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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 13, 2022

NRL, Aerospace Industry Hosts 18th Annual CanSat Student Challenge

By Samina Mondal, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications

WASHINGTON  –   After countless hours of preparation, flight testing, and launching, 23 student teams from universities and colleges around the world participated in the CanSat Aerospace Competition at ​​Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia, June 11-12, 2022.

Since 2005, the CanSat Competition, organized by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) alongside the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), has organized an annual student design-build-launch competition for space-related topics. Although similar competitions exist for other fields of engineering (robots, radio-control airplanes, racing cars, etc.), most space-related competitions are paper design competitions. Throughout the past years, NRL has been devoted to supporting CanSat in its efforts to further student’s aerospace exploration through the development of aeronautical exploration and STEM education.

This year’s competition tasked teams to design a CanSat consisting of a container and a payload, that teams designed around the structure of a container by a 10-meter long tether. Once the CanSat deployed from the rocket, it was to demonstrate the ability to descend at a rate of 15 m/s using a parachute. During that time, the payload must have maintained the orientation of a video camera pointing in the south direction and 45 degrees downward to ensure terrain was in the frame.

Ivan Galysh, Section Head of NRL’s Digital Signal Processing Section of the Precise Navigation and Timing Branch, CanSat competition director, recounted being impressed by the teams’, “documentation provided displaying a very detailed outline of their payload. This truly shows that they have dedicated themselves and their skills to a successful launch.”

Throughout the second day of the competition, students gathered around the Kentland Farm of Virginia Tech to place the final touches on their models. On launch day, tensions were high amongst teams as they eagerly anticipated a successful deployment. University of Alabama at Huntsville’s leader of Team Star Saber, Tristan McGinnis, explained his team’s desire to not only execute a successful launch, but utilize their time at CanSat to enjoy collaborating and learning with one another.

“As a computer science major, I initially came into the competition wanting to engage in programming the payload. But along the way, hurdle after hurdle, I found myself engaging in different forms from aerospace to electrical engineering. It is such a well-rounded project,” said McGinnis, who indicated his team is looking forward to participating in the competition again next year.

After a full day of launching rockets for 23 present teams, first place in the 2022 CanSat competition went to Team Descendere of Assumption College, Bangkok, Thailand. The remaining winners were:
 
  • Second place - Team PWr Aerospace Team of Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Poland, Wroclaw, Poland
  • Third place - Team Bamantara EEPISAT of Politeknik Elektronika Negeri, Surabaya, Indonesia
  • Fourth place to Team Heriot Watt CanSat of Heriot-Watt University, UK, Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Fifth place to Team Soton CanSat of University of Southampton, UK, Southampton, United Kingdom.Jim Way, executive director of the American Aeronautical

Society, emphasized the importance of CanSat facilitating student’s ability to interact with like-minded peers from across the world. He noted how the teams came together to express their love of science, and feel a sense of pride in their hard work.

“It is a phenomenal competition for aspiring aerospace professionals – truly the closest you can get to a realistic project for their future careers in the field,” said Way.
NRL’s continued investment within CanSat is representative of its current and future Department of the Navy workforce, which enhances the Navy and Marine Corps’ ability to meet present and future war-fighting challenges. NRL science, technology, engineering, and mathematics serves to inspire, engage, and educate the next generation of aeronautical scientists and engineers.

If you are interested in participating in CanSat or are a government agency looking to support the next annual competition, please log onto: www.cansatcompetition.com or contact NRL Corporate Communications at (202) 480-3746 or nrlpao@nrl.navy.mil.
 

About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. 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; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel.