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Home : Our Work : Areas of Research : Plasma Physics

    Plasma Physics
Phone: (202) 767-5635

 

Overview

The Plasma Physics Division conducts broad theoretical and experimental programs of basic and applied research in plasma physics, laboratory discharge, and space plasmas, intense electron and ion beams and photon sources, atomic physics, pulsed power sources, laser physics, advanced spectral diagnostics, and nonlinear systems. 

The effort of the Division is concentrated on a few closely coordinated theoretical and experimental programs. Considerable emphasis is placed on large-scale numerical simulations related to plasma dynamics; ionospheric, magnetospheric, and atmospheric dynamics; nuclear weapons effects; inertial confinement fusion; atomic physics; plasma processing; nonlinear dynamics and chaos; free electron lasers and other advanced radiation sources; advanced accelerator concepts; and atmospheric laser propagation.

Core Capabilities 

  • Radiation Hydrodynamics - The principal emphasis is in the development and application of theoretical models and state-of-the-art numerical simulations combining magnetohydrodynamics, high energy density physics, atomic and radiation physics, and spectroscopy.
  • Laser Plasma - Primary areas of research include physics underpinnings of laser fusion, high-energy-gain laser-inertial- fusion target designs, experiments and simulations of laser-matter interactions at high intensity, advancing the science and technologies of high-energy krypton fluoride and argon fluoride lasers, advancing the technologies of durable high-repetition-rate pulse power and electron-beam diodes for laser pumping and other applications, laser fusion as a power source.
  • Space and Laboratory Plasmas - Space research includes theoretical, numerical, and laboratory and space experimental investigations of the dynamic behavior of the near-Earth space plasmas and radiation belts, and the modification of space plasmas for strategic effects on HF communications, satellite navigation, over-the-horizon radar, and UHF satellite communications.  Applications-oriented plasma research is performed in the production, characterization, and use of low-temperature plasmas and related technology for applications to advance capabilities across the Navy and DOD.  Pulsed-power investigations include electromagnetic launch science and technology and research on directed energy systems for the U.S. Navy.
  • Pulsed Power Physics - Experimental and theoretical research is performed to advance pulsed power driven accelerator technology in areas relevant to defense applications. Research concerns the production, transport, characterization, and modeling of pulsed plasmas and intense high-power, charged particle beams using terawatt-class hundred-kilojoule pulsed power systems that employ capacitive or inductive energy storage and advanced switching. 
  • Directed Energy Physics - Research encompasses the integration of theoretical/computational and experimental research relevant to DOD, ONR, DARPA, and DoE in the areas of ultra-high field laser physics, atmospheric propagation of intense lasers, advanced radiation and accelerator physics, laser-generated plasma-microwave interactions, and dynamics of nonlinear systems. 

Facilities Fact Sheets

  • Electra Experimental Lab Facility - Electron beam pumped laser.  [ Download PDF]
  • NIKE KrF Laser Target Facility.  [Download PDF]
  • Space Plasma Simulation Chamber.  [Download PDF]

Plasma Physics News

NEWS | July 31, 2020

NRL researcher optically measures aerosol particles smaller than a wavelength of light in real time

By Victor Chen, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications

 WASHINGTON – A research physicist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory invented a new method to create and optically measure gases with particles smaller than a wavelength of light.

Principal investigator Jake Fontana and his peers published the findings February 2019 and have a patent pending on their technique.

“We made an instrument which efficiently creates aerosols with nanometer-size particles. Because the particles are plasmonic, we can see them in real time,” Fontana said. “This opens up a new world in being able to study nanoparticle gases at the benchtop.”

Plasmonic materials -- such as gold, silver and platinum particles - contain oscillating electrons that couple efficiently to light.

Artists have been using plasmonics for centuries without knowing the term. Early photographs, called daguerreotypes, used silver iodide in processing. The application of silver in daguerreotypes created visible images because the small clusters of silver deposited had plasmonic properties.

Fontana’s team has previously worked on plasmonic materials in the liquid phase or on solid 2D surfaces, but turning them into homogeneous and stable gases is new.

“The tiny particles in aerosols have been very difficult to see in real time because they tend to couple poorly to light or are inhomogeneous in size and composition,” Fontana said. “Now that we can see how they interact with their environment, we can look at how they influence cloud formation, convection and other remote sensing applications.”

Researchers are already looking at how these tiny specks influence weather. Fontana’s paper also cites how aerosols linked to maritime traffic influence lightning and the intensity of storms at sea.

In addition to meteorological applications, understanding how nanometer-sized particles behave may also impact research in medical and microelectronics.

“It’s fantastic how quickly the team pulled this together,” Fontana said. “We’re excited to make this accessible for other labs for their work.”

Fontana’s pending patent was designated as 110326-US3 for the apparatus for generating and optically characterizing an aerosol. The Office of Naval Research funded this work.