Plasma physics is the research area devoted to the theoretical, computational, and experimental study of ionized gases in which collective electromagnetic interactions dominate particle dynamics. It encompasses fundamental processes such as Debye shielding, plasma oscillations, waves and instabilities, magnetohydrodynamics, kinetic phenomena described by the Vlasov and Boltzmann equations, and nonlinear structures like solitons and turbulence. The field underpins research in controlled thermonuclear fusion (e.g., tokamaks, stellarators, inertial confinement), space and astrophysical plasmas (solar wind, magnetospheres, accretion disks), and high-energy-density physics, and it relies heavily on advanced diagnostics, numerical simulations, and multi-scale modeling of charged-particle behavior.
From Aug. 19–20, ESA's (European Space Agency's) Juice (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) mission made history with a daring lunar-Earth flyby and double gravity assist maneuver, a spaceflight first. As the spacecraft zipped past ...
Planetary Sciences
Oct 1, 2024
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Whether between galaxies or within doughnut-shaped fusion devices known as tokamaks, the electrically charged fourth state of matter known as plasma regularly encounters powerful magnetic fields, changing shape and sloshing ...
Plasma Physics
Aug 27, 2024
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A team of researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has made advancements in understanding and resolving the long-standing "drive-deficit" problem in indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. ...
Plasma Physics
Jul 23, 2024
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Researchers at European XFEL have developed an innovative method to study warm dense matter with unprecedented accuracy. This kind of matter, that exists between condensed matter and plasma physics, can be found, for example, ...
Condensed Matter
Jul 11, 2024
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120
In an ongoing game of cosmic hide and seek, scientists have a new tool that may give them an edge. Physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have developed a computer program ...
Plasma Physics
Jul 2, 2024
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During electron-impact ionization (EII), high-energy electrons collide with atoms, knocking away one or more of their outer electrons. To calculate the probability that ionization will occur during these impacts, researchers ...
General Physics
Jun 26, 2024
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105
The intricate dance of atoms fusing and releasing energy has fascinated scientists for decades. Now, human ingenuity and artificial intelligence are coming together at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma ...
Plasma Physics
May 14, 2024
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A team of physicists from several institutions across the U.S. working with a colleague from China, at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, in San Diego, California, has devised a way to overcome two key hurdles standing ...
In their ongoing quest to develop a range of methods for managing plasma so it can be used to generate electricity in a process known as fusion, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics ...
Plasma Physics
Apr 16, 2024
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For the first time, scientists have built a fusion experiment using permanent magnets, a technique that could show a simple way to build future devices for less cost and allow researchers to test new concepts for future fusion ...
Plasma Physics
Apr 2, 2024
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