The PACMAN AI framework successfully tested in five real-world experiments, making decisions in milliseconds and surpassing human reaction time. The framework combines multiple machine learning models to monitor and control different aspects of the fusion system, enabling real-time control and safety.
Research using fMRI scans shows that music and speech activate the same brain regions associated with imagination and meaning, leading to shared neural representations of imagined narratives. On average, 71% of participants matched the consensus story for each musical excerpt.
The PPPL-led project will use AI to autonomously operate high-power gyrotrons, a crucial method for heating plasma in fusion systems. Researchers from multiple institutions will collaborate on this project.
Andrei Khodak, a principal engineering analyst at PPPL, has been awarded the ANS Outstanding Achievement Award for his work on virtual prototyping of liquid-metal plasma-facing components. He has made significant contributions to the design and engineering of major fusion systems, including ITER and DIII-D.
Researchers at Princeton University have developed a method to manufacture transistors with less risk of damage using a class of extremely thin materials called transition metal dichalcogenides. By pretreating the surface with oxygen or fluorine, it becomes easier to remove atoms from the top layer without damaging the lower layers.
The National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) will enable plasma operations by creating two separate sets of magnetic fields, confining the plasma and heating it through an electric current. This compact fusion system has unique research capabilities, making it easier to build and replicate than conventional tokamaks.
Researchers found that state-coordinated media in AI training data influences model responses about politics, especially in a country's own language. The team tested commercial models and found that adding scripted news to the training data made them produce more favorable answers.
High-powered lasers can vaporize a solid target, creating plasma that rapidly expands and generates strong magnetic fields. The team derived a simple threshold criterion to predict plasma magnetization for given laser and target parameters.
A new 10-year project agreement advances US-EU collaboration on Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, a key experiment in fusion energy. The framework streamlines processes for joint research projects and provides a consistent legal structure for partnerships.
A new international project will provide essential measurement equipment for two doughnut-shaped fusion devices, WEST and JT-60SA, to understand plasma behavior. PPPL's Luis Delgado-Aparicio leads the effort, adding powerful X-ray imaging systems to guide future fusion system design.
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory successfully completed its marathon run on the Large Helical Device, yielding key findings about fusion energy. The experiment produced world-record milestones, including sustained megawatt-level plasmas for nearly an hour, and demonstrated a unique feature to produce resilient plasmas.
A new report recommends increased investment in America's fusion diagnostic capabilities, a critical technology that could provide information to speed up the delivery of commercial fusion power plants. The report identifies key areas for research and development to advance U.S. leadership in fusion energy and plasma technologies.
Researchers at Princeton University found a specific brain region and gene, Agouti, linked to caregiving behavior in male African striped mice. Males with lower Agouti levels showed greater interest in caring for pups, while those with higher levels were neglectful or abusive.
The US Department of Energy has launched a national research program on liquid metals for fusion, with Princeton University at the forefront. The program aims to develop liquid metal technology that can protect components from intense heat and improve fusion system performance.
Researchers used computer simulations to study the behavior of exhaust particles in tokamaks. They found that the toroidal rotation of plasma plays a key role in determining where particles land in the machine's exhaust system. This discovery could help engineers design divertors better equipped to handle intense heat.
The new platform, led by PPPL, aims to speed up simulations needed to advance fusion energy research. STELLAR-AI will integrate CPUs, GPUs, and QPUs to tackle the challenges of private fusion companies, enabling faster design and optimization of stellarator devices.
The brain uses reusable patterns of activity across tasks to build new behaviors, snapping together 'cognitive Legos' that can be flexibly combined. This compositionality enables the brain to quickly learn new information and switch between tasks, a feature current AI models struggle with.
Researchers from Princeton University uncover the origins of the human-biting mosquito Culex pipiens molestus, dating it back over 1,000 years to ancient agricultural societies in Egypt. The study reveals genetic links between bird-biting and human-biting mosquitoes, crucial for understanding West Nile virus transmission.
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory has partnered with Japan and Europe on the world's largest fusion machine, JT-60SA. The U.S. lab will provide an advanced measurement tool, XICS, to help scientists better understand and control the plasma inside the machine.
A new AI system called Diag2Diag analyzes sensor data to provide synthetic information for failing or degraded sensors in fusion systems, enhancing robustness and reducing complexity. This technology has the potential to make fusion energy more economical and reliable, enabling 24/7 operation without interruption.
A team of scientists from Princeton University and PPPL successfully recreated the star formation mechanism in a laboratory setting, validating astrophysical theory. The achievement marks over two decades of persistent effort and combines experimental ingenuity, theoretical insight, and advanced computational modeling.
A new way to produce ammonia more efficiently has been discovered by boosting its production using low-temperature plasma. This method could create ammonia in smaller facilities closer to where it is needed, making it safer and easier to transport, and potentially leading to a transformative change in energy storage and transportation.
Researchers developed a conceptual framework for simulating polariton dynamics using quantum mechanics, revealing novel behavior due to entanglement. The study provides a foundation for understanding molecular control with light, essential for future technologies.
New research suggests that rapid brain growth in marmoset infants, similar to human babies, enables them to learn language through feedback from caregivers. This learning strategy makes humans an oddity within the animal kingdom.
A study led by Yibin Kang and Yujiao Han reveals that cancer cells hijack a specialized cell to recycle iron, depriving red blood cells of necessary iron and causing anemia. The discovery aims to slow down bone metastasis and alleviate complications.
Researchers created the first brain-wide map of decision-making at single-cell resolution in a mammal using mice turning tiny steering wheels. The dataset reveals distributed neural networks guiding decision-making across 279 brain regions in 139 mice.
Researchers have developed a new AI approach called HEAT-ML that accelerates calculations of magnetic shadows in fusion vessels, enabling faster design and operation. This breakthrough could lead to significant improvements in fusion power generation and potentially limitless clean energy.
A global collaboration found that co-deposition is the dominant driver of fuel retention in lithium walls, and adding lithium during operation is more effective than pre-coating. The study offers insights into managing tritium, a rare fusion fuel, and improving plasma stability.
PPPL's Jack Berkery is heading to Japan as a Fulbright Specialist to share research on spherical tokamaks and strengthen ties with Kyushu University. He will present PPPL research at the Asia-Pacific Conference on Plasma Physics, focusing on spherical tokamaks and their preparations for NSTX-U's next phase of operations.
A new simulation approach has been developed to model plasmas used in computer chip manufacturing, allowing for improved stability and efficiency. The new code accurately conserves energy, helping to ensure the results reflect real physical processes.
Researchers used massive simulations to study galactic-type turbulence, finding that magnetic fields alter energy cascades and suppress small-scale motions. The findings could reshape our understanding of the Galaxy's turbulent structure and its impact on space weather.
The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) collaboration has produced the clearest images yet of the universe’s infancy. These new images show subtle variations in density and velocity of gases in the young universe, helping scientists answer longstanding questions about the universe’s origins.
Researchers at Princeton University have directly observed a long-predicted quantum fractal pattern, known as Hofstadter's butterfly, in a real material. The discovery was made possible by a breakthrough in materials engineering and uses scanning tunneling microscopy to study the electron energy levels.
The Mircea Dincă Group at Princeton University has developed a sodium-ion cathode using bis-tetraaminobenzoquinone (TAQ) that outperforms traditional lithium-ion cathodes. This innovation has the potential to address the challenges of limited resources and scalability in battery technology, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alt...
Researchers at Princeton University have developed a method to recycle two of the planet's most challenging plastics using a common additive called carbon black. The process involves intense light focused on plastic containing the pigment, jumpstarting depolymerization and producing valuable commodity chemicals.
The Chris Chang Lab develops a copper-detection tool to uncover how copper regulates cell growth in lung cancer. The probe identifies cells with elevated copper levels and reveals a connection between copper and the antioxidant response mediated by NRF2.
Researchers at Princeton Chemistry have developed a promising combination-drug treatment for melioidosis, a bacterial infection that causes fever, pneumonia, and sepsis. The approach targets the pathogen's unique metabolic vulnerabilities with low-dose antibiotics, leaving gut microbiome bacteria unscathed.
A Princeton-led research team has built the first neuron-by-neuron and synapse-by-synapse roadmap through the brain of an adult fruit fly. The map reveals connections within the brain at every scale, enabling researchers to better understand its underlying logic and potentially develop tailored treatments for brain diseases.
Researchers found evidence of multiple waves of genetic intermingling between modern humans and Neanderthals, challenging previous theories. The study reveals a more intimate connection between early human groups than previously believed.
Physicists from Princeton University have discovered the microscopic basis of kinetic magnetism, a novel form of quantum magnetism. They directly imaged the unusual type of polaron that gives rise to this magnetism, using ultracold atoms in an artificial laser-built lattice.
Researchers identified a small RNA-binding protein called La that promotes gene editing with high efficiency. The team created a new protein, PE7, which harnesses La's activity to enhance prime editing, leaving unwanted byproducts at low frequencies.
Physicists at Princeton University have successfully visualized the Wigner crystal, a quantum phase of matter composed of electron crystals. The team used a scanning tunneling microscope to directly image the crystal, confirming its properties and enabling further study.
Researchers at Princeton University have discovered a novel quantum effect termed “hybrid topology” in a crystalline material made of arsenic atoms. This finding combines two forms of topological quantum behavior—edge states and surface states, creating a new state of matter.
Physicists at Princeton University have observed long-range quantum coherence effects due to Aharonov-Bohm interference in a bismuth bromide topological insulator-based device. This finding could lead to the development of spin-based electronics with higher energy efficiency and new platforms for quantum information science.
Researchers at Princeton University discovered a sudden change in quantum behavior while experimenting with a three-atom-thin insulator. The findings suggest the existence of unique quantum phase transitions that disobey established theories, promising to enhance our understanding of quantum physics and superconductivity.
Princeton researchers successfully entangle individual molecules, a breakthrough in quantum mechanics that could lead to faster quantum computers, simulators, and sensors. The achievement overcomes long-standing challenges in controlling molecular behavior, enabling new ways of storing and processing quantum information.
Researchers at Princeton University's Chirik Group have developed a cobalt catalyst that enables meta-selective borylation of fluoroarenes based on their electronic properties. This method bypasses the need for steric control and directing groups, making it faster and more cost-effective than traditional approaches.
A team of researchers used trail cameras and GPS collars to track the effects of Cyclone Idai on Gorongosa National Park's mammal community. They found that body size was a key predictor of survival, with smaller animals more vulnerable to the storm's impact.
A team of Princeton astrophysicists has conclusively determined that the energy close to the event horizon of black hole M87* is pushing outward, not inward. This finding resolves a longstanding debate within the field and provides new insights into the behavior of black holes.
A team of neuroscientists and physicists at Princeton University studied the brain of Caenorhabditis elegans to understand how information flows through a network of interacting neurons. They used optogenetics to activate individual neurons and observe how other neurons responded, shedding light on the complex neural connections.