Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)

Here’s the secret sauce 🥫 to fix your Van de Graaff if it ain’t Van de Graaff-ing 💀: A little bit of ethanol and a lot of hairdryer 🤪 Also, learn from my mistakes and don’t use fabric gloves and fuzzy cleaning cloth hihi 🥲 It took some improvisation to capture these zaps ⚡️ with my 6 years old iPhone ☎️ Oh and I swear that light bulb isn’t touching anything 🪄 If you didn’t know, Robert Van de Graaff built the first generator at Princeton University in 1929. VdG generators were used as (linear) particle accelerators to smash atoms together and explore what elementary matter is made of, i.e. what are the teeny-weeny particles that make up the tiny protons and neutrons 🤯 Now you know… but please stay curious and go learn more 🫶🏼

Want to be part of using plasma — the fourth state of matter — to tackle some of the world's toughest science and technology challenges? 👀 Join our team! Here are just a few of the roles now open at the Lab: ⚛️ Research Staff Scientist - Experimental/Diagnostic 😀 Head of Physics Operations, Research Physicist 💥 Qualified Neutral Beam Cryogenics Operator, Mechanical Technician 🤝 Equitable Energy Transition Program Manager See more jobs and apply. 👉 https://bit.ly/4gNP0kL

Last week, we were pleased to welcome Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, minister of innovation, science and technology of Nigeria, to the Lab. 🇳🇬 Nnaji and other members of his team met with Laboratory leaders to discuss fusion energy and ways to accelerate innovation. ⚛️ While on a tour of the Lab, the group visited the Laboratory for Plasma Nanosynthesis & Nanofabrication and the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U). In collaboration with Princeton University and other institutions, the Laboratory for Plasma Nanosynthesis & Nanofabrication conducts research on the fundamental physics of low temperature plasma synthesis and nanomaterials. NSTX-U is the primary fusion experiment at the Lab. Its spherical, compact design makes it an ideal candidate to serve as the model for a fusion pilot plant. ⚡ 📸 by Michael Livingston

Spherical tokamaks 🍎 may be at the forefront of a transformative shift in fusion energy, addressing the challenges of scaling fusion for commercial use. In the latest issue of Hot Science, 🔥 see how Lab Director Steven Cowley, and others, are singing the praises of spherical tokamaks — like the Lab's National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) — as a way to sustain high-pressure plasmas with less energy at lower costs. Plus, don't miss: 💻 Replacing hype about artificial intelligence with accurate measurements of success ⚛️ A new and unique fusion reactor comes together with the help of PPPL 💛 We remember Bill Dorland, a giant of computational physics Want to get the coolest discoveries in plasma research delivered to your feed or inbox? Subscribe: ➡️ https://bit.ly/3SGgU8e.

On #NationalCustodiansDay we're sharing extra gratitude 💛 for the dedicated custodial crew who helps keep our Laboratory safe, clean and healthy! Here's a big thank you 👏 to all our custodians: Margaret Boateng, Wilson Choute, Jr., Steven Green, Harold Guillaumette, Masiah Harden, Nelson Neal, Stanley Reece, Brendan Seramba and Carleen Thorpe. 📸 by Elle Starkman

It's #InternationalMusicDay 🎵 and we're still moving to the beat! "Music speaks to the soul and your presentation and the music you shared today were good for my soul," said Benjamin McDonald, senior human resources business partner, at the Lab's recent Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. 🎶 The event featured homemade culinary treats and a special performance by Guachinangos, which features members from diverse cultural backgrounds and fuses Mexican son jarocho with Colombian cumbia and other Latin American rhythms. 🥁

Collaboration = a smart choice! ⚛️ Like atoms coming together to release their power, fusion researchers worldwide are joining forces to solve the world’s energy crisis. Case in point? ➡️ Our collaboration on the design and development of The SMall Aspect Ratio Tokamak (SMART), a new fusion device at the Universidad de Sevilla in Spain that strongly benefits from PPPL computer codes as well as our expertise in magnetics and sensor systems. 👀 Read more: https://bit.ly/3XsV61g

🚀 Join Us for the Mini-Conference on Proton Transport in High Energy Density Plasma at APS DPP: Session I! 📅 Date: Monday, October 7, 2024 📍 Location: Hyatt Regency, International North Room 🕺 Chair: Christopher McGuffey (General Atomics) Xavier Vaisseau and I are excited to welcome you to Session BM10: Proton Transport in HED I: Stopping Power at 66th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics in Atlanta, Georgia. Proton transport plays a crucial role across various domains of high-energy-density #plasma physics and inertial confinement #fusion science.  In this session we will discuss the latest in ion stopping power theory and experiments with leading experts in the field! Presenters and Talks: ⭐ Sophia Malko (PPPL) – Welcome remarks ⭐ Paul E. Grabowski (LLNL) – A Review of Stopping Power Theory and Experimental Tests ⭐ Johan Frenje (MIT) – MIT's Latest on Ion-Stopping Power ⭐ Krish Bhutwala (PPPL) – Proton Stopping Power in Warm Dense Matter Approaching the Bragg Peak ⭐ Alina Kononov (SNL) – Benchmark Calculations Using Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory ⭐ Lucas Babati (University of Michigan) – Proton Stopping Powers in Warm Dense Matter via Mean Force Kinetic Theory ⭐ Tom Mehlhorn (HB11) – Energy Deposition in Proton Fast Ignition and HEDP Plasmas For more details and abstracts visit Bulletin of the APS : https://lnkd.in/gyCayhTM This mini-conference was organized as a part of public-private partnership between Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Focused Energy Inc. Looking forward to all the talks and discussions! Photo: LaserNetUS proton stopping power experiment at CSU ALEPH facility #HEDPhysics #ProtonTransport #APS66thDPP #WarmDenseMatter #PlasmaPhysics #StoppingPower #PublicPrivatePartnership #laserscience #fusion

A new The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report led by Emily Carter of Princeton Engineering and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has charted a roadmap for recycling carbon emissions into useful products. “We are never going to decarbonize civilization completely, because we need carbon,” said Carter. “The question is, how do we create a sustainable, circular carbon economy?” https://bit.ly/3ZKxurx

“What we observed was like when you pour milk into coffee,” says Sophia Malko, PhD. “During the interaction, lots of structures form where the [magnetic] fields meet the plasma because there are drastic differences in temperature, density and the strength of the magnetic field. It’s a perfect place for them to grow.” Whether between galaxies or within doughnut-shaped 🍩 fusion devices known as tokamaks, the electrically charged fourth state of matter known as plasma regularly encounters powerful magnetic fields, changing shape and sloshing in space. 🌌 On #NationalCoffeeDay, explore how scientists at the Lab created detailed pictures of a magnetic field bending outward because of the pressure created by expanding plasma, potentially providing insight into the formation of enormous plasma jets that stretch between the stars. 🌟 https://bit.ly/3XkohEQ ☕ Coffee clip by Elle S.