Mini-Conference Descriptions
Mini-Conferences perform a valuable function at DPP annual meetings. They provide opportunities to focus on areas of research in plasma science and interdisciplinary discourse not ordinarily covered in the regular scientific program and encourages participation from scientists who do not usually attend DPP meetings. The oral presentations of a Mini-Conference include a combination of solicited and unsolicited papers.
13.01 In Memory of Nuno Loureiro
Organizers: Jack Hare (Cornell University), Earl Scime (West Virginia University), Mark Kushner (University of Michigan), Dmitri Uzdensky (University of Oxford, England), Muni Zhou (Dartmouth College), Alex Schekochihin (University of Oxford, England)
Professor Nuno Loureiro (1977-2025) was an outstanding theoretical plasma physicist, whose scientific endeavors launched new fields of inquiry across many areas of plasma physics and plasma astrophysics. Nuno’s research interests spanned magnetic reconnection, plasma turbulence, kinetic theory, high-energy-density plasmas, confinement and transport in fusion plasmas, and quantum computing for plasma physics. We invite members of the DPP community to present scientific talks based on their work with Nuno or inspired by his research. Together we will remember Nuno’s remarkable accomplishments and look to the future building on his legacy.
13.02 The Plasma Boundary of Magnetic Fusion Devices: In Honor of Peter Stangeby
Organizers: David Donovan (University of Tennessee), James Davis (University of Toronto, Canada), Auna Moser (General Atomics)
This mini-conference honors the work of Professor Peter Stangeby and the extraordinary influence he had on boundary plasma physics through both his substantial scholarly record and his remarkable influence on countless individuals, especially students and early career scientists. Peter’s textbook, “The Plasma Boundary of Magnetic Fusion Devices”, is one of the most highly cited texts in its field and foundational reading for a generation of scientists in plasma physics and fusion energy science. Peter had a profound impact on the field of tokamak edge physics, with work spanning the boundary region, from plasma-material interactions and divertor detachment to SOL models and the contribution of drifts in the plasma edge. We welcome contributed oral presentation submissions from the magnetic fusion boundary plasma community, especially those influenced by and building upon Peter’s work. We would be especially thrilled to highlight the work of early career scholars to demonstrate how Peter’s contributions will continue impacting our community long into the future.
13.03 Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics of Collisionless Plasmas
Organizers: Vladimir Zhdankin (Univeristy of Wisconsin), Paul Classak (Clemson University), Matthew Kunz (Princeton University)
Collisionless and weakly collisional plasmas provide a natural setting for non-equilibrium statistical mechanics across the plasma sciences, including fusion, space physics, astrophysics, and high energy density physics. Non-equilibrium behavior can also arise in low-temperature collisional plasmas, such as dusty plasmas, owing to the large disparity in particle masses. While kinetic theory remains the primary theoretical framework for a rigorous description of irreversible plasma processes, modern methods from statistical physics may offer short-cuts for developing reduced models that capture essential non-equilibrium phenomena. In particular, non-equilibrium statistical mechanics provides powerful formalisms based on fluctuation-dissipation relations, Fokker-Planck models, generalized entropy principles, kinetic closures, effective collision operators, information theory, and fractional diffusion. Concomitantly, plasmas provide a rich testing ground for exploring extensions of classical thermodynamics to non-equilibrium systems, with potential relevance beyond plasma physics. Research on these topics is often isolated in sessions based on the target application, making it difficult to disseminate cross-cutting ideas and results to the broader plasma community. This mini-conference will bring together researchers from diverse subfields of plasma physics to discuss recent advances in these areas. Presentations will examine the fundamental physical principles underlying non-equilibrium statistical mechanics in plasmas and assess new opportunities for testing theoretical models with numerical simulations, laboratory experiments, and spacecraft observations. In addition to oral presentations, this mini-conference will have a poster session.