An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

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 | May 11, 2021

Navy Forecasting Provides 45-day Advanced Environmental Predictions

By Cassandra Eichner, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications

WASHINGTON  –   Earth’s ocean-navigating environment just got a little less mysterious thanks to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory-developed Navy Earth System Prediction Capability (ESPC) global forecasting system that went live in late August.

Navy ESPC V1 provides the Navy with the first ever high-resolution ensemble capability for the ocean and sea ice that delivers both ensemble mean forecasts as well as a measure of uncertainty up to 45 days out.  

“Atmosphere, ocean and sea-ice conditions affect naval operations,” said Carolyn Reynolds, a meteorologist at NRL’s Marine Meteorology Division in Monterey, California. “The transition of this new system provides, for the first time, environmental forecast information that fills the gap between weather and climate timescales to advise decision makers.”

Fleet Numerical Meteorological and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) released the new forecast system to provide these important program elements, and provide users a range of forecasts and an understanding of the accuracy of the forecast.

“Previously, global ocean and sea ice forecasts consisted of a single deterministic forecast out to seven days, but now Navy ESPC V1 provides an extended high resolution capability out to 45 days and the ensemble mean is typically more accurate than a single forecast,” said Joe Metzger, a meteorologist at NRL’s Ocean Sciences Division and project collaborator.

With Naval forces operating in dynamic environments around the world, having an accurate global long-range forecast provided by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Naval Oceanographic Office, and National Ice Center is critical to the safety of service members and for operational planning.

“ESPC is enabling higher-level Navy preparation for subseasonal-to-seasonal prediction,” said Bill Kerr, the technical director at FNMOC. “For instance, knowing ahead of time the typhoon season in the Western Pacific will be particularly light or particularly heavy allows better force protection preparation and application of resources.”

Kerr believes this initial implementation is just the tip of the iceberg for how ESPC will revolutionize environmental forecasting.

“The real payoff for this technology is still in the future, when ESPC becomes a rapidly evolving testbed for Navy R&D, and the same systems provide dynamically reconfigurable modeling capabilities in one coupled system for operations,” Kerr said. “It’s good now, but it’s going to be game-changer for environmental forecasting.”


About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory 

NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the Navy and Marine Corps from the seafloor to space and in the information domain. NRL is located in Washington, D.C., with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; and Monterey, California, and employs approximately 2,500 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel

For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at (202) 480-3746 or nrlpao@nrl.navy.mil.