Lise Meitner Prize of EPS For outstanding contributions to Nuclear Science. Represents the breadth and strength of Nuclear Physics in Europe. Awarded from 2000 Open call for nominations Decision by the EPS Nuclear Physics Division, based on external referees, endorsed by the EPS Executive Committee

Lise Meitner Prize of EPS 2010 is awarded to Juha Äystö Department of Physics University of Jyväskylä, Finland for „accurate determination of nuclear fundamental properties by an invention of innovative methods of ion guidance and its applications to radioactive ion beams"

Laudatio During the last decades the development of an important subfield of Nuclear Physics was characterised by the invention of methods for increasing the selectivity, sensitivity, and accuracy in measurements of basic nuclear properties. A key breakthrough in this direction was the development of the ingenious pioneering method of gas guidance of ion beams, as implemented by Professor Juha Äystö at the University of Jyväskylä in the mid- 80's.

Laudatio The ion-guide concept has since become universal for many different nuclear reactions that cover almost all elements in the Periodic Table. The basic idea was to thermalise the products in a noble buffer gas, which resets the charge state of all ions to unity. The singly-charged ions are rapidly extracted and transported by an ultrasonic jet into the electrode system of a mass separator. Due to the speed, down to milliseconds, and selectivity when combined with the isotope separator the ion guide is an ideal tool for investigation of short-lived exotic nuclides.

Laudatio The awardee has developed the method further and exploited the possibilities of the ion guide technique by combining it with novel research methods and instruments like laser-spectroscopy and ion trap set-ups at the IGISOL-facility in Jyväskylä. Over the last twenty years the ion guide concept has also been introduced throughout the world and many setups are already in operation, under construction, or planned for the study of the physics of nuclei, atoms and elementary particles.

Laudatio Prof. Juha Äystö has obtained a very broad range of physics results at different facilities. He began his spectroscopic studies in proton-rich nuclei with beta-delayed one and two-proton decays. To the results belongs the discovery of a series of Tz = -5/2 nuclei in the sd shell via beta-delayed two-proton decay. Besides the numerous precise basic data on binding energies, radii and reaction/decay energies, an impressive variety of decay properties of ground and isomeric states have been investigated. These provide important and necessary information for nuclear structure, weak interaction physics (super allowed beta decay with the check of unitarity of the CKM-matrix and double beta decay), nuclear astrophysics processes (r and rp) etc.

Laudatio In parallel with his successful scientific career with the highlight of the innovation of the ion guide, Prof. Äystö has played a leading role in promoting nuclear physics in Finland and Europe. The awardee has also served the European Nuclear Physics Community in various international scientific committees and panels.