Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Established| 1961 (1961)
Budget| $93 million (2017) [1]

Field of research

| Plasma physics
Vice president| David J. McComas, Vice-President for PPPL
Director| Steven Cowley [2]
Address| 100 Stellarator Road, Princeton New Jersey
Location| Plainsboro Township, New Jersey, United States
[ ⚑ ] : 40°20′56″N 74°36′08″W﻿ / ﻿40.348825°N 74.602183°W﻿ / 40.348825; -74.602183

ZIP Code

| 08536
Campus| Forrestal Campus

Operating agency

| Princeton University
Website| www.pppl.gov
Map

Location in New Jersey

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory for plasma physics and nuclear fusion science. Its primary mission is research into and development of fusion as an energy source.

PPPL grew out of the top secret Cold War project to control thermonuclear reactions, called Project Matterhorn. In 1961, after declassification, Project Matterhorn was renamed the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.[3]

PPPL is located on Princeton University's Forrestal Campus in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey. This is some distance from the main Princeton campus, but the lab has a Princeton address.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Directors
* 3 Current major research projects and experiments
* 3.1 Plasma science and technology
* 3.2 Theoretical plasma physics
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## History

In 1950, John Wheeler was setting up a secret H-bomb research lab at Princeton University. Lyman Spitzer, Jr., an avid mountaineer, was aware of this program and suggested the name "Project Matterhorn".[4]

Spitzer, a professor of Astronomy, had for many years been involved in the study of very hot rarefied gases in interstellar space. While leaving for a ski trip to Aspen in February 1951, his father called and told him to read the front page of the New York Times . The paper had a story about claims released the day before in Argentina that a relatively unknown German scientist named Ronald Richter had achieved nuclear fusion in his Huemul Project.[5] Spitzer ultimately dismissed these claims, and they were later proven erroneous, but the story got him thinking about fusion. While riding the chairlift at Aspen, he struck upon a new concept to confine a plasma for long periods so it could be heated to fusion temperatures. He called this concept the stellarator.

Later that year he took this design to the Atomic Energy Commission in Washington. As a result of this meeting and a review of the invention by scientists throughout the nation, the stellarator proposal was funded in 1951. As the device would produce high-energy neutrons, which could be used for breeding weapon fuel, the program was classified and carried out as part of Project Matterhorn. Matterhorn ultimately ended its involvement in the bomb field in 1954, becoming entirely devoted to the fusion power field.

In 1958, this magnetic fusion research was declassified following the 1955 United Nations International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. This generated an influx of graduate students eager to learn the "new" physics, which in turn influenced the lab to concentrate more on basic research.[6]

The early figure-8 stellarators included : Model-A, Model-B, Model-B2, Model-B3.[7] Model-B64 was a square with round corners, and Model-B65 was a racetrack configuration.[7] The last and most powerful stellarator at this time was the 'racetrack' Model C (operating from 1961 to 1969).[8] The Model C was reconfigured as a tokamak in 1969,[7] becoming the Symmetric Tokamak (ST).[9]

In the 1970s research at the PPPL refocused on the Russian tokamak design when it became evident that it was a more satisfactory containment design than the stellarator. In May 1972 the Adiabatic Toroidal Compressor (ATC) began operation. The Princeton Large Torus, a tokamak, operated from 1975.

By 1982, the PPPL under the direction of Harold Furth had the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) online, which operated until 1997.[10] Beginning in 1993, TFTR was the first in the world to use 50/50 mixtures of deuterium-tritium. In 1994 it yielded an unprecedented 10.7 megawatts of fusion power.[10]

In 1999, the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), based on the spherical tokamak concept, came online at the PPPL. Laboratory scientists are collaborating with researchers on fusion science and technology at other facilities, both domestic and foreign. Staff are applying knowledge gained in fusion research to a number of theoretical and experimental areas including materials science, solar physics, chemistry, and manufacturing.

Odd-parity heating was demonstrated in the 4 cm radius PFRC-1 experiment in 2006. PFRC-2 has a plasma radius of 8 cm. Studies of electron heating in PFRC-2 reached 500 eV with pulse lengths of 300 ms.[11]

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) completed the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) that makes it the most powerful experimental fusion facility, or tokamak, of its type in the world. Experiments will test the ability of the upgraded spherical facility to maintain a high-performance plasma under conditions of extreme heat and power. Results could strongly influence the design of future fusion reactors.[12]

In 2017, the group received a Phase II NIAC grant along with two NASA STTRs funding the RF subsystem and superconducting coil subsystem.[11]

## Directors

In 1961 Gottlieb became the first director of the renamed Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.[13][14]

* 1951-1961: Lyman Spitzer, director of Project Matterhorn
* 1961-1980: Melvin B. Gottlieb
* 1981-1990: Harold Furth
* 1991-1996: Ronald C. Davidson[10]
* 1997 (January–July): John A. Schmidt, interim director[10]
* 1997-2008: Robert J. Goldston[15]
* 2008–2016: Stewart C. Prager[16]
* 2016–2017: Terrence K. Brog (interim)[17]
* 2017–2018: Richard J. Hawryluk (interim)[18]
* 2018-present: Sir Steven Cowley, 1 July 2018[19]

## Current major research projects and experiments

* National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U)
* International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)
* Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR)

### Plasma science and technology

* Hall Thruster Experiment (HTX)[20]
* Lithium Tokamak Experiment (LTX)
* Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX)
* Beam Dynamics and Nonneutral Plasma
* Princeton field-reversed configuration experiment (PFRC)
* Laboratory for Plasma Nanosynthesis (LPN)[21]

### Theoretical plasma physics

* DOE Scientific Simulation Initiative
* U.S. MHD Working Group
* Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) Theory Consortium
* Tokamak Physics Design and Analysis Codes
* TRANSP Code
* National Transport Code Collaboration (NTCC) Modules Library

## See also

* Project Sherwood

## References

1. ↑ "Scholarship and Research". Princeton University. https://profile.princeton.edu/research. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
2. ↑ "10 Questions for Steven Cowley, New Director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory | Princeton Plasma Physics Lab". https://www.pppl.gov/news/press-releases/2018/06/10-questions-steven-cowley-new-director-princeton-plasma-physics.
3. ↑ Tanner, Earl C. (1977) Project Matterhorn: an informal history Princeton University Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey, p. 77, OCLC 80717532
4. ↑ "Timeline". https://www.pppl.gov/about/history/timeline.
5. ↑ Burke, James (1999) The Knowledge Web: From Electronic Agents to Stonehenge and Back -- And Other Journeys Through Knowledge Simon & Schuster, New York, pp. 241-42, ISBN:0-684-85934-3
6. ↑ Bromberg, Joan Lisa (1982) Fusion: Science, Politics, and the Invention of a New Energy Source MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, p. 97, ISBN:0-262-02180-3
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Highlights in Early Stellarator Research at Princeton. Stix. 1997". http://www.jspf.or.jp/JPFRS/PDF/Vol1/jpfrs1998_01-003.pdf.
8. ↑ Experiments on the Model C stellarator. S. Yoshikawa and T.H. Stix. doi:10.1088/0029-5515/25/9/047.
9. ↑ "Timeline | Princeton Plasma Physics Lab". https://www.pppl.gov/about/history/timeline.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Staff (1996) "Fusion Lab Planning Big Reactor's Last Run" The Record, 22 December 1996, p. N-07
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Wang, Brian (June 22, 2019). "Game Changing Direct Drive Fusion Propulsion Progress – NextBigFuture.com" (in en-US). https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2019/06/game-changing-direct-drive-fusion-propulsion-progress.html.
12. ↑ "National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) | Princeton Plasma Physics Lab". https://www.pppl.gov/nstx.
13. ↑ Bromberg, Joan Lisa (1982) Fusion: Science, Politics, and the Invention of a New Energy Source MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, p. 130, ISBN:0-262-02180-3
14. ↑ "History". https://www.pppl.gov/history.cfm.
15. ↑ Stern, Robert (2007) "Princeton fusion center to lose influential leader" The Star-Ledger Newark, New Jersey, 15 December 2007, p. 20
16. ↑ "Press Release, Prager to lead DOE's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory". http://media-newswire.com/release_1068963.html. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
17. ↑ "PPPL Director Stewart Prager Steps Down | Princeton Plasma Physics Lab". https://www.pppl.gov/news/2016/09/pppl-director-stewart-prager-steps-down.
18. ↑ "PPPL has a new interim director and is moving ahead with construction of prototype magnets | Princeton Plasma Physics Lab". https://www.pppl.gov/news/2017/09/pppl-has-new-interim-director-and-moving-ahead-construction-prototype-magnets.
19. ↑ "Steven Cowley named director of DOE's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory". 2018-05-16. Archived from the original on 2018-05-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20180516154600/https://www.princeton.edu/news/2018/05/16/steven-cowley-named-director-does-princeton-plasma-physics-laboratory.
20. ↑ "Hall Thruster Experiment (HTX)", Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, accessed 12 May 2009
21. ↑ "Laboratory for Plasma Nanosynthesis" (LPN)", Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, accessed 16 May 2018

## External links

* Project Matterhorn Publications and Reports, 1951-1958 Princeton University Library Digital Collections

* v
* t
* e

Fusion power, processes and devices

Core topics|

* Nuclear fusion
* Timeline
* List of experiments
* Nuclear power
* Nuclear reactor
* Atomic nucleus
* Fusion energy gain factor
* Lawson criterion
* Magnetohydrodynamics
* Neutron
* Plasma

Processes,
methods|

| Confinement
type|

| Gravitational|

* Alpha process
* Triple-alpha process
* CNO cycle
* Fusor
* Helium flash
* Nova
* remnants
* Proton-proton chain
* Carbon-burning
* Lithium burning
* Neon-burning
* Oxygen-burning
* Silicon-burning
* R-process
* S-process

|

Magnetic|

* Dense plasma focus
* Field-reversed configuration
* Levitated dipole
* Magnetic mirror
* Bumpy torus
* Reversed field pinch
* Spheromak
* Stellarator
* Tokamak
* Spherical
* Z-pinch

Inertial|

* Bubble (acoustic)
* Laser-driven
* Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion

Electrostatic|

* Fusor
* Polywell

Other forms|

* Magnetized target
* Migma
* Muon-catalyzed
* Pyroelectric

Devices,
experiments|

| Magnetic
confinement|

| Tokamak|

| International|

* ITER
* DEMO
* PROTO

|

Americas|

* STOR-M
* MEDUSA-CR
* Alcator C-Mod
* DIII-D
* UCLA ET
* LTX
* NSTX
* Pegasus
* PBX-M
* TEXT
* TFTR
* ETE
* Novillo

Asia,
Australia|

* LT-1
* TORTUS
* CT-6
* CFETR
* EAST
* HL-1(M)
* HL-2A
* HT-6(B, M)
* HT-7(U)
* J-TEXT
* KT-5
* SUNIST
* ADITYA
* SST-1
* IR-T1
* JT-60
* QUEST [ja]
* KTM
* GLAST
* K-DEMO
* KSTAR

Europe|

* JET
* COMPASS
* GOLEM
* TJ-I
* TFR
* WEST
* ASDEX Upgrade
* TEXTOR
* FTU
* IGNITOR
* RTP
* ISTTOK
* T-3
* T-4
* T-10
* T-15
* TCV
* MAST
* MAST-U
* START

Stellarator|

| Americas|

* ATF
* CTH
* CNT
* HSX
* HIDRA
* NCSX
* QPS
* SCR-1

|

Asia,
Australia|

* H-1NF
* Lingyun
* CHS
* Heliotron J
* LHD
* TU-Heliac

Europe|

* UST-1
* UST-2
* TJ-II
* TJ-IU
* TJ-K
* WEGA [de]
* Wendelstein 7-AS [de]
* Wendelstein 7-X
* Uragan-1
* Uragan-2 (Uragan-2M)
* Uragan-3 (Uragan-3M [uk])
* L-2M

RFP|

* RFX
* TPE-RX
* EXTRAP T2R
* MST

Other|

* MTF
* LDX
* MCX
* MFTF
* PFRC
* SSPX
* ZETA

Inertial
confinement|

| Laser|

| Americas|

* Argus
* Cyclops
* Janus
* LIFE
* Long path
* NIF
* Nike
* Nova
* OMEGA
* Shiva

|

Asia|

* SG-I
* SG-II
* SG-III
* SG-IV
* GEKKO XII

Europe|

* HiPER
* Asterix IV (PALS)
* LMJ
* LULI2000
* ISKRA
* Vulcan

Non-laser|

* PTS
* Qiangguang-1
* PACER
* Z machine

Applications|

* Thermonuclear weapon
* Pure fusion weapon

International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility

* v
* t
* e

Agencies under the United States Department of Energy

* Headquarters: James V. Forrestal Building

* Dan Brouillette, Secretary of Energy
* Vacant, Deputy Secretary of Energy

Deputy Secretary of Energy|

* Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence
* Energy Information Administration
* Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy

Under Secretary of Energy
for Energy and Environment|

* Office of Electricity
* Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security|

* National Nuclear Security Administration

Under Secretary of Energy for Science|

* Office of Science
* OSTI

Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy|

Office of Nuclear Energy

Power Marketing Administration|

* Bonneville Power Administration
* Southeastern Power Administration
* Southwestern Power Administration
* Western Area Power Administration

National Laboratory System|

* Ames
* Argonne
* NBL
* CNM
* APS
* ATLAS
* EMC
* Berkeley
* ALS
* MF
* NCEM
* NERSCC
* ESN
* JGI
* Brookhaven
* AGS
* CFN
* NSLS
* NSLS II
* RHIC
* Fermilab
* TeV
* Idaho
* RESL
* JLab
* Livermore
* NARAC
* NIF
* Los Alamos
* DARHTF
* NETL
* Albany
* NREL
* Oak Ridge
* SNS
* CNMS
* HFIR
* NCCS
* Pacific Northwest
* EMSL
* PPPL
* NSTX
* TFTR
* SRNL
* Sandia
* Z
* SLAC
* SSRL

Energy Department Facilities and Reservations|

* Fernald NLO
* Hanford
* K-25
* Kansas City Plant
* Nevada Test Site
* Area 19
* Area 20
* NHHOR
* Pantex
* Rocky Flats
* SSFL
* ETEC
* SRE
* SRS
* SPR
* WIPP
* Y-12
* Yucca Mountain

Independent Agency|

* Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

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