Press Releases
A Proton Merry-Go-Round Can Dissipate Turbulence in Space
Using spacecraft measurements of protons and electric fields, scientists discover that the cyclotron acceleration of protons can dissipate turbulence in space.
New Clues to the Mysterious Heating of the Sun’s Atmosphere
Experimental findings about plasma wave reflection could answer questions about high coronal temperatures.
Liquid Lithium Walls Change the Fusion-Fueling Game
Walls coated in liquid lithium can boost the efficiency of fusion by absorbing escaping plasma and helping refuel the plasma using high-energy beams.
Triple Play: Managing ELMs for Efficient Fusion Energy
Plasma instabilities called “edge localized modes,” or ELMs, are a challenge in fusion reactors, but researchers are finding ways to deal with them.
ZEUS Hurls a Blast of X-Rays in First Experiments
Researchers push laser-driven particle acceleration and X-ray generation into new territory with the first experiments on the ZEUS multi-petawatt laser facility.
Plasma Science Takes Over Atlanta!
Join us for our free interactive plasma science events for students, teachers, and the public this October in Atlanta.
A Novel Path to High Performance Fusion Plasma: Real-Time Adaptive Control
Scientists develop a real-time adaptive controller incorporating machine learning/artificial intelligence to avoid destructive ELM energy bursts in a tokamak plasma.
Going Big: Using the Largest Supercomputer in the World to Study Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxy Clusters
Researchers used Frontier, the largest supercomputer in the world, to simulate the impact that jets from supermassive black holes have on the galaxy clusters in which they live.
Recreating the Galaxy in a Laboratory
Researchers at the National Ignition Facility are studying the properties and dynamics of a wide range of astrophysical objects and phenomena through the Discovery Science program.
Spinning in a Bottle: Centrifugal Mirror Achieves Long Pulse, Stable Discharges
With steady state superconducting magnets and constant power input, the Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment demonstrates stable operation of scalable fusion energy concept.
Hot Topic: Overcoming Modeling Limitations Using Machine Learning
New AI models of plasma heating lead to important corrections in computer code used for fusion research.
Stopping off-the-wall behavior in fusion reactors
Boron could help the tungsten wall inside a tokamak keep its atoms to itself.
Closer to the Horizon: Laser and Pulsed-Power Experiments Emulate Black Hole Accretion Disks
Researchers model the material orbiting black holes using powerful lasers and immense electrical discharges to create rotating plasmas.
World Record-Breaking Fusion Experiment Takes First Steps Towards Robust, Reliable Fusion Power Plants
First results from the WHAM experiment demonstrate remarkable performance from 17 Tesla magnets and plasma heating systems.
Magnetogenesis in a Collisionless Plasma
Researchers tackle the mystery of cosmic magnetism from first principles.