ASU physicist receives Fonda-Fasella Award
ASU physics professor Richard Kirian giving his talk on "Direct phasing of nanocrystals using coherent FEL pulses."
ASU physics professor Richard Kirian has been awarded the Fonda-Fasella prize, which is given to a young researcher who has obtained important results while working at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, an international research center located in Italy.
The award was given during an annual ceremony at the "Resonance 2015" workshop in Trieste, Italy.
Kirian presented his work on solving the age-old "crystallographic phase problem" using the unique properties of a new breed of X-ray sources known as free-electron lasers (FELs). His experiments at the FERMI FEL provided the first proof-of-principle demonstration that the extremely high coherence of this laser-like X-ray source can provide sufficient information to form images from microcrystals without the need for prior information or resolution restrictions.
The recent development of X-ray FEL-based "serial femtosecond crystallography" has allowed unprecedented views of biomolecules at physiological temperature and with time-resolved dynamics down to the sub-picosecond timescale. Kirian's results add to the appeal of this rapidly developing methodology.
Before joining Arizona State University's Department of Physics in 2014, Kirian held a position at the Center for Free-Electron Lasers at the Deutsches.
More Science and technology
Transforming Arizona’s highways for a smoother drive
Imagine you’re driving down a smooth stretch of road. Your tires have firm traction. There are no potholes you need to swerve to…
The Sun Devil who revolutionized kitty litter
If you have a cat, there’s a good chance you’re benefiting from the work of an Arizona State University alumna. In honor of…
ASU to host 2 new 51 Pegasi b Fellows, cementing leadership in exoplanet research
Arizona State University continues its rapid rise in planetary astronomy, welcoming two new 51 Pegasi b Fellows to its exoplanet…