​Rising Stars: PPPL researchers honored in 2024 Physics of Plasmas Early Career Collection

(Press-News.org) Celebrating fresh thinking in plasma physics is essential to the continued growth of the field, and this year’s Physics of Plasmas Early Career Collection highlights some of the most promising new voices pushing the boundaries of discovery. 

The prestigious collection highlights top papers from all areas of plasma physics research authored by individuals who defended their dissertations within the past five years.​ This year, three researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) are featured in the Early Career Collection:

Staff Research Physicist Frances Kraus for “Toward Electron Temperature Profiles in Hot-Dense Plasmas From X-ray Spectral Ensembles.”

Staff Research Physicist Jason Parisi for ”Kinetic-Ballooning-Bifurcation in Tokamak Pedestals Across Shaping and Aspect-Ratio.”

Computational Research Associate Willca Villafana for “Establishing Criteria for the Transition From Kinetic to Fluid Modeling in Hollow Cathode Analysis."

Research by Joseph Abbate, who worked at the Lab during his time in the Princeton Program in Plasma Physics, was also published in the collection.

The breadth of work from PPPL authors included in the special collection demonstrates the Lab’s expanded focus, as it covers research on high-temperature fusion plasmas for generating power, plasma diagnostics and low-temperature plasma simulations that could be used to improve rocket propulsion systems, or computer chip manufacturing processes.

“The first authors in the 2024 Early Career Collection have made significant contributions to the field of plasma physics and exhibit remarkable promise,” said Igor Kaganovich, a principal research physicist at PPPL and senior associate editor at Physics of Plasmas. “Their innovative research is paving the way for future advancements in our understanding of plasma phenomena.”

The Physics of Plasmas editorial board members determine which pieces are included in the Early Career Collection, which was first published in 2022. 

Funding for Kraus’ paper came from DOE contract DE-AC02-09CH11466, DOE Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences contracts DE-SC0021246 and DE-SC-0022129, the Fusion Energy Sciences I-STAR RISE hub, and the Department of Defense Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship ONR award N000142012842. Parisi’s work was funded under DOE contracts DE-AC02-09CH11466, DE-SC0022270, DE-SC0022272, DE-SC0014264, and DE-SC0021629, as well as the DOE Early Career Research Program. Villafana’s research was funded by the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, under award DE-AR0001107, as well as DOE Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences under contract DE-AC02-09CH11466 as a part of the Princeton Collaborative Low Temperature Plasma Research Facility. Abbate’s research was supported by funding from DOE Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences, using the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, a DOE Office of Science user facility, under award DE-FC02-04ER54698.

PPPL is mastering the art of using plasma — the fourth state of matter — to solve some of the world’s toughest science and technology challenges. Nestled on Princeton University’s Forrestal Campus in Plainsboro, New Jersey, our research ignites innovation in a range of applications including fusion energy, nanoscale fabrication, quantum materials and devices, and sustainability science. The University manages the Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which is the nation’s single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences. Feel the heat at https://energy.gov/science and https://www.pppl.gov.  

 

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