repair, and maintenance of laboratory equipment. This involves vacuum systems, power systems, and plasma production systems. Additional efforts concentrated on development of curriculum for course aimed at providing laboratory experience and understanding of experimental plasma physics for upper level undergraduate students.

• PHYS 180E Undergraduate Plasma Laboratory: Spring 2006 (Prof. R. L. Stenzel)
• PHYS 180E Undergraduate Plasma Laboratory: Winter 2007 (Prof. T. A. Carter)

University of the Pacific
Teaching Assistant
Supervised laboratory exercises for calculus and non-calculus introductory physics courses. Duties included experimental setup, troubleshooting, and correcting of lab worksheets.

1. D.C. Pace, R.K. Fisher, M. García-Muñoz, W.W. Heidbrink, and M.A. Van Zeeland, “Convective beam ion losses due to Alfvén eigenmodes in DIII-D reversed-shear plasmas,” Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 53 (2011) 062001.
   Online: Journal Page for PPCF 53, 062001 (2011)
2. D.C. Pace, R.K. Fisher, M. García-Muñoz, W.W. Heidbrink, G.R. McKee, M. Murakami, C.M. Muscatello, R. Nazikian, J.M. Park, C.C. Petty, T.L. Rhodes, G.M. Staebler, M.A. Van Zeeland, R.E. Waltz, R.B. White, J.H. Yu, W. Zhang, and Y.B. Zhu, “Transport of Energetic Ions due to Sawteeth, Alfvén Eigenmodes, and Microturbulence,” Nucl. Fusion 51, 043012 (2011).
   Online: Journal Page for NF 51, 043012 (2011)
3. D.C. Pace, R.K. Fisher, M. García-Muñoz, D.S. Darrow, W.W. Heidbrink, C.M. Muscatello, R. Nazikian, M.A. Van Zeeland, and Y.B. Zhu, “Modeling the response of a fast ion loss detector using orbit tracing techniques in a neutral beam prompt-loss study on the DIII-D tokamak,” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 81, 10D305 (2010).
4. D.C. Pace, “Spontaneous Thermal Waves and Exponential Spectra Associated with a Filamentary Pressure Structure in a Magnetized Plasma,” Ph.D. Thesis, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA (2009).
5. D.C. Pace, M. Shi, J. E. Maggs, G. J. Morales, and T. A. Carter, “Exponential Frequency Spectrum and Lorentzian Pulses in Magnetized Plasmas,” Phys. Plasmas 15, 122304 (2008)
6. D.C. Pace, M. Shi, J. E. Maggs, G. J. Morales, and T. A. Carter, “Exponential Frequency Spectrum in Magnetized Plasmas,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 085001 (2008)
7. D.C. Pace, M. Shi, J. E. Maggs, G. J. Morales, and T. A. Carter, “Spontaneous Thermal Waves in a Magnetized Plasma,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 035003 (2008)
8. David Pace, Image Credit: "Probing an invisible plasma," Physics Today 60, 100 (May 2007).

1. W.W. Heidbrink, M.E. Austin, R.K. Fisher, M. García-Muñoz, G. Matsunaga, G.R. McKee, R.A. Moyer, C.M. Muscatello, M. Okabayashi, D.C. Pace, K. Shinohara, W.M. Solomon, E.J. Strait, M.A. Van Zeeland and Y.B. Zhu, “Characterization of off-axis fishbones,” Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 53, 085028 (2011).
2. M.A. Van Zeeland, W.W. Heidbrink, R.K. Fisher, M. García-Muñoz, G.J. Kramer, D.C. Pace, R.B. White, S. Aekaeslompolo, M.E. Austin, J.E. Boom, I.G.J. Classen, S. da Graça, B. Geiger, M. Gorelenkova, N.N. Gorelenkov, A.W. Hyatt, N. Luhmann, M. Maraschek, G.R. McKee, R.A. Moyer, C.M. Muscatello, R. Nazikian, H. Park, S. Sharapov, W. Suttrop, G. Tardini, B.J. Tobias, Y.B. Zhu, and DIII-D and ASDEX Upgrade Teams, “Measurements and modeling of Alfvén eigenmode induced fast ion transport and loss in DIII-D and ASDEX Upgrade,” Phys. Plasmas 18, 056114 (2011).
3. R.K. Fisher, D.C. Pace, M. García-Muñoz, W.W. Heidbrink, C.M. Muscatello, M.A. Van Zeeland, and Y. B. Zhu, “Scintillator-based diagnostic for fast ion loss measurements on DIII-D,” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 81, 10D307 (2010).
4. M.A. Van Zeeland, J.H. Yu, W.W. Heidbrink, N.H. Brooks, K.H. Burrell, M.S. Chu, A.W. Hyatt, C. Muscatello, R. Nazikian, N.A. Pablant, D.C. Pace, W.M. Solomon, and M.R. Wade. “Imaging key aspects of fast ion physics in the DIII-D tokamak,” Nucl. Fusion 50, 084002 (2010).
5. M. Shi, D. C. Pace, G. J. Morales, J. E. Maggs, and T. A. Carter, “Structures Generated in a Temperature Filament due to Drift-wave Convection,” Phys. Plasmas 16, 062306 (2009).
6. R.J. Taylor, T.A. Carter, J.-L. Gauvreau, P.-A. Gourdain, A. Grossman, D.J. LaFonteese, D.C. Pace, L.W. Schmitz, A.E. White and T.F. Yates. Particle pinch mitigated by radial currents in the electric tokamak. Nucl. Fusion 45, 1634-1641 (2005)
7. H. Ji, W. Fox, D. Pace, and H.L. Rappaport, Study of small-amplitude magnetohydrodynamic surface waves on liquid metal Phys. Plasmas 12, 012102 (2005)

1. D.C. Pace, C.M. Muscatello, M.A. Van Zeeland, W.W. Heidbrink, R.K. Fisher, M. García-Muñoz, and R.B. White, “The Fast and the Furious: Energetic Ion Transport in Tokamaks,” Seminar, MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, November 4, 2011.
2. D.C. Pace, “Energetic Ion Transport in Magnetically Confined Plasmas,” Colloquium, Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA, January 24, 2011.
3. D.C. Pace, C.Z. Cheng, C.W. Domier, R.K. Fisher, M. García-Muñoz, W.W. Heidbrink, Z. Lin, N.C. Luhmann, Jr., G.R. McKee, M. Murakami, C.M. Muscatello, R. Nazikian, J.M. Park, C.C. Petty, T.L. Rhodes, D.A. Spong, G.M. Staebler, B. Tobias, M.A. Van Zeeland, R.E. Waltz, R.B. White, J.H. Yu,W. Zhang, and Y.B. Zhu, “Transport of Energetic Ions due to Microturbulence, Sawteeth, and Alfvén Eigenmodes,” 23rd IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, Daejeon, Korea, October 11 - 16, 2010.
4. D. C. Pace, W. W. Heidbrink, Z. Lin, G. R. McKee, M. Murakami, J. M. Park, C. C. Petty, T. L. Rhodes, M. A. Van Zeeland, R. E. Waltz, and W. Zhang, “Observation of Energetic Ion Transport due to Microturbulence and Comparison with Gyrokinetic Simulations,” 11th IAEA Technical Meeting on Energetic Particles in Magnetic Confinement Systems, Kiev, Ukraine, September 21 - 23, 2009 [Conference Website].
5. D. C. Pace, M. Shi, J. E. Maggs, G. J. Morales, and T. A. Carter, “Exponential Frequency Spectrum and Lorentzian Pulses in Magnetized Plasmas,” APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Dallas, Texas, USA. November 17 - 21, 2008.

1. D.C. Pace, R.S. Granetz, A. Bader, R.R. Parker, R. Vieira, S.J. Wukitch, D.S. Darrow, and S.J. Zweben, “Energetic Ion Losses in the Alcator C-Mod Tokamak,” 53rd APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, November 14 - 18, 2011.
2. D.C. Pace, R.K. Fisher, M. García-Muñoz, W.W. Heidbrink, G.R. McKee, C.M. Muscatello, B. Tobias, M.A. Van Zeeland, and Y.B. Zhu, “Pitch and Energy Resolved Fast Ion Losses in the DIII-D Tokamak,” 52nd APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Chicago, Illinois, USA, November 8 - 12, 2010.
3. D.C. Pace, R.K. Fisher, M. García-Muñoz, D.S. Darrow, W.W. Heidbrink, C.M. Muscatello, R. Nazikian, M.A. Van Zeeland, and Y.B. Zhu, “Modeling the Response of a Fast Ion Loss Detector Using Orbit Tracing Techniques in a Neutral Beam Prompt Loss Study on the DIII-D Tokamak,” 18th Topical Conference on High-temperature Plasma Diagnostics, Wildwood, New Jersey, USA, May 16 - 20, 2010.
4. D.C. Pace, W.W. Heidbrink, Z. Lin, G.R. McKee, M. Murakami, J.M. Park, C.C. Petty, T.L. Rhodes, M.A. Van Zeeland, R.E. Waltz, and W. Zhang, “Observation of Energetic Ion Transport due to Microturbulence and Comparison with Gyrokinetic Simulations,” 51st APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, November 2 - 6, 2009.
5. D.C. Pace. W.W. Heidbrink, R.E. Waltz, W. Zhang, and Z. Lin, “Investigation of Microturbulence Effects on Energetic Particle Transport Using Gyrokinetic Simulations,” Transport Task Force Meeting, San Diego, California, April 28 - May 1, 2009.
6. D.C. Pace, M. Shi, J.E. Maggs, G.J. Morales and T.A. Carter, "Exponential Frequency Spectrum and Anomalous Transport," Transport Task Force Meeting, Boulder, Colorado, USA. March 25 - 28, 2008.
7. D.C. Pace, M. Shi, J. E. Maggs, G. J. Morales, and T. A. Carter. Thermal Waves in a Magnetized Plasma. APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Orlando, Florida, USA. November 12 - 16, 2007.
8. D.C. Pace, J.E. Maggs, G. J. Morales, T. A. Carter, and M. Shi. Energy Transport Driven by Electron Temperature Gradients. Transport Task Force Meeting, San Diego, California, USA. April 17 - 20, 2007.
9. D.C. Pace, J.E. Maggs, G. J. Morales, and M. Shi. Flows and Transport Driven by Electron Temperature Gradients. APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. October 30 - November 3, 2006.
10. D.C. Pace, T. A. Carter, J.-L. Gauvreau, P.-A. Gourdain, A. Grossman, D. J. LaFonteese, L. Schmitz, R. J. Taylor, A. E. White, and T. F. Yates. Investigation of Density Accumulation in the Electric Tokamak. APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Savannah, Georgia, USA. November 15 - 19, 2004.
11. D.C. Pace, T. A. Carter, J.-L. Gauvreau, P.-A. Gourdain, A. Grossman, D. J. LaFonteese, L. Schmitz, R. J. Taylor, A. E. White, and T. F. Yates. Investigation of Density Accumulation in the Electric Tokamak. Transport Task Force Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. April 29 - May 2, 2004.
12. D.C. Pace, T. A. Carter, J.-L. Gauvreau, P.-A. Gourdain, A. Grossman, D. J. LaFonteese, L. Schmitz, R. J. Taylor, A. E. White, and T. F. Yates. Studies of Edge Turbulence and Barrier Formation During Giant Sawtooth Behavior in the Electric Tokamak. APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. October 27 - 31, 2003.
13. D.C. Pace, T. A. Carter, J.-L. Gauvreau, P.-A. Gourdain, D.-J. LaFonteese, L. W. Schmitz, and R. J. Taylor. Determination of Electric Tokamak Equilibrium Properties Using 1D and 2D Measurements. DOE Innovative Confinement Concepts Workshop, Seattle, Washington, USA. May 28 - 30, 2003.
14. D.C. Pace, T. Carter, J.-L. Gauvreau, P.-A. Gourdain, D.-J. LaFonteese, L. Schmitz, and R. J. Taylor. Transport Studies Using Trace Helium in the Electric Tokamak. APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Orlando, Florida, USA. November 11 - 15, 2002.
15. D.C. Pace, H. Ji, W. Fox. Study of Magnetic Damping in Liquid Metal Surface Waves. APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Long Beach, California, USA. October 29 - November 2, 2001.