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APS publications serve the international physics community with peer-reviewed research journals, news and commentary about the latest research published in the Physical Review journals, news about and for members, information about physics and its place in the world, and blogs covering science policy, as well as fun and educational science news. Visit APS Publications

                                                                         

The Plasma Universe

On the occasion of the APS DPP 50th Anniversary Curt Suplee was commissioned to write "The Plasma Universe”. This richly illustrated full color book reveals, for the first time, the exciting world of plasma physics to a non-technical audience. The book describes the important developments of the field of plasma physics during the past 50 years, including biographical information on some of the key contributors to that development. (First published in 2009 by Cambridge University Press and reprinted in 2011.)


The Plasma Universe book has been made freely available for download in PDF form:

The Plasma Universe (PDF - 45.9MB)

                                                                         

From Physical Review

  • Author(s): Drew P. Higginson, N. Izumi, M. D. Rosen, P. Volegov, T. Chapman, D. N. Fittinghoff, K. D. Hahn, B. M. Haines, J. Jeet, A. J. Kemp, S. Kerr, O. L. Landen, S. MacLaren, A. J. MacKinnon, J. D. Moody, A. S. Moore, B. L. Reichelt, W. M. Riedel, D. J. Schlossberg, D. J. Strozzi, A. E. Youmans, G. Zimmerman, W. A. Farmer, J. S. Ross, and D. E. Hinkel A targeted experiment at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) confirms the presence of multispecies...
  • Author(s): C. Rousseaux, S. D. Baton, K. Glize, L. Lancia, D. Bénisti, G. Sary, and L. Gremillet Using space-time-resolved Thomson scattering, we investigate experimentally the development of electrostatic waves in a preformed undercritical helium plasma driven by a $1.059\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{μ}\mathrm{m}$ laser pulse of $∼1.5\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{ps}$ duration and $∼{10}^{15–16}\text{ }\m… [Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 165102] Published Mon...
  • Author(s): M. Turner et al. (AWAKE Collaboration) We show experimentally that an effect of motion of ions, observed in a plasma-based accelerator, depends inversely on the plasma ion mass. The effect appears within a single wakefield event and manifests itself as a bunch tail, occurring only when sufficient motion of ions suppresses wakefields. Wak… [Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 155001] Published Thu Apr 17, 2025
  • Author(s): Zhuo Liu, Caio Silva, Lucio M. Milanese, Muni Zhou, Noah R. Mandell, and Nuno F. Loureiro We derive, and validate numerically, an analytical model for electron-only magnetic reconnection applicable to strongly magnetized plasmas. Our model predicts subion-scale reconnection rates significantly higher than those pertaining to large-scale reconnection, aligning with recent observations and… [Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 155201] Published...
  • Author(s): Eli Gudinetsky, Tal Miller, Ilan Be’ery, and Ido Barth Magnetic confinement fusion reactors produce fusion byproduct particles that must be removed for efficient operation. It is suggested to use autoresonance (a continuous phase locking between anharmonic motion and a chirped drive) to remove the fusion products from a magnetic mirror, the simplest mag… [Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 155101] Published Mon Apr 14, 2025
  • Author(s): Magnus F. Ivarsen, Yukinaga Miyashita, Jean-Pierre St-Maurice, Glenn C. Hussey, Brian Pitzel, Draven Galeschuk, Saif Marei, Richard B. Horne, Yoshiya Kasahara, Shoya Matsuda, Satoshi Kasahara, Kunihiro Keika, Yoshizumi Miyoshi, Kazuhiro Yamamoto, Atsuki Shinbori, Devin R. Huyghebaert, Ayako Matsuoka, Shoichiro Yokota, and Fuminori Tsuchiya Observations link turbulence in the ionosphere—a region essential for communications—with far...
  • Author(s): M. D. Campanell, C. Y. Wang, and K. L. Nguyen It is known that the current of emitted electrons flowing through a plasma can saturate upon formation of a potential well adjacent to the cathode (the “space charge effect”). Here, we demonstrate another saturation mechanism that will often set a more restrictive limit on the global current. When “… [Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 145301] Published Thu Apr 10, 2025