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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 | April 11, 2016

NRL Engineers to Lead Payload Development for Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites

By Daniel Parry, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications

WASHINGTON  –   With its newly announced Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plans to field an on-orbit satellite servicing vehicle that would transform U.S. space operations in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). As the lead payload developer for the program, the Naval Center for Space Technology (NCST) at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is committed and remains focused on integrating and validating the disparate components required to perform the RSGS mission.

Our engineering team is extremely excited to be leading the government's payload development for this innovative program, said Bill Vincent, program manager for RSGS at NRL. NRL has a long history of developing revolutionary spacecraft to meet emerging national needs. Just as NRL's past developments led to the Global Positioning System, we look forward to having a similar role for on-orbit robotic servicing by helping develop the necessary high-risk payload technology and transitioning this technology to U.S. industry.

RSGS — which would be able to robotically inspect, autonomously grapple, reposition, repair, and upgrade cooperative GEO spacecraft — would be a major step forward in the nation’s ability to manage and maintain GEO spacecraft. RSGS would increase the reliability and resilience of services provided by both commercial and government satellite operations by increasing asset stability and service life.

NRL research and development in robotic satellite servicing goes back nearly two decades, beginning with construction of the NRL Space Robotics Laboratory (SRL) in the late 1990s. The SRL is a world-class facility where the space environment can be simulated so that robotic satellite servicing techniques can be researched, developed, tested, and validated. It supports testing of full-scale hardware-in-the-loop rendezvous, docking, and servicing to include robotic arms, tools to support a variety of servicing missions, control schemes, relative navigation sensors, lights, and cameras, all of which must work as a system to accommodate the unique needs of client satellites in the harsh GEO environment.

Using the SRL facility and the core strength of the NCST in spacecraft systems engineering, NRL and DARPA began maturing the necessary technologies for on-orbit robotic servicing in 2002. One of the major developments in the 2000s was the Front-end Robotics Enabling Near-term Demonstration (FREND) robotic arm, built to NRL and DARPA specifications specifically for GEO servicing applications.

As the FREND robotics hardware was being developed, NRL engineers developed the equally important robotics control software necessary for safe and efficient on-orbit autonomous and ground-controlled robotic operations in space. “I often describe the control software as the invisible half of our program, just as important as the robotic arm,” said Bernie Kelm, deputy program manager for RSGS at NRL. “It takes the hardware, control algorithms, and flight software all working together to make this possible, and developing technologies needed to service satellites that were not originally designed for that purpose was closer to ‘science fiction’ when we started. We’ve now matured that capability to be realistic and ready for spaceflight.”

Today, as a result of this investment in robotics hardware, control algorithms, tools, mission concepts, payload electronics, sensors, and flight software, NRL has demonstrated end-to-end robotic servicing tasks using flight-traceable hardware and software. These lab demonstrations include a robotics operator control ground station, spacecraft payload control electronics, and prototype spaceflight robotic arms and tools that have undergone spaceflight qualification testing. The maturity of these component technologies will help ensure that DARPA's RSGS would be able to service spacecraft reliably, efficiently, and effectively.

NRL's expertise in spacecraft systems engineering makes it uniquely qualified to perform this task, Vincent said. NRL and DARPA are well on the way to having this mission's core technologies validated for spaceflight, and we look forward to working with a commercial partner to fully realize this capability on-orbit.

Once deployed, RSGS would provide an unprecedented range of capabilities to meet current needs and provide a robust and flexible foundation for transforming space logistics and operations in GEO for the future.