News By Location

10-May-2017

New model of plasma stability could help researchers predict and avoid disruptions

DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

PPPL physicists have helped develop a new computer model of plasma stability in doughnut-shaped fusion machines known as tokamaks. The new model incorporates recent findings gathered from related research efforts and simplifies the physics involved so computers can process the program more quickly. The model could help scientists predict when a plasma might become unstable and then avoid the underlying conditions.

Journal

Physics of Plasmas

Funder

DOE/US Department of Energy

6-Apr-2017

Scientists further understanding of a process that causes heat loss in fusion devices

DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In the past year, scientists at PPPL have made important advances in understanding secondary electron emission.

Journal

Applied Physics Letters

Funder

DOE/US Department of Energy, DOE/Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program, Air Force Office of Scientific Research

5-Apr-2017

Simulations of DIII-D experiments shed light on mysterious plasma flows

DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Article describes how heating core of the plasma can create sheared flow that improves stability and performance of fusion devices.

Journal

Physical Review Letters

Funder

DOE/US Department of Energy

31-Mar-2017

Discovery of a source of fast magnetic reconnection

DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Feature describes source of the acceleration of a common type of magnetic reconnection.

Journal

Physical Review Letters

Funder

DOE/US Department of Energy

20-Mar-2017

New feedback system could allow greater control over fusion plasma

DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A physicist has created a new system that will let scientists control the energy and rotation of plasma in real time in a doughnut-shaped machine known as a tokamak.

Journal

Physics of Plasmas

Funder

DOE/US Department of Energy

17-Feb-2017

PPPL-led fusion code selected for all 3 pre-exascale supercomputers

DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Business Announcement

US Department of Energy high-performance computer sites have selected a dynamic fusion code, led by physicist C.S. Chang of the DOE's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, for optimization on three powerful new supercomputers.

27-Jan-2017

PPPL scientist uncovers physics behind plasma-etching process

DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

PPPL physicist Igor Kaganovich and collaborators have uncovered some of the physics that make possible the etching of silicon computer chips, which power cell phones, computers, and a huge range of electronic devices.

Journal

Physics of Plasmas

Funder

DOE/Fusion Energy Sciences division

23-Jan-2017

PPPL physicist uncovers clues to mechanism behind magnetic reconnection

DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Physicist Fatima Ebrahimi has published a paper showing that magnetic reconnection -- the process in which magnetic field lines snap together and release energy -- can be triggered by motion in nearby magnetic fields.

Journal

Physics of Plasmas

Funder

DOE/US Department of Energy

6-Jan-2017

Top 10 PPPL stories that you shouldn't miss

DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Business Announcement

Article summarizes top 10 laboratory developments and discoveries in 2016.

22-Dec-2016

Feeding the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way

DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Feature describes method for modeling accretion disk that feeds supermassive Sagittarius A.

Funder

and David and Lucille Packard Foundation, Jr. Fellowship, National Science Foundation, Lyman Spitzer, Simons Foundation