Physics of Plasmas

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Making Waves with the Hot Electrons within Earth’s Radiation Belts

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 2017 — Encircling the Earth, within its magnetosphere, are two concentric, doughnut-shaped radiation belts known as the Van Allen belts. The Van Allen […]

Neptune: Neutralizer-Free Plasma Propulsion

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 23, 2017 — Plasma propulsion is an important and efficient technology used to control spacecraft for Earth observation, communications and fundamental exploration of outer […]

Understanding Stars: How Tornado-shaped Flow in a Dynamo Strengthens the Magnetic Field

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 23, 2017 — The massive, churning core of conducting liquids in stars and some planets creates a dynamo that generates the planetary body’s magnetic […]

Why Space Dust Emits Radio Waves Upon Crashing Into a Spacecraft

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 2, 2017 — When spacecraft and satellites travel through space they encounter tiny, fast moving particles of space dust and debris. If the particle […]

Japanese Researchers Find New Classes of Electron Orbits

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 4, 2016 — Phenomena like solar flares and auroras are consequences of magnetic reconnection in the near-Earth space. These “magnetic reconnection” events are akin to […]

Creating Antimatter via Lasers?

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 27, 2016 — Dramatic advances in laser technologies are enabling novel studies to explore laser-matter interactions at ultrahigh intensity. By focusing high-power laser pulses, […]

Understanding Nature’s Patterns with Plasmas

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 23, 2016 — Patterns abound in nature, from zebra stripes and leopard spots to honeycombs and bands of clouds. Somehow, these patterns form and […]

Plasma technology can be tapped to kill biofilms on perishable fruit, foods

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 26, 2016 — Seeing fruit “turn bad and going to waste” inspired a team of researchers in China to explore using atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium […]

Building Compact Particle Accelerators: Bunching Electrons Can Get More Done

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 10, 2016 – In the world of particle accelerators, laser wakefield devices are the small, but mighty upstarts. The machines can accelerate electrons to […]