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USA - PPPL
PRINCETON PLASMA PHYSICS LABORATORY
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
UPS Address: James Forrestal Campus, U.S. Route # 1 North at Sayre Drive
Postal Address: P.O. Box 451
Princeton, New Jersey 08543
Telephone: +1 609 243 2000
Telefax: +1 609 243 FAX (verify)
+1 609 243 2749 (3554) Director
+1 609 243 3315 (2653) Advanced Projects
+1 609 243 2749 (2218) Business Operations
+1 609 243 2800 (3045) Engineering
+1 609 243 2303 (2245) Environment, Safety and Health
+1 609 243 2665 (2656) Experiment
+1 609 243 2749 (3554) External Affairs
+1 609 243 2751 (2755) Information Services
+1 609 243 2299 (3565) Library
+1 609 243 3248 (3379) NSTX
+1 609 243 3266 (2200) Off-Site Research
+1 609 243 2418 (3347) Plasma Science & Technology
+1 609 243 2662 (2489) Program in Plasma Physics
+1 609 243 2112 (3049) Science Education
+1 609 243 2418 (3009) Technology Transfer
+1 609 243 2662 (2440) Theory
E-mail: Unless noted, <firstinitial><lastname>@pppl.gov (example: rgoldston@pppl.gov)
URL: http://www.pppl.gov
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR (+1 609 243 3553 / Fax: +1 609 243 2749)
| Associate Director: | De Looper, John W. | (3047) | |
| Information Services: | DeMeo, Anthony R. | (2755) | |
| Science Education: | Lucas, Pamela R. | (3049) |
| Head: | Iverson, Steven M. | (2007) | |
| Deputy: | Murphy-LaMarche, Susan | (2224) | |
| Assistant: | Brown, Mary Ann | (3045) |
| Associate Director: | Fisch, Nathaniel J. | (2643) | |
| Assistant: | Sarfaty, Barbara A. | (2489) |
| Program Director: | Peng, Y-K. Martin (ORNL) | (2305) | |
| Deputy Program Director: | Synakowski, Edmund J. | (2748) | |
| Project Director: | Ono, Masayuki | (2105) | |
| Deputy Project Director: | Williams, Michael D. | (2866) |
| Head: | Tang, William M. | (2612) | |
| Deputy: | Davidson, Ronald C. | (3552) | |
| Assistant: | Carlucci, Lisa | (2440) |
| Head: | Hosea, Joel C. | (3206) | |
| Head, Diagnostic Development: | Johnson, David L. | (3152) | |
| Head, RF Technology: | Wilson, J. Randall | (2061) | |
| Assistant: | Hondorp, Marilyn | (2656) |
| Head, Theory: | Jardin, Stephen C. | (2635) | |
| Head, Experimental: | McCune, Douglas C. | (2731) |
| Head: | Winkler, Edward H. | (2218) | |
| Head, Budget Office: | Iseicz, Marie T. | (2456) | |
| Head, Accounting & Financial Controls: | Bleach, Anthony F. | (3621) | |
| Head, Procurement: | Templon, Rodney D. | (2443) |
Research Staff
|
Mynick, Harry E.
Nazikian, Raffi M. Neilson, G. Hutch Okabayashi, Michio Okuda, Hideo Ono, Masayuki Park, Hyeon K. Park, Wonchull Paul, Stephen F. Perkins, Francis W. Phillips, Cynthia K. (ckphillips@pppl.gov ) Pomphrey, Neil Qin, Hong Raitses, Yevgeny Redi, Martha |
Engineering and Scientific Staff
Princeton University manages PPPL under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy. The FY2001 budget is approximately $74.2 million. The number of employees as of July 2001 was 484, not including 94 limited duration employees and approximately 127 subcontractors, graduate students, and visiting research staff. The Laboratory is sited on 72 acres of Princeton University's James Forrestal Campus, about four miles from the main campus.
Through its efforts to build and operate magnetic fusion devices, PPPL has gained extensive capabilities in a host of disciplines including advanced computations simulations, vacuum technology, mechanics, materials science, electronics, computer technology, and high-voltage power systems. In addition, PPPL scientists and engineers are applying knowledge gained in fusion research to other theoretical and experimental areas including the development of plasma thrusters and propagation of intense beams of ions. The Laboratory's graduate education and science education programs provide educational opportunities for students and teachers from elementary school through postgraduate studies.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM:
The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX): The NSTX began operation on February 12, 1999, ten weeks ahead of schedule and within budget. NSTX has been designed to test the physics principles of spherical torus (ST) plasmas and produces a plasma that is shaped like a sphere with a hole through its center, different from the ''donut'' shape of the tokamak. The NSTX was designed and built jointly by PPPL, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Columbia University, and the University of Washington, Seattle. Including PPPL, the NSTX research team is comprised of fourteen fusion research institutions. NSTX is taking advantage of existing equipment and infrastructure that formerly supported the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor. In December, 1999, NSTX reached its design plasma current of one million amperes and produced all of the plasma shapes needed for its experiments. In September, 2000, NSTX's neutral beam injection (NBI) system began operation. The use of NBI plasma heating coupled with good confinement resulted in the attainment of a toroidal beta of up to 24%, based on magnetic signals. With the addition of neutral-beam heating, the observed energy confinement efficiency of NSTX improved by as much as a factor of two.
The Current Drive Experiment - Upgrade (CDX-U): CDX-U is being used for the development of technology needed for the improvement of fusion reactor concepts. CDX-U has recently begun a research program devoted to the investigation of plasma interactions with liquid lithium surfaces. Experiments will determine the effect of the liquid lithium walls on the edge plasma as well as on the core plasma parameters. The effect of plasma currents on the stability of the free liquid lithium surface will be investigated.
The Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX): A basic plasma physics research facility, MRX is studying the physics of magnetic reconnection - the topological breaking and reconnection of magnetic field lines in plasma. The MRX is funded by DOE and NASA.
The National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX): PPPL Physicists and engineers are developing the conceptual design of a compact stellarator proof-of-principle experiment. It is proposed that this effort lead to the construction and operation of the NCSX at PPPL. A national collaborative facility, NCSX would provide research opportunities for scientists from PPPL, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other institutions. A successful Physics Validation Review for the proposed NCSX was held in March 2001. NCSX conceptual design is now underway to establish a cost and schedule baseline for project execution.
Fusion Physics and Advanced Computing: The primary role of the PPPL Theory Department is to help the fusion energy sciences program achieve the scientific understanding of the physics of plasmas needed to establish toroidal magnetic confinement as an attractive, technical feasible reactor option. This involves leading the innovative development of improved calculation capabilities and the application of state-of-the-art theoretical and computational tools to the interpretation of experimental results.
Off-Site Research/Collaborations: The purpose of the PPPL Off-Site Research Program (Collaborations) is to perform fusion science research at the most relevant facilities. Off-site research currently includes efforts at the DIII-D and the Alcator C-Mod tokamaks in the U.S., the Joint European Torus, the JT-60U device and the Large Helical Device in Japan.
Space Plasma Physics: Space Plasma Physics research at PPPL is principally focused on understanding solar and magnetospheric activity, such as solar prominence formation and eruption, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, magnetospheric waves, and magnetospheric substorms, and how the coupling between solar activity, the magnetosphere and ionosphere can affect the dynamical evolution of the solar-terrestrial system.
Basic and Applied Plasma Physics: PPPL has an active program in Basic and Applied Plasma Physics which supports the Laboratory's mission to create new knowledge in plasma science and to use this knowledge to develop new plasma technologies. The program generally consists of small experiments focused on specified topics of interest.
Hall Thrusters for Space Propulsion: The goal of this research, funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, is to make improvements in Hall thrusters that can be used for the propulsion of satellites. The Hall thruster is an ion propulsion system that uses a radial magnetic field to inject electrons as a means of eliminating the buildup of positive charge that usually occurs between the anode and cathode of a convention ion thruster.
Experiment and Theoretical Studies of Nonneutral Plasmas: Research at PPPL, funded by the Office of Naval Research, includes theoretical and experimental programs in critical problem areas related to the equilibrium, stability, and nonlinear properties of nonneutral plasmas.
Magnetic Nozzle Experiment: PPPL researchers are studying the flow of magnetized linear plasmas expanding through a constriction formed by increased magnetic field intensity. It is predicted that, under certain conditions, rapid plasma recombination will occur because of expansion cooling.
Textile Manufacturing: PPPL is collaborating with Dupont, BASF, and Wellman Incorporated through the Princeton Textile Research Institute to develop a non-contact diagnostic instrument that can be used by U.S. synthetic manufacturers to assure that fibers confirm to specifications.
Plasma Displays: PPPL researchers are applying experimental and theoretical techniques developed for fusion research to improve the performance of large, flat-panel plasma displays. The goals of this work are larger, longer-lasting and less-expensive plasma displays with higher resolution.
Plasma Sterilization: The aim of the PPPL Plasma Sterilization Project is to develop a method for quickly sterilizing food, beverage, and other thermoplastic containers using a plasma discharge. PPPL's innovative plasma sterilization technique uses energetic ions to destroy bacterial spores, which are the most difficult microorganisms to eliminate.
The Fusion Ignition Research Experiment (FIRE): PPPL is leading a national team on a design study of a Fusion Ignition Research Experiment. The team, consisting of scientists and engineers from 15 institutions in the U.S. is assessing the near-term opportunities for advancing the scientific understanding of self-heated fusion plasmas. The team is managed through the Virtual Laboratory for Technology. The mission of FIRE is to attain, explore, understand, and optimize fusion plasmas whose heating is predominantly from alpha particles. A major goal is to develop a design concept that could meet these objectives with a construction cost in the range of $1 billion.
TFTR Decontamination & Decommissioning (D&D): The Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor operated at PPPL from December 1982 to April 1997. It was the first magnetic fusion device in the world to perform experiments with 50/50 mixtures of deuterium and tritium, the fuel likely to be used in the first fusion power plants. TFTR produced world records in plasma temperature (512 million degrees C) and fusion power output (10.7 million watts). The decontamination and disassembly of TFTR began in October 1999 and will be completed by the end of September 2002.
IAEA 2001