Bertrand Jacquot, winner of the CNRS Crystal Medal

Spinning heavy ions in an accelerator is a balancing act between theory and practice. Bertrand Jacquot, a research engineer, has been practising this subtle art for over twenty-five years: calculating the settings for the electromagnets that guide and focus the particle beams, designing the instruments that analyse them, and ensuring – including at night and at weekends – that the machine delivers what the physicists expect. Bertrand Jacquot’s dual expertise as both a nuclear physicist and an accelerator physicist – a rare and valuable combination – has enabled him to design the SAGA project, a strategic reconfiguration of GANIL that increases the beam time available to the aerospace industry fivefold, whilst fully preserving fundamental research. The project is now well under way and has generated great enthusiasm amongst all stakeholders.

This year, Bertrand Jacquot is to receive the CNRS Crystal Medal. This medal honours men and women working in research support roles who, through their creativity, technical expertise and innovative spirit, contribute alongside researchers to the advancement of knowledge and the excellence of French research.