News Releases

Researchers have determined that six gas valves provide the best protection against plasma disruptions in SPARC, a next-generation, experimental fusion system. By refining the setup for the fusion vessel’s massive gas injection system, researchers are ensuring that disruptions — sudden jets of plasma that can damage the fusion vessel’s inner walls — are controlled efficiently, paving the way for safer, more robust fusion power plants.

The Physics of Plasmas Early Career Collection will feature journal articles from Frances Kraus, Jason Parisi and Willca Villafana.

Physicists have created a new computer code that could speed up the design of the complicated magnets that shape the plasma in stellarators, making the systems simpler and more affordable to build.

New research offers insights that could help reduce the amount of radioactive tritium embedded in the walls of fusion vessels to a minimum.

The narrow, deep holes required for one type of flash memory are made twice as fast with the right recipe, which includes a plasma made from hydrogen fluoride.

Yevgeny Raitses and Elena Belova were named PPPL’s 2024 Distinguished Research Fellows for their exceptional contributions to plasma physics. Their pioneering work in low-temperature plasma and fusion simulations highlights PPPL’s leadership in advancing plasma research and fusion energy.

PPPL scientists Choongseok (CS) Chang, Seung-Hoe Ku and Robert Hager are winners of the 2024 Kaul Foundation Prize for pioneering simulations that suggest excess heat from escaping plasma particles is less likely to damage the inside of a fusion vessel than once thought.

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to receive two prestigious Microelectronics Science Research Center. The DOE program leading to these awards originated from the CHIPS and Science Act. Yevgeny Raitses will lead efforts to incorporate 2D materials into next-generation semiconductors, while Alastair Stacey will research diamond materials for sensors that need to work in harsh environments. These awards underscore PPPL’s expertise in plasma, which is a key part of making microelectronics and the highest quality, lab-grown diamond.

Scientists have performed computer simulations confirming a technique that prevents the production of unhelpful electromagnetic waves, boosting the heat put into fusion plasma.

A new method to increase fusion-fuel efficiency would involve aligning the quantum spin of deuterium and tritium and changing the mix of the two fuels. The approach could boost tritium-burn efficiency by up to 10 times, reducing tritium needs and lowering fusion system costs. The technique could lead to safer, more compact fusion systems, making fusion energy more practical and affordable.