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New UVA professor’s research may boost next-generation space rockets

A UVA professor has made new discoveries about electron kinetic behavior within plasma beams, potentially revealing the 'shape' of future space technology. The findings could lead to more efficient and reliable electric propulsion systems for long-duration space missions.

SourceUniversity of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalPlasma Sources Science and Technology·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 3, 2025

Lehigh University researchers dig deeper into stability challenges of nuclear fusion—with mayonnaise

Researchers at Lehigh University use mayonnaise to simulate the phases of Rayleigh-Taylor instability in nuclear fusion, which could inform the design of future inertial confinement fusion processes. The team found that understanding the transition between elastic and stable plastic phases is critical for controlling the instability.

SourceLehigh University·JournalPhysical Review E·DateAug 6, 2024

Methane emissions from landfill could be turned into sustainable jet fuel in plasma chemistry leap

University of Sydney researchers have developed a chemical process using plasma that could create sustainable jet fuel from methane gas emitted from landfills. This process has the potential to eliminate the need for traditional and sustainable jet fuels, which add further emissions into the atmosphere. By capturing almost the exact co...

SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 30, 2024

Hydrogen recombination found to be most plausible explanation for high levels of energy in stellar superflares

Researchers analyzed 42 superflares using two models and concluded that hydrogen recombination is the most physically plausible explanation for high levels of energy. This model is supported by flare processes described in solar flares, which are well-studied phenomena.

SourceFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateApr 15, 2024

Scientists create effective ‘spark plug’ for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion experiments

Researchers from the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics demonstrated an effective 'spark plug' for direct-drive methods of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), achieving a plasma hot enough to initiate fusion reactions. The successful experiments use the OMEGA laser system, with the goal of eventually producing fus...

SourceUniversity of Rochester·JournalNature Physics·DateFeb 5, 2024

Lithuanian researchers recycle surgical masks for hydrogen-rich gas production

Researchers from Kaunas University of Technology and Lithuanian Energy Institute investigate the possibilities of plasma gasification to convert surgical mask waste into hydrogen-rich syngas, which shows a 42% higher heating value than biomass. The obtained syngas can be used as clean fuel with low carbon emissions.

SourceKaunas University of Technology·JournalInternational Journal of Hydrogen Energy·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 10, 2024

Way cool: UVA professor developing ‘freeze ray’ technology for the Air Force

UVA professor Patrick Hopkins is developing a 'freeze ray' technology to cool electronics in spacecraft and high-altitude jets, which can't be cooled by nature due to the vacuum of space. The technology uses heat-generating plasma to create localized cooling, and has been granted $750,000 by the Air Force.

SourceUniversity of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalACS Nano·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 31, 2023

Fusion model hot off the wall

Researchers at Kyoto University have developed a new fusion model that accurately predicts the rotational temperature of hydrogen molecules near the walls of tokamaks. This innovation enables the effective management of heat load and extends the lifetime of future fusion devices.

SourceKyoto University·JournalNuclear Fusion·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 27, 2023

Development of high-time-resolution measurement of electron temperature and density in a magnetically confined plasma

Researchers have developed a high-performance laser system capable of measuring electron temperature and density in plasma at a world record speed of 20,000 times per second. This breakthrough enables detailed measurements of transient phenomena in plasmas, crucial for understanding and controlling fusion power generation.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalScientific Reports·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 18, 2022

The process of waves carrying plasma heat is observed for the first time in the world

Researchers at National Institutes of Natural Sciences observe plasma heating due to electromagnetic waves for the first time. They used a new measurement system to capture ultrahigh-speed data, revealing that Landau damping transfers energy from high-energy particles to electromagnetic waves, which then heat the plasma.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalCommunications Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 28, 2022

Nonthermal plasma-promoted CO2 hydrogenation in presence of alloy catalysts

Researchers from Tokyo Tech investigated nonthermal plasma-promoted CO2 hydrogenation on Pd2Ga/SiO2 catalysts, revealing a more than two-fold increase in CO2 conversion compared to thermal methods. The study provides mechanistic insights into the NTP-activated species and metallic catalyst interaction.

SourceTokyo Institute of Technology·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 22, 2022

Study proposes mathematical tool to help understand fractal structure of quark-gluon plasma

A new study proposes a mathematical tool to understand the fractal structure of quark-gluon plasma, which is formed in high-energy collisions. The fractal structure explains some phenomena seen in these collisions, including particle momentum distributions that follow Tsallis statistics.

SourceFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo·JournalThe European Physical Journal Plus·DateJun 6, 2022

Fresh take on cool plasma

Australian and Asian researchers have used a simulation of a new experimental technique to determine accurate electron cross-sections in liquid using a micro-jet of water, paving the way for more efficient plasma-liquid models. This proof-of-concept model uses machine learning and Monte Carlo training data to enhance predictive power.

SourceFlinders University·JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 5, 2022

Self-sustained divertor oscillation mechanism identified in fusion plasma experiment

Scientists at Japan's National Institute for Fusion Science discovered a self-sustained mechanism that controls the heat load on the divertor in a fusion reactor. By analyzing the magnetic island and plasma current mirror, they found a competition between two processes that can be described by a biological predator-prey model, which su...

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 1, 2022

Bringing the Sun into the lab

Researchers create laboratory model to experimentally confirm the behavior of plasma waves as predicted by theory. By studying the properties of liquid metals and high magnetic fields, they successfully generate Alfvén waves in a molten alkali metal, breaking through the sound barrier for the first time.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 3, 2022

Fabricating MgB2 superconductors using spark plasma sintering and pulse magnetization

New research from Shibaura Institute of Technology reveals that spark plasma sintering produces highly dense MgB2 bulks with improved mechanical and superconducting properties. The resulting samples exhibit superior strengths and high trapped field performance, making them suitable for space applications and electric machines.

SourceShibaura Institute of Technology·JournalMaterials Science and Engineering B·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 23, 2021

Experimental evidence of an intermediate state of matter between a crystal and a liquid

Scientists have experimentally confirmed the presence of an intermediate hexatic phase in a monolayer dusty plasma system, resolving a long-standing question in theoretical physics. The research uses an unconventional approach to form a monolayer dusty system and precisely controls temperature to identify the phase transition points.

SourceMoscow Institute of Physics and Technology·JournalScientific Reports·DateJan 19, 2021

First results of an upgraded device highlight lithium's value for producing fusion

The LTX-β upgrade successfully demonstrates the ability of liquid lithium to hold onto stray particles, improving plasma temperature profiles and expanding plasma volume for fusion. The device aims to test whether coating all plasma-facing walls with lithium can enhance plasma confinement and increase temperature.

SourceDOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory·JournalIEEE Transactions on Plasma Science·DateJul 29, 2020

Applying mathematics to accelerate predictions for capturing fusion energy

Scientists at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have developed a new technique to predict fusion energy performance using advanced mathematical modeling. This approach combines millisecond behavior with longer-term forecasts, enabling accurate predictions of plasma temperature profiles and heat fluxes at significantly reduced computa...

SourceDOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory·JournalPhysics of Plasmas·DateApr 15, 2020