Professional Background

As Group Leader for Material Dynamics and Kinetics, within the Materials Science Division, I lead an interdisciplinary group composed of three subgroups: dynamic materials experiments, non-equilibrium theory and rapid materials prototyping and characterization. Our group, comprised of >30 staff scientists, postdocs, and PhD students, is focused on the physics, chemistry and material science of non-equilibrium processes as they pertain to dynamic (shock wave) response, static high-pressure EOS and chemical synthesis, and 3D printing techniques to rationally design new, state-of-the-art materials for tailored applications.

From 2018-2021, as Program Leader for Equation of State, Physics and Engineering Models (PEM) within the Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) program, I coordinated a multi-PI program that is focused on the research and development of advanced material models for use in weapon simulation. At LLNL, we are the world leaders in high performance computing applications for national security and the EOS program is no exception, with our simulation methods spanning from the quantum/atomistic/mesoscale/continuum regimes and with accelerated performance on the latest next-generation computer hardware.

Additionally, I serve as a Group Leader in the Energetic Materials Center.  My roles including strategic direction, staffing and coordination for aspects of our high explosive enterprise, spanning from modelling to additive manufacturing and experimentation at the High Explosives Application Facility (HEAF).

I'm also a Principal Investigator for a number of scientific and programmatic projects, including: Project DarkStar, Phase Transition Kinetics, Large-Scale Computing Initiative, Exascale Grand Challenge (ATCC), projects in Global Security and LDRD.

I have a long track record of developing large-scale simulation codes to investigate new theories, with expertise in building world-class teams that innovate in order to meet strategic goals. Publication record of having authored or co-authored > 100 papers (with >1,500 citations) and technical reports and > 110 invited and contributed talks.  Landau number = 3 (Landau, Lifshitz, Chernov, Belof), Einstein number = 7 (Einstein, Ehrenfest, Oppenheimer, Mulliken, Roothaan, Ahlrichs, Sauer, Belof). National security work highly cited within that community and in classified journals.

 

Research Interests

Condensed matter physics, equation of state, non-equilibrium physics, phase and chemical kinetics, matter at extreme conditions, supramolecular chemistry

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Postdoctoral Fellow – High Energy Density Physics, 2010–2011 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Physical Chemistry, 2009–2010 University of South Florida and Draper Laboratory

Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, 2009 University of South Florida

B.A., Chemistry & Mathematics, 2005 University of South Florida

• R.G. Kraus, R.J. Hemley, S.J. Ali, J.L. Belof, L.X. Benedict et. al., "Measuring the melting curve of iron at super-Earth core conditions", Science 375:202 (2022)
• D.M. Sterbentz, D. M., P.C. Myint, J.P. Delplanque, Y. Hao, J.L. Brown, B.S. and J.L. Belof, "Model for the Solid–Liquid Interfacial Free Energy at High Pressures", Langmuir 38:9892 (2022)
• D.M. Sterbentz, C.F. Jekel, D.A. White, S. Aubry, H.E. Lorenzana and J.L. Belof, "Design optimization for Richtmyer–Meshkov instability suppression at shock-compressed material interfaces", Phys. Fluids 34:082109 (2022)

• D.J. Kline, M.D. Grapes, R.C. Morales, G.C. Egan, J.D. Sain, Z.D. Doorenbos, H.E. Fletcher, E.A. Avalos, B.M. English and V. Eliasson, “In situ laser profilometry for material segmentation and digital reconstruction of a multicomponent additively manufactured part “, Additive Manufacturing 56:102896 (2022)

• B. Sadigh, L. Zepeda-Ruiz and J.L. Belof, "Metastable-solid phase diagrams derived from polymorphic solidification kinetics", PNAS (2021)
• M.R. Armstrong, H.B. Radousky, R.A. Austin, E. Stavrou, H. Zong, G.J. Ackland, S. Brown, J.C. Crowhurst, A.E. Gleason, E. Granados, P. Grivickas, N. Holtgrewe, H.J. Lee, T. Li, S. Lobonov, B. Nagler, I. Nam, A.J. Nelson, V. Prakapenka, C. Prescher, J.D. Roehling, N.E. Teslich,P. Walter, A.F. Goncharov and J.L. Belof, “Observation of a metastable intermediate during solid-solid phase transformation in response to rapid compression”, J. Materials (2021)
• H.B. Radousky, M.R. Armstrong, R.A. Austin, E. Stavrou, S. Brown, A.A. Chernov, A.E. Gleason, E. Granados, P. Grivickas, N. Holtgrewe, H.J. Lee, S. Lobanov, R. Nagler, I. Nam, V. Prakapenka, C. Prescher, P. Walter, A.F. Goncharov and J.L. Belof, “Melting and Refreeze of Zirconium Observed using Ultrafast x-ray diffraction”, Phys. Rev. Res. 013192 (2020)
• D.M. Sterbentz, P.C. Myint, J-P. Delplanque and J.L. Belof, “Numerical modeling of solid-cluster evolution applied to the nanosecond solidification of water near the metastable limit”, J. Chem. Phys. 151:164501 (2019)
• D.M. Franz, J.L. Belof, K. McLaughlin, C.R. Cioce, B. Tudor, A. Hogan, L. Laratelli, M. Mulcair, M. Mostrom, A. Navas, A. Stern, K. Forrest, T. Pham and B. Space, “MPMC and MCMD: free high performance simulation software for atomistic systems”, Adv. Theory Sim. 1900113 (2019)
• E. Stavrou, J.L. Belof, L.H. Yang, P. Soderlind, D. Aberg, H.B. Radousky, M.R. Armstrong, M. Kunz, E. Greenberg, V.B. Prakapenka and D.A. Young, “Anharmonicity-induced isostructural phase transition of Zirconium under pressure”, Phys. Rev. B 98:220101 (2018)
• P.C. Myint, A.A. Chernov, B. Sadigh, L.X. Benedict, B.M. Hall, S. Hamel and J.L. Belof, “Nanosecond Freezing of Water at High Pressures: Nucleation and Growth near the Limits of Metastability”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 121:155701 (2018)
• A. Samanta and J.L. Belof, “The liquid-solid interface at extreme conditions: a model close-packed system up to 100 GPa”, J. Chem. Phys. 149:124703 (2018)
• P.C. Myint and J.L. Belof, “Rapid freezing of water under dynamic compression”, J. Phys: Condens. Matter, 30:233002 (2018)
• P.C. Myint, L.X. Benedict and J.L. Belof, “Free energy models for ice VII and liquid water derived from pressure, entropy, and heat capacity relations”, J. Chem. Phys., 147:084505 (2017)
• L. A. Zepeda-Ruiz, A. A. Chernov, T. Oppelstrup, B. Sadigh, A. Samanta, T. Haxhimali, S. Hamel, L.X. Benedict, and J.L. Belof, “Extraction of effective solid-liquid interfacial free energies for full 3D solid crystallites from equilibrium MD simulations”, J. Chem. Phys., 147:194704 (2017)
• M.T. Henry de Frahan, J.L. Belof, R.M. Cavallo, O. Ignatova, E. Johnsen, V. Raevsky and B.A. Remington, “Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Beryllium Strength Models Using the Rayleigh-Taylor Instability”, J. App. Phys., 117, 225901 (2015)
• H.-S. Park, R.E. Rudd, R.M. Cavallo, N. Barton, A. Arsenlis, J.L. Belof, K.J.M. Blobaum, B.S. El-dasher, J.N. Florando, C.M. Huntington, B. R. Maddox, M.J. May, C. Plechaty, S.T., Prisbrey, B.A. Remington, R.J. Wallace, C.E. Wehrenberg, M.K. Wilson, A.J. Comley, E. Giraldez, A. Nikroo, M. Farrell, G. Randall, G.T. Gray, “Grain-Size-Independent Plastic Flow at Ultrahigh Pressures and Strain Rates”, Phys. Rev. Lett., 114 065502 (2015)
• J.L. Brown, C.S. Alexander, J.R. Asay, T.J. Vogler, D.H. Dolan and J.L. Belof, “Flow strength of tantalum under ramp compression to 250 GPa”, J. Appl. Phys., 115, 043530 (2014)
• S.J. Yep, J.L. Belof, D.A. Orlikowski, J.H. Nguyen, “Fabrication and Application of High Impedance Graded Density Impactors in Light-Gas Gun Experiments”, Rev. Sci. Instrum., 84 , 103909 (2013)
• M.H. Alkordi, J.L. Belof, E. Rivera, L. Wojtas, M. Eddaoudi, “Insight into the Construction of Metal-Organic Polyhedra: Metal-Organic Cubes as a Case Study”, Chem. Sci., 2, 1695 (2011)
• J.L. Belof, C.R. Cioce, X. Xu, X.P. Zhang, B. Space, H.L. Woodcock “Characterization of Tunable Radical Metal-Carbenes: Key Intermediates in Catalytic Cyclopropanation”, Organometallics, 30, 2739 (2011)
• J.L. Belof, A.C. Stern, B. Space, “An Accurate and Transferable Intermolecular Diatomic Hydrogen Potential for Condensed Phase Simulation”, J. Chem. Theory Comput., 4, 1332 (2008)
• J.L. Belof, A.C. Stern, M. Eddaoudi, B. Space, “On the Mechanism of Hydrogen Storage in a Metal-Organic Framework Material”, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 129, 15202 (2007)

(2022) Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Award for Publication
(2022) Director's Science and Technology, Excellence in Publication
(2020) Director's Early-Mid Career Award
(2020) Distinguished Alumni Award, University of South Florida
(2019) NNSA Defense Programs Award of Excellence for 2017 Study for Pu Aging Science (conferred by USAF Brig. General Ty Neuman)
(2019) Design Physics Award for Level 1 Milestone
(2019) Design Physics Award for Pu Aging Bounding Study
(2019) Design Physics Award for Publication in the Journal of Weapon Science
(2019) Kavli Fellow, U.S. National Academy of Sciences
(2019) Alumni, Kavli Frontiers of Science
(2018) Phys. Rev. Lett. Editor’s Suggestion for manuscript on freezing kinetics
(2018) Lawrence Livermore Director’s News for review paper on freezing kinetics in water
(2018) Design Physics Award for organization of NEDPC 2017
(2017) Global Security Silver Award for nuclear attribution exercise "London Pride”
(2017) Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, conferred by President Obama
(2016) Global Security Gold Award for nuclear attribution exercise “Mighty Saber 15”
(2014) Lawrence Livermore Director’s News for contributions to shock-wave physics
(2013) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Award for High-Energy Density Physics
(2012) Journal cover of J. Chem. Phys., Vol. 137, Issue 1, Matanovic et al.
(2011) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Award for experiments at Los Alamos National Laboratory
(2010) Best Talk Award,Physical Chemistry Division, “Chemical Computations on GPUs ”Symposium, ACS National Meeting (Boston, MA)
(2009) Outstanding Ph.D. Dissertation at the University of South Florida
(2006) Fred and Helen Tharp Graduate Research Award