Send email through this website → Contact Form

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

Ph.D., Physics (completed December 2008, conferred 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

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

• 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

University of California, Irvine
Postdoctoral Researcher, January 2009 - Present
Principle Investigator: W. W. Heidbrink
Studies of energetic particle phenomena in the DIII-D and NSTX fusion devices.

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.

Linked titles lead to either a page detailing the item or a direct download.

• 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)
• D. C. Pace, M. Shi, J. E. Maggs, G. J. Morales, and T. A. Carter, “Exponential Frequency Spectrum and Lorentzian Pulses in Magnetized Plasmas,” Invited Talk, APS Division of Plasma Physics Conference, Dallas, Texas, USA. November 17 - 21, 2008.
• 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)
• 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)
• 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.
• Pace, D. C., 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.
• David Pace, Image Credit: "Probing an invisible plasma," Physics Today 60, 100 (May 2007).
• Pace, D. C., 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.
• Pace, D. C., 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.
• Taylor, R. J., 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)
• Ji, H., Fox, W., Pace, D., and Rappaport, H. L. Study of small-amplitude magnetohydrodynamic surface waves on liquid metal Phys. Plasmas 12, 012102 (2005)
• Pace, D. C., 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.
• Pace, D. C., 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.
• Pace, D. C., 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.
• Pace, D. C., 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.
• Pace, D. C., 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.
• Pace, D. C., 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.