https://phys.org/physics-news/plasma en-us The latest news on physics of plasma Researchers led by Prof. Luo Guangnan from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have made an important discovery about how materials break down and mix on the surfaces inside the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST). They found that material erosion is caused by excessive heat loads, particle fluxes to the first wall, and energetic ions during the plasma exposure. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveals-material-erosion-deposition-fusion.html Plasma Physics Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:33:22 EDT news638011999 Tokamaks are one of the most widely studied technologies in the global effort to achieve sustained nuclear fusion. Using intense magnetic fields, they confine superheated plasma within their doughnut-shaped interiors, allowing atomic nuclei to fuse together and release vast amounts of energy. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-plasma-deviations-nuclear-fusion-reactors.html Plasma Physics Mon, 17 Jun 2024 14:00:23 EDT news637851620 High-temperature fusion plasma experiments conducted in the Large Helical Device (LHD) of the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), have renewed the world record for an acquired data amount, 0.92 terabytes (TB) per experiment, in February 2022, by using a full range of state-of-the-art plasma diagnostic devices. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-years-massive-fusion-energy-cloud.html Plasma Physics Fri, 14 Jun 2024 16:09:24 EDT news637600159 An international team of scientists has developed a novel way to experimentally produce plasma 'fireballs' on Earth. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-pair-plasmas-deep-space-generated.html Plasma Physics Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:14:32 EDT news637492469 The furious exhaust heat generated by a fusing plasma in a commercial-scale reactor may not be as damaging to the vessel's innards as once thought, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the ITER Organization (ITER). https://phys.org/news/2024-06-plasma-mechanism-fusion-vessels-excessive.html Plasma Physics Tue, 11 Jun 2024 10:30:04 EDT news637320602 The experimental generation of increasingly intense light beams could help to unveil new physical regimes occurring in the presence of very strong electromagnetic fields. While some progress has been made towards this goal, physicists are yet to develop a reliable strategy to achieve extreme light intensities. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-interact-extreme-intensities-schwinger-limit.html Plasma Physics Quantum Physics Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:50:01 EDT news637231302 Fusion energy is released when two light nuclei combine to form a single heavier one (nuclear fusion reaction). Fusion energy-based power generation (fusion power plant) uses the energy generated when deuterium and tritium combine to form helium. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-discovery-turbulence-transition-fusion-plasmas.html Plasma Physics Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:27:04 EDT news637230422 Terahertz waves, known as non-ionizing radiation, can turn into ionization radiation when sufficiently many terahertz photons are focused in space and time. A team led by scientists in Korea and the U.S. has created the world's most intense terahertz pulses that can instantaneously ionize atoms and molecules and convert them into plasma. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-world-strongest-ionizing-terahertz.html Optics & Photonics Plasma Physics Tue, 28 May 2024 12:10:06 EDT news636117000 Harnessing energy from plasma requires a precise understanding of its behavior during fusion to keep it hot, dense and stable. A new theoretical model about a plasma's edge, which can become unstable and bulge, brings the prospect of commercial fusion power closer to reality. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-apple-donut-tokamak-impacts-limits.html Plasma Physics Tue, 28 May 2024 10:55:04 EDT news636112501 Recently, Dr. Huo Zhipeng and his student Lu Yidong from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of Chinese Academy of Sciences have created a new type of composite material for shielding against neutron and gamma radiation. They used micron plate Sm2O3, a type of rare earth-based filler, to reinforce boron-containing polyethylene. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-composite-material-shielding-neutron-gamma.html Plasma Physics Fri, 24 May 2024 14:36:13 EDT news635780170 A research group led by Prof. Wang Haixia from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed the tritium release behavior of lithium titanate (Li2TiO3) breeder irradiated with fusion neutrons, which contributes to the optimization of the the solid blanket design in fusion reactors. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-unveil-tritium-behavior-solid-breeder.html Plasma Physics Fri, 24 May 2024 12:02:02 EDT news635770921 Both literally and figuratively, light pervades the world. It banishes darkness, conveys telecommunications signals between continents and makes visible the invisible, from faraway galaxies to the smallest bacterium. Light can also help heat the plasma within ring-shaped devices known as tokamaks as scientists worldwide strive to harness the fusion process to generate green electricity. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-discoveries-nature-methods-fusion-plasma.html Optics & Photonics Plasma Physics Thu, 23 May 2024 11:37:04 EDT news635683021 The interaction of solids with high-intensity ultra-short laser pulses has enabled major technological breakthroughs over the past half-century. On the one hand, laser ablation of solids offers micromachining and miniaturization of elements in medical or telecommunication devices. On the other hand, accelerated ion beams from solids using intense lasers may pave the way for new opportunities for cancer treatment with laser-based proton therapy, fusion energy research, and analysis of cultural heritage. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-elucidate-ultrafast-laser-solid-overdense.html Optics & Photonics Plasma Physics Tue, 14 May 2024 13:43:24 EDT news634913001 The intricate dance of atoms fusing and releasing energy has fascinated scientists for decades. Now, human ingenuity and artificial intelligence are coming together at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) to solve one of humankind's most pressing issues: generating clean, reliable energy from fusing plasma. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-ai-intensive-aspects-plasma-physics.html Plasma Physics Tue, 14 May 2024 11:07:57 EDT news634903672 The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has made a significant advance in laser plasma acceleration. By employing an innovative method, a research team managed to substantially exceed the previous record for proton acceleration. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-smaller-laser-facility-method-exceed.html Optics & Photonics Plasma Physics Mon, 13 May 2024 10:17:44 EDT news634814260 Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) measured a new record for a fusion device internally clad in tungsten, the element that could be the best fit for the commercial-scale machines required to make fusion a viable energy source for the world. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-fusion-tungsten-tokamak-west.html Plasma Physics Mon, 06 May 2024 11:01:05 EDT news634212062 Creating heat from fusion reactions requires carefully manipulating the properties of plasma, the electrically charged fourth state of matter that makes up 99% of the visible universe. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-instrument-scientists-tailor-plasma-fusion.html Plasma Physics Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:56:00 EDT news633696956 A team of physicists from several institutions across the U.S. working with a colleague from China, at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, in San Diego, California, has devised a way to overcome two key hurdles standing in the way of using fusion as a general power source. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-physicists-key-hurdles-fusion-reactions.html Plasma Physics Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:50:01 EDT news633604691 In the nine decades since humans first produced fusion reactions, only a few fusion technologies have demonstrated the ability to make a thermal fusion plasma with electron temperatures hotter than 10 million degrees Celsius, roughly the temperature of the core of the sun. Zap Energy's unique approach, known as a sheared-flow-stabilized Z pinch, has now joined those rarefied ranks, far exceeding this plasma temperature milestone in a device that is a fraction of the scale of other fusion systems. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-electron-temperatures-small-scale-stabilized.html Plasma Physics Tue, 23 Apr 2024 11:00:01 EDT news633081918 The inauguration of the world's most powerful fusion machine brings the dream of clean, safe and abundant power closer. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-fusion-energy-quest-big-advance.html Plasma Physics Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:10:09 EDT news632754602 In their ongoing quest to develop a range of methods for managing plasma so it can be used to generate electricity in a process known as fusion, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have shown how two old methods can be combined to provide greater flexibility. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-island-paradise-fusion-reactor.html Plasma Physics Tue, 16 Apr 2024 10:18:52 EDT news632481529 For the first time, scientists have built a fusion experiment using permanent magnets, a technique that could show a simple way to build future devices for less cost and allow researchers to test new concepts for future fusion power plants. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-roots-lab-stellarator-years-door.html Plasma Physics Tue, 02 Apr 2024 17:42:04 EDT news631298521 How much fuel can we add to the fire while still maintaining control? Metaphorically speaking, that's the question one team at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has been asking themselves lately. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-plasma-fusion-adding-fuel.html Plasma Physics Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:48:44 EDT news630863320 Thanks to a new design contributed by a research team led by Prof. Zhao Peng from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the operation time for plasma torch gas been extended from several days to several years. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-prolongs-lifespan-plasma-torches.html Plasma Physics Wed, 20 Mar 2024 11:13:15 EDT news630151994 In the pursuit of clean and endless energy, nuclear fusion is a promising frontier. But in fusion reactors, where scientists attempt to make energy by fusing atoms together, mimicking the sun's power generation process, things can get extremely hot. To overcome this, researchers have been diving deep into the science of heat management, focusing on a special metal called tungsten. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-tungsten-potential-fusion-materials.html Condensed Matter Plasma Physics Wed, 13 Mar 2024 16:41:58 EDT news629566915 In massive particle accelerators, sub-atomic particles (like electrons) are sped up to super-high speeds comparable to the speed of light towards a target surface. The collision of accelerated sub-atomic particles gives rise to unique interactions enabling scientists to obtain a deeper understanding of the fundamental properties of matter. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-generate-super-fast-electrons-table.html Optics & Photonics Plasma Physics Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:32:03 EDT news629559121 To become commercially viable, fusion power plants must create and sustain the plasma conditions necessary for fusion reactions. However, at high temperatures and densities, plasmas often develop gradients in those temperatures and densities. These gradients can grow into instabilities such as edge localized modes (ELMs). https://phys.org/news/2024-03-inverting-fusion-plasmas.html Plasma Physics Tue, 12 Mar 2024 10:44:38 EDT news629459076 In the Japanese art of Kintsugi, an artist takes the broken shards of a bowl and fuses them back together with gold to make a final product more beautiful than the original. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-fusion-reaction-weaknesses-strengths.html Condensed Matter Plasma Physics Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:28:49 EST news628856926 In the predawn hours of Sept. 5, 2021, engineers achieved a major milestone in the labs of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), when a new type of magnet, made from high-temperature superconducting material, achieved a world-record magnetic field strength of 20 tesla for a large-scale magnet. That's the intensity needed to build a fusion power plant that is expected to produce a net output of power and potentially usher in an era of virtually limitless power production. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-high-temperature-superconducting-magnets-ready.html Superconductivity Plasma Physics Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:52:12 EST news628775519 Most people know about solids, liquids, and gases as the main three states of matter, but a fourth state of matter exists as well. Plasma—also known as ionized gas—is the most abundant, observable form of matter in our universe, found in the sun and other celestial bodies. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-plasma-oscillations-propel-breakthroughs-fusion.html Plasma Physics Mon, 04 Mar 2024 08:48:32 EST news628764503