The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a leading research facility focusing on plasma physics and nuclear fusion, located in Princeton, New Jersey. Operated by Princeton University for the U.S. Department of Energy, PPPL is dedicated to advancing the scientific understanding of plasma — the hot, charged state of matter composed of free electrons and atomic nuclei, or ions — and developing practical solutions for producing energy through nuclear fusion. The laboratory’s research aims to replicate the processes that power the sun and stars as a safe, clean, and virtually inexhaustible energy source for generating electricity. PPPL’s experiments primarily revolve around magnetic confinement fusion, a method that uses magnetic fields to contain and control the hot plasma. The laboratory plays a pivotal role in the international fusion research community, contributing to projects and experiments worldwide, including the ITER project in France, which is a massive international undertaking aimed at proving the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy.
New research boosts our understanding of a likely candidate for next-generation computer chips. Scientists at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory are advancing semiconductor technology by…
Exhaust heat from commercial-scale fusion reactors might be less damaging than previously believed. New research indicates that plasma fusion heat spreads more evenly in tokamak…
New studies show photon polarization is constant in varying environments, potentially improving plasma heating methods for fusion energy advancement. Light, both literally and figuratively, pervades…
Researchers at PPPL are exploring the use of machine learning to enhance the design and operation of stellarators and tokamaks. The intricate dance of atoms…
Researchers successfully simulate a novel combination method for managing fusion plasma. In their ongoing quest to develop a range of methods for managing plasma so…
Scientists take advantage of imperfections in magnetic fields to enhance fusion plasma. In the Japanese art of Kintsugi, an artist takes the broken shards of…
A new model from PPPL researchers explains the production of black silicon using fluorine gas, enhancing its application in solar cells and marking a new…
Researchers have utilized Alfvén waves to mitigate runaway electrons in tokamak fusion devices, offering significant implications for future fusion energy projects, including the ITER in…
Breakthrough in identifying the puzzling cause. Researchers discovered a previously unknown heating mechanism that explains why the “solar corona,” the atmosphere surrounding the Sun, is…
Scientists have advanced in discovering how to use ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves to peer back to the beginning of everything we know….
Scientists simulate a perplexing explosive process that occurs throughout the universe. Mysterious fast radio bursts are among the most perplexing phenomena in the universe, releasing…
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have designed a new type of magnet that could aid devices ranging…
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have gained insight into a fundamental process found throughout the universe. Scientists…
According to recent simulations and analysis, the flagship fusion facility of the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) might serve…
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have created an efficient computer algorithm to model the crazy-quilt movement of free electrons…
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have uncovered a process in the swirling masses of plasma surrounding black…
When ITER, the international fusion experiment, starts up in 2025, one of the major priorities will be to minimize or mitigate violent disruptions that could…
Plasma-based rocket designed for deep space exploration lasts longer and generates high power. The increased interest in deep-space travel has necessitated the development of powerful,…