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Plasma Physics news
Radio waves drive a fusion plasma current that could help reactors run continuously
For the first time, a team of physicists in the U.S. has clearly demonstrated a "helicon current drive" in a nuclear fusion experiment. Led by Jeff Lestz at General Atomics, San Diego, the team took advantage of the latest ...
Single X-ray pulse reveals plasma nanostructures across scales with one camera
Understanding instabilities and turbulence in plasmas is one of the key challenges across a wide range of plasma research fields, including nuclear fusion, astrophysics and laser-plasma physics. In plasmas, slight disturbances ...
Plasma Physics
Oct 24, 2026
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X-ray free-electron laser sets new record for shortest high-energy pulses
Researchers at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have measured the shortest high-energy X-ray pulses ever recorded at an X-ray free-electron laser ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 21, 2026
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A novel path to fusion ignition: Heat first, then add fuel
For more than 70 years, fusion energy researchers have used a particular equation to judge whether a plasma would stay hot and dense enough—for long enough—to reach a point where it could sustain itself without any more external ...
Plasma Physics
Oct 5, 2026
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Lightsaber-like plasma antenna uses laser-ionized air to transmit radio waves
Researchers have demonstrated a technique that uses a laser to produce a plasma beam antenna capable of transmitting radio waves. The article, "Laser-Induced-Plasma-Filament Antenna Transmitting 30 MHz VHF," is published ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 5, 2026
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After 20 years, jet diffusion wakes detected in quark-gluon plasmas
Boats passing over smooth water form a pair of diffusion wakes behind them veering off at a certain angle. Turbulence occurs along the line directly behind the boat, but the two diffusion waves are at a theoretical angle ...
Laser experiments recreate solar flare physics and reveal consistent magnetic reconnection rates
Magnetic reconnection is a process that occurs when the magnetic fields of a conductive plasma quickly rearrange and release massive amounts of stored magnetic energy. It is widely thought to be the underlying mechanism behind ...
General Physics
Sep 18, 2026
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Speedy electrons for brilliant laser light: Research paves the way for compact, inexpensive free-electron lasers
Extremely short, intense light flashes are in high demand to investigate atoms, molecules and new materials. Free-electron lasers (FELs) produce these flashes. But around the world, beam time available at large-scale user ...
Optics & Photonics
Sep 14, 2026
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201
Dark plasma regions reveal overlooked source of reactive atomic oxygen
Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found a way to make plasma more effective for its wide-ranging uses, from antimicrobial applications to surface conditioning in the semiconductor industry. They mapped the ...
Plasma Physics
Sep 7, 2026
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PACMAN AI framework for controlling fusion systems safely makes key decisions in milliseconds
Inside some fusion energy systems, particles hotter than the core of the sun can become unruly in a few thousandths of a second, far faster than any human operator can react. A new software framework developed by researchers ...
Plasma Physics
Sep 2, 2026
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How fusion reactions can survive flaws—up to a point
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have found that implosions designed for inertial fusion energy (IFE) can tolerate significant imperfections before performance abruptly declines, a finding that ...
Plasma Physics
Aug 24, 2026
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Connecting the power of the stars to geometry
In the world of fusion energy, scientists and engineers study the fourth state of matter known as plasma in an effort to design and build a new type of power plant. Relying on the heat produced by two small atoms smashing ...
Plasma Physics
Aug 19, 2026
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Tungsten may suffer more radiation damage in fusion reactors than expected
Fusion reactors, devices that generate energy by fusing light atomic nuclei at extremely high temperatures, could contribute to ongoing efforts aimed at producing electricity more sustainably. The extreme environment inside ...
Copper's surprising melting behavior provides insights into future fusion design
Future fusion power plants aim to recreate the heart of a star here on Earth to power our future energy needs. While the core fusion plasma will burn at hundreds of millions of degrees, the surrounding structural components ...
Condensed Matter
Aug 13, 2026
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'Flying focus' laser overcomes key limitation in plasma-based particle accelerators
In a new Nature Physics study, researchers accelerated electrons to more than twice the energy predicted by the traditional dephasing limit for laser-plasma accelerators operating over the same distance. This was made possible ...
Tiny vortices discovered on the sun's surface
Researchers from the U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory (NSF NSO), the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany, and the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) in the U.S. have made ...
General Physics
Aug 5, 2026
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212
Pushing the boundaries of ultracold neutral plasmas
Using a combination of laser cooling techniques and strong magnetic fields, researchers at Colorado State University have for the first time created an ultracold neutral plasma with electrons cooled to temperatures measured ...
General Physics
Aug 4, 2026
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New approach to cleaning the inner walls of a fusion system removes another obstacle to near-endless energy
Fusion systems need inner walls that can withstand extreme heat. One promising solution uses liquid lithium to protect the walls, held like water in a sponge made of the exceptionally strong metal tungsten. An advanced manufacturing ...
Plasma Physics
Aug 4, 2026
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Materials surrounding a fusion reaction can dramatically increase how often it occurs
Fusion at high temperatures powers the sun and, if harnessed, could provide a potential source of energy here on Earth. But controlling fusion reactions has other benefits. The process also generates subatomic particles called ...
General Physics
Jul 23, 2026
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Plasma design rules show how to preserve attosecond flashes for observing electrons
Researchers at Skoltech, together with a colleague from the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, working within the joint SIOM–Skoltech laboratory, have determined how to select ...
Optics & Photonics
Jul 22, 2026
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More news
X-pinch plasma achieves radial proton acceleration for crisp imaging
First-of-a-kind laser spring opens up new avenues for plasma control
Laser experiments push helium to record shock pressures
Modeling nuclear fusion at lightning speed
Circular polarization could cut laser backscatter in fusion experiments
Understanding how lasers can rapidly magnetize fusion plasmas
Team develops modulator for compact photonic integrated circuits
A new route for plasma-based particle accelerators
Laser-plasma 'mirror' unlocks a new path to extreme light intensities
Other news
New converter could bridge light wavelength gap in quantum communications
Scientists reveal hidden world of living cells in human milk
Clouds on a lava planet challenge what astronomers expected
Laser-plasma accelerator drives free-electron laser for record 8 hours
Machine learning accelerates analysis of fusion materials
Building desktop particle accelerators to unlock new realms of research
ALICE sees new sign of primordial plasma in proton collisions
Making mini-lightning in a block of plastic
Laser-within-a-laser delivers MeV X-ray radiography in picoseconds
Metalens microscope switches focus with voltage, not moving optics
