Dr.
Catherine Brechignac
Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique
Physicist; Research agency administrator
Area
Leadership, Policy, and Communications
Specialty
Scientific, Cultural, and Nonprofit Leadership
Elected
1998
International Honorary Member
Research centers on cluster physics. She has been a pioneer in the field of free aggregates as prototypes of finite systems. To the question how small is a metal she has significantly contributed by pointing out the non metal - metal transition in size-selected mercury clusters. Regarding the stabilityt of finite systems her study of coulombic fission of small clusters has shown evidence of smiliarities with nuclei and macroscopic droplets. Her current work concerns the dynamics of clusters soft-landed on surfaces to build up new non equilibrium morphologies. She has been the director general of CNRS from 1997-2000.
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