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Robert Budny is an American physicist known for his contributions to the fields of Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics and Magnetically Confined Tokamak Fusion
Budny studied Abstract Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before pursuing Theoretical Physics at the University of Paris (Faculte des Sciences, Institute Curie) and the University of Maryland. His Ph.D. thesis, supervised by George Snow, focused on deep inelastic neutrino scattering, which was being measured in bubble chambers at particle accelerators such as in CERN (Genevia, Switzerland). This topic continues being studied at other detectors around the world such as in the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica.
Budny was commissioned into the U.S. Navy and served at the headquarters of DASA (Defense Atomic Support Agency) in the Pentagon for two years.
After completing his active duty in the navy and his PhD, Budny engaged in postdoctoral research and teaching sequentially in the Departments of Theoretical Physics at the University of Oxford, Stanford University, Rockefeller University, and Princeton University.
His research in Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics on ElectroWeak interactions included neutrino scattering [1] [2] and effects of the W0 particles in electron-positron annihilations [3] [4] [5] [4] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [12] [13] [14]. Results for the calculated cross sections were used to measure properties of the weakly interacting vector boson W0 such as its mass, spin, and decay life time.
Exotic weak effects were calculated including effects of electric-dipole-moment (EDM) and magnetic dipole moment (WMDM) in in e+ - e- annihilations. The computed possible weak corrections to these annihiliations are predicted to be very small [15]. Multiple experiments apre being performed to directly or indirectly detect EDM or WMDM effects in lepton annihilations. Null results from these experiments have placed upper bounds, aligning with Standard Model expectations, and guiding searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. Upper limits are derived for the magnitudes of the magnetic moments for the three leptons, denoted De, Dμ, and DΤ. For instance studies of electron-positron collisions in LEP (Large Electron-Positron Collider) gave an upper limit of the magnitude for leptons with EDM and WMEM cotributions Dl < 3.1x10-17 [e-cm]. Experiments in the B-Factories (BaBar and Belle) gave the magnitude of EDM DΤ < 1.85x10-17 [e-cm].
An extension of the Standard Model, which includes the observed SU2⊗U1 symmetry for weak interactions, was studied. This Standard Model has a well proven left-chirality V-A (Vector-AxialVector) weak interactions. The extension to SU2,L>⊗SU2,R⊗U1 symmetry [16]. adds a right-chirality V+A weak interaction, becoming left-right symmetric at high energy. This extension predicts a new massive WR, which could be observed at higher energies. A search for the WR vector boson at CERN has set a lower limit for its mass of 1.96 TeV [17]. For comparison, the mass of the standard WL boson is approximately 80 GeV.
Budny joined the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, part of the Princeton University Astrophysics Department, funded by the US Department of Energy to research and develop fusion energy. He participated in experiments and analysis in a series of Tokamak experiments culminating with the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor, TFTR. He used the TRANSP computer code [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] to accurately predict the fusion energy production in deuterium-tritium (DT) plasmas before the start in these experiments started in 1994. This large code performs integrated modeling combining multiple physics effects to calculate plasma parameters and their interaction rates. These experiments were the world's first using DT to produce high rates of controlled fusion power [23] (in the Megawatt range).
Budny collaborated with experiments at other tokamak research facilities, including JET (Joint European Tokamak) [24] [25] [26] [27] Those experiments with DT plasmas in 1997 achieved the world record (at least up to 2025) controlled fusion energy production rate in the core [28] He also collaborated with experiments at other tokamak research facilities including JT-60U (Tokai, Japan), DIII-D (San Diego, CA), [29] [30] Tore Supra (Cadarache, France), and [31] [32] HL-2A (Chengdu, China).
Budny studied plasmas to predict fusion performance for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) which is currently under construction in the south of France, aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of fusion power on a commercial scale. He performed the first detailed integrated simulations [33] [34] [35] using the TRANSP computer code. TANSP uses reduced theory based gyrokinetic models of plasma parameters and dynamics. The results indicate that ITER should be capable of achieving its goals for fusion yield if it is built to specifications, and if unknown as long as no as yet unknown physics presents obstacles.