Articles tagged with Plasma
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Physicists at PPPL discovered that halo currents offset eddy current forces in tokamaks, leading to unexpected changes in total vertical forces; this finding could enable designers to contain damaging forces for future fusion facilities like ITER.
Physicist Fatima Ebrahimi's high-resolution simulations show that CHI can produce continuous current in larger tokamaks, enabling stable fusion plasmas. The technique creates magnetic bubbles to induce current, which could be used in fusion facilities worldwide
The Helmholtz International Lab for Optimized Advanced Divertors in Stellarators (HILOADS) has been approved to conduct research on stellarator projects. HILOADS brings together institutions from Germany and the US, including the Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The project aims to develop o...
Researchers have developed a simulation model that shows the potential for fast magnetic reconnection to occur in partially ionized plasma, a key region in interstellar space. This finding could help understand how reconnection may affect star formation and provide insights into the physics of magnetically reconnecting plasmas.
Researchers at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory developed new mathematical tools to forecast when waves will cool plasma and quench fusion reactions. A second beam injected at a different angle can suppress the effect of waves, providing new methods for maintaining plasma confinement.
Researchers at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory create simulation framework to fine-tune plasma startup recipes for NSTX-U and MAST-U experiments. The tool enables operators to quickly achieve a balance between electric and magnetic fields, significantly reducing experimentation time.
Scientists at PPPL have developed new findings on the physics governing the balance of pressure in the scrape-off layer, which is essential for predicting plasma pressure in future fusion facilities. The research could lead to accurate forecasts for international ITER and other next-generation tokamaks.
A new mathematical technique developed by Caoxiang Zhu at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory can help simplify the design of stellarators, reducing construction time and costs. The method identifies irregular magnetic fields produced by stellarator coils, allowing for the creation of more stable plasmas.
Researchers discovered a small misalignment of magnetic coils in a tokamak facility that caused errors and deviations from optimal alignment, leading to increased localized heating and reduced plasma rotation. The findings have implications for future fusion devices like ITER, with improved engineering tolerance requirements proposed.
Physicists have confirmed an updated computer code can predict and prevent leaks in fusion plasmas, reducing energy loss and damaging machines. The revised TRANSP code accurately models particle behavior, enabling better understanding and prediction of instability effects.
A nationwide program to unify research on liquid metal components for future tokamaks will be coordinated by Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory's Rajesh Maingi. The three-year project aims to develop a strategy for coating the divertor with flowing liquid lithium to protect it from extreme heat.
Physicists have found that by fine-tuning the electromagnet configurations and initial plasma properties, magnetic mirrors can achieve longer confinement times and lower loss rates. This could make them ideal for new particle physics experiments.
Researchers propose a new measurement technique to stabilize plasma in next-generation magnetic fusion devices. By combining Electron Cyclotron Emission data with high-neutron environment imaging, the system provides robust diagnostics for mapping and controlling plasma equilibrium.
Researchers found that injecting tiny beryllium pellets into the plasma could trigger small eruptions called ELMs, stabilizing fusion reactions. This technique could potentially reduce the risk of large ELMs and damage to the ITER facility.
Scientists at Ruhr-University Bochum created underwater plasmas using optical spectroscopy and modelling, producing extreme conditions that briefly surpass the sun's temperature. The resulting plasma breaks down water molecules into their components, releasing oxygen crucial for regenerating catalytic surfaces.
Researchers have found a new obstacle to effective accelerator beam pulses by forming 'electrostatic solitary waves' that reduce neutralization. Widening the filament injecting electrons into the beam can improve neutralization rates.
Researchers from Ireland and France used large radio telescopes and ultraviolet cameras to study the Sun's plasma, revealing its unstable nature and potential for harnessing clean energy. The discovery could pave the way for developing safe and efficient nuclear fusion reactors.
Researchers have developed a machine learning model to rapidly predict plasma behavior, allowing for real-time control of fusion reactions on Earth. The new model reduces calculation time from minutes to microseconds, enabling faster decision-making during experiments.
Researchers have upgraded a device to test lithium's ability to maintain heat and protect walls in a tokamak, which could help bring fusion energy to Earth. The machine uses a coating of lithium to cover the interior wall of the small tokamak, aiming to replicate fusion on Earth for virtually inexhaustible power.
Researchers have discovered needle-like structures in positively charged lightning leaders that store negative charges, causing repeated discharges to the ground. This new finding explains why lightning often strikes twice and provides a deeper understanding of lightning development.
Researchers have discovered a hill-like bump of electric charge at the X-point in tokamaks, which prevents plasma particles from traveling straight between upstream and downstream areas. This finding could lead to more accurate predictions about exhaust and make future large-scale facilities less vulnerable to internal damage.
Researchers confirm effectiveness of transient coaxial helical injection (CHI) technique, which could facilitate constant fusion reactions and free up space in compact spherical tokamaks. The technique eliminates the need for a central magnet, simplifying design and potentially improving performance.
In a breakthrough study, scientists have observed ions moving faster than atoms in the gas streams of solar prominences, challenging our understanding of plasma behavior. This phenomenon occurs when ions and neutral atoms flow independently in partially ionized plasmas without impact equilibrium.
Research by the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and international team of scientists shows that twisted magnetic fields have a limited number of possible evolutions, leading to the formation of a torus shape. The helicity of the twist constrains the outward expansion of plasma, resulting in a self-organized structure.
Researchers have combined decades-old theories to provide insight into the driving mechanisms of plasma jets in black holes. The simulations describe how twisting magnetic fields and 'negative-energy' particles produce these powerful displays, allowing black holes to steal energy and propel it far from their event horizons.
Researchers have developed a novel prototype to rapidly control plasma disruptions in fusion facilities. The 'electromagnetic particle injector' (EPI) device uses high-velocity projectiles to release material into the plasma, reducing its impact on the tokamak walls.
Physicists at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have directly observed a possible process that can trigger damaging ELMs in tokamak devices. The findings reveal correlations between fluctuations in plasma density and magnetic field fluctuations, which could lead to a new method for triggering ELMs.
Researchers at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have discovered a process that can help control disruptions in fusion plasmas, a key challenge for generating clean energy. The process focuses on stabilizing tearing modes, which create magnetic islands that can trigger disruptive events and halt fusion reactions.
A new publication by Kazan Federal University reviews ionosphere plasma experiments using artificial heating facilities like SURA, EISCAT-Heater, and HAARP. The study reveals insights into plasma fluctuations, turbulence, and electron acceleration, shedding light on the ionosphere's role as a natural plasma laboratory.
Scientists created ultra-hot quark gluon plasma, a liquid-like state of matter thought to have filled the early universe. They discovered three distinct geometric patterns: circles, ellipses, and triangles.
A team of Saudi Arabian scientists has discovered a way to control dormancy in grapes and other fruiting plants by subjecting them to high-tech plasmas. This method may help extend the cultivation of temperate zone crops to milder climates, mitigating problems caused by global warming.
Researchers at the University of Alabama have developed a new plasma device that can clean water of difficult-to-remove bacteria and toxins. The device uses pulses of voltage to produce hydroxyl radicals, which cause a cascade of reactions leading to purer water samples.
Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute have obtained new results using Xenon-ions in the LHC, recreating the initial conditions of the universe at extremely high temperatures. The experiments reveal that the primordial matter behaves like a liquid, with quarks and gluons being quasi-free, challenging theoretical models.
Researchers have successfully observed and studied the ionization-induced self-channeling of a microwave beam in a neutral gas. This effect enables the microwave to propagate a longer distance, potentially leading to military applications as a directed-energy weapon.
Nat Fisch, a renowned researcher at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, has received the 2018 Distinguished Career Award from Fusion Power Associates. The award recognizes his decades-long contributions to plasma science and fusion power, as well as his role in advancing education and research in the field.
Researchers have successfully controlled plasma instabilities in a way that could lead to the efficient operation of ITER, a key step towards harnessing fusion power. The experiments used high-pressure plasmas and resonant magnetic perturbations to suppress large ELMs and produce benign ones.
A team of scientists at GE and PPPL has developed an advanced plasma switch that can convert high-voltage DC current to AC current efficiently, reducing the cost of long-distance power transmission. The switch uses helium gas inside a tube filled with plasma, which is more efficient than existing semiconductor switches.
US and international physicists made substantial progress toward planning a system for mitigating disruptions on ITER, which can seriously damage the facility. Key methods outlined include shattered pellet injection to control disruptions, as well as simulation tools to predict plasma behavior and predict disruptions in time.
Researchers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have discovered a mechanism called magnetic flux pumping that stabilizes plasma in tokamaks, preventing sawtooth gyrations and halting fusion reactions. This breakthrough could lead to the development of fusion energy by regulating plasma current and pressure.
Researchers have characterized plasma turbulence at the outer edge of Wendelstein 7-X, a critical step in understanding how to build energy-producing reactors. The study reveals that turbulence propagates in the direction of ion flow and changes character upon changes in magnetic topology.
Physicists Dr. Nate Ferraro and Dr. Sam Lazerson of PPPL have won Early Career Research awards to develop better designs for doughnut-shaped tokamaks and twisty stellarators, aiming to produce virtually inexhaustible fusion power. They will focus on minimizing disruptions and confining energetic particles in stellarators.
Researchers developed a new model to control chaos in particle accelerators, enhancing efficiency and reducing initial velocity requirements. The transport barrier mechanism, inspired by tokamaks, shows promising results in simulations.
Researchers have developed a new model that challenges long-held assumptions about magnetic islands in fusion plasas. The study found that turbulence can penetrate into islands and plasma flow across them can be strongly sheared, allowing for sustained plasma confinement despite island growth.
Researchers use X-ray laser to heat water from room temperature to 100,000 degrees Celsius in less than a tenth of a picosecond, producing an exotic state of matter. This study has significant implications for understanding the properties of water and its behavior under extreme conditions.
Researchers at PPPL will develop innovative X-ray diagnostics to measure plasma temperature and density, as well as tungsten content. The new instruments will provide vital information for future fusion devices.
Physicists develop new method for compressing non-neutral plasma to achieve ten-fold reduction in antiproton cloud radius. The study enhances low-energy antimatter research and charged particle traps.
A new test of a computer model revealed that understanding combined electron and ion heating can improve plasma production in ITER and future fusion facilities. This finding is crucial for advancing the development of fusion power.
Scientists have modeled plasma conditions that lead to chirping in fusion devices, revealing a connection between turbulence levels and Alfvén wave chirping. Lower turbulence reduces the fast ion wind's ability to cause chirping, which can slow fusion reactions.
The Facility for Laboratory Reconnection Experiment (FLARE) has successfully produced the first plasma, marking a significant milestone in research into magnetic reconnection. This process is crucial for understanding Northern Lights, solar eruptions, and geomagnetic storms.
Researchers at KAIST identified the basic principle of electric wind in plasma, a phenomenon that can create air movement without mechanical movement. The team found that space charge drift following streamer propagation is the main cause of electric wind, with electrons playing a key role in certain plasmas.
A Brazilian researcher's study has elucidated the conditions necessary for self-sustaining nuclear fusion in tokamaks. The findings provide crucial information for the successful operation of ITER, a fusion reactor prototype designed to reproduce the sun's energy generation process.
Researchers at DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have found a way to reduce secondary electron emission by up to 80% using fractal fibers resembling feathers and whiskers. This breakthrough improves the performance of plasma devices such as spacecraft thrusters and particle accelerators.
Researchers add boron to gas mixture to create nanostructured diamond film with increased grain size, exhibiting diamond-like properties. The addition of boron also changes the film's electrical properties, offering new control for various applications.
Scientists developed new simulations that model the behavior of plasma blobs in tokamaks, which can drain heat and hinder fusion reactions. The XGC1 code simulated two regions of the plasma edge simultaneously, providing a more fundamental understanding of how heat moves from plasma to walls.
Researchers have designed an innovative system using liquid lithium loops to clean and recycle tritium, a key fuel in future fusion power plants. The system aims to protect divertor plates from intense exhaust heat and remove dust and impurities from the plasma.
Researchers at PPPL studied the 2-D spatial correlations within turbulence in tokamaks to understand its origin and behavior. The study provides clues to the cause of heat leakage from magnetic confinement and could help predict turbulence behavior, deepening our understanding of fusion reactions.
Researchers at HZDR develop a method to control the number of electrons fed into the process, achieving ideal conditions for improved beam quality. This leads to peak currents of up to 150 kiloamperes, exceeding modern large-scale research accelerators.
Claudia Ratti receives $475,000 NSF CAREER award to study quark-gluon plasma state and promote STEM education.
Physicist Fatima Ebrahimi has used advanced models to simulate the cyclic behavior of edge-localized modes (ELMs), a type of plasma instability. She found that ELMs can form when a steep gradient of current exists at the plasma edge, and these instabilities can extinguish themselves by disrupting their own source.
Researchers have discovered a method to quickly shut down instabilities in fusion devices by injecting highly energetic particles, which can cause fusion reactions to fizzle out. This technique could prove useful for the international fusion facility ITER and demonstrate the ability to confine a burning plasma.