Recent News

September 29, 2022

PSFC researchers honored with John Dawson Award

Three members of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center’s (PSFC) High-Energy-Density Physics (HEDP) Division have been honored with the American Physical Society’s John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research: Research Scientist Maria Gatu Johnson, Senior Research Scientist Richard Petrasso, Senior Research Scientist and Division Head Johan Frenje.

PSFC News

Skylar Dannhoff in grey chair in lounge area

September 26, 2022

Finding community in high-energy-density physics

As part of the PSFC's High-Energy-Density Physics Division, graduate student Skylar Dannhoff is discovering the collaborative world of fusion research.

Plasma Science and Fusion Center

Image of lasers at NIF

August 24, 2022

MIT students contribute to the success of historic fusion experiment

MIT has contributed to the success of the ignition program at the National Ignition Facilty for more than a decade by providing and using a dozen diagnostics, implemented by MIT PhD students and staff, which have been critical for assessing the performance of an implosion, like the one pictured.  

PSFC News

Tuba Balta at PSFC

July 8, 2022

Fusion’s new ambassador

High school student Tuba Balta engages new audiences through her MIT PSFC internship.

PSFC News

Evan Leppink, MIT

June 8, 2022

Evan Leppink: Choosing sides

Graduate student Evan Leppink will explore a new way to drive current in a tokamak plasma using radiofrequency (RF) waves during his residency at DIII-D in San Diego, CA.

PSFC News

Graph off core edge integration on DIII-D

May 16, 2022

For plasma with a hot core and cool edges, Super-H Mode shows promise

PSFC research scientist Theresa Wilks participated in research at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility that demonstrated how, in a fusion tokamak, a high-performance operating regime called Super H-mode can leverage the use of impurities to improve core-edge integration.

Energy.Gov

Dennis Whyte and Bob Mumgaard in experimental environment

May 12, 2022

Practically changing the world

PSFC Director Dennis Whyte received  a 2022 University of Saskatchewan Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his significant accomplishments since graduating from USask.

University of Saskatchewan News

Seed magnetic fields, MIT

May 9, 2022

How the Universe got its magnetic field

By studying the dynamics of plasma turbulence, MIT researchers are solving one of the mysteries of the origins of cosmological magnetic fields.

PSFC News

Diagram of SPARC tokamak

April 6, 2022

Turning neutrons into fusion fuel

“One of the things that you get good at while at MIT,” says PSFC research scientist Sara Ferry, “is being able to start from nothing on a particular system or skill and knowing how to approach it in a way that’s effective.”

PSFC News

Zoe Fisher in the laboratory

February 25, 2022

Finding her way to fusion

Zoe Fisher's undergraduate research journey leads to a role working on the SPARC tokamak.

PSFC News

Photo of John Rice on courtyard bench

February 22, 2022

John Rice on Plasma Rotation

John Rice's new book "Driven Rotation, Self-Generated Flow, and Momentum Transport" consolidates an understanding of the topic gained from years of experience at MIT.

PSFC News

February 9, 2022

Tuning in to invisible waves on the JET tokamak

In England for the last two years, research scientist Alex Tinguely has been overseeing a special antenna used on the UK’s record-breaking fusion experiment.

PSFC News

Jack Hare, MIT

January 18, 2022

Mapping the depths of plasma physics

In his new lab where he will study how plasma behaves in the universe, assistant professor of nuclear science and engineering Jack Hare draws inspiration from spelunking.

NSE News

Lucio Milanese, MIT

January 3, 2022

Turbulence yields to topology

NSE PhD candidate Lucio Milanese expands a theory of turbulence to include both ionized and non-ionized fluids.

PSFC News

Portrait of Rachel Bielajew

December 10, 2021

Helping make fusion a reality

Fusion has great potential as a carbon-free energy source but plasma turbulence presents a problem. Rachel Bielajew is taking on that challenge and helping make a better world—through science and community action.

MIT NSE News

Faces of participants surrounding the MIT dome

November 12, 2021

MIT makes strides on climate action plan

Prof. Anne White (co-chair of MIT's Climate Nucleus) and PSFC Director Dennis White both contributed to the MIT Climate Tune-In, just part of the Institute's effort to make strides on climate change discussed in this article.

MIT News

Illustration of reverse d-shaped plasma inside tokamak

October 22, 2021

Alessandro Marinoni: Returning to fusion’s D-turn

Alessandro Marinoni has continued to examine an innovative plasma shape, dubbed “negative triangularity,” extending previous research to configurations more compatible with the plasma environment of a reactor. 

PSFC News

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