My PhD is in theoretical nuclear physics where I worked on light-ion nuclear structure calculations. Part of this work was performed while I was a summer student at LLNL. I continued some of that work during my postdoc tenure in the nuclear theory and data group at Livermore before being hired as a staff scientist in the plasma theory and modeling group in the High Energy Density Science section (https://pls.llnl.gov/research-and-development/physics).

I currently work on improving our theoretical opacity models by investigating the role of hereto neglected atomic physics processes such as two-photon absorption or the contribution of scattering processes to the total opacity of a material. Other atomic physics interests include the interplay between nuclear and atomic states such as nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC) as well as plasma diagnostic tools as offered by line broadening theory.

I am also part of the inertial fusion confinement program where I aid our AI/ML efforts by using concepts from applied mathematics such as the use of orthogonal polynomial decompositions for image analysis or more recently by deriving multivariate Gaussian quadrature rules to perform integrals over arbitrary probability distributions efficiently.

Other past interests of mine have included being a technical fellow at our Center for Global Security Research (CGSR) where I was particularly interested in the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s efforts to aid various paramilitary groups in the Middle East.

Ph.D., University of Arizona, 2012

B.S. (hons), University of Pretoria (South Africa), 2007

B.S., University of Pretoria (South Africa), 2004

Two-photon ionization in solar opacity experiments

M. K. G. Kruse, C. A. Iglesias, High Energy Density Physics 41, 100976

Retardation effects on radiative transitions at solar interior conditions

M. K. G. Kruse, C. A. Iglesias, High Energy Density Physics 37, 100857

Making inertial confinement fusion models more predictive

J. A. Gaffney, S. T. Brandon, K. D. Humbird, M. K. G. Kruse, R. C. Nora, J. L. Peterson, et al, Physics of Plasmas 26 (8)

Two-photon absorption framework for plasma transmission experiments

M. K. G. Kruse, C. A. Iglesias, High Energy Density Physics 31, 38-46

Structure of the exotic He9 nucleus from the no-core shell model with continuum

M. Vorabbi, A. Calci, P. Navrátil, M. K. G. Kruse, S. Quaglioni, G. Hupin, Physical Review C 97 (3), 034314

Convergence properties of ab initio calculations of light nuclei in a harmonic oscillator basis

S. A. Coon, M. I. Avetian, M. K. G. Kruse, U. van Kolck, P. Maris, J. P. Vary, Physical Review C 86 (5), 054002

• LLNL Director’s Science and Technology award (ICF team): 2021, 2022, 2023

• Galileo Circle Award 2009, 2012