Plasma Physics
D'Angelo, Frank,
Goree, Gurnett, Kletzing, Lonngren, Merlino, Scudder, Skiff, Spangler
Plasma Physics is the study of ionized gases. Plasmas
are the most common state of known matter in the universe. Our experimenters
have seven labs on campus, and their instruments are on spacecraft,
rockets, and the International Space Station. Our research includes
experiment, theory, and simulation. Areas include basic science, astronomy,
geophysics, and processing plasmas as used in semiconductor manufacturing.
Graduate students participate in a weekly plasma physics seminar.
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Nicola
D'Angelo |
Experimental
plasma physics
- Basic plasma physics
problems, including laboratory simulations of space plasma phenomena,
dusty plasmas
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Louis
Frank |
Experimental
space plasma physics
- Spacecraft: NASA's
Polar, investigating the Earth's auroras and upper atmosphere; Japan's
Geotail, investigating plasma dynamics of Earth's distant environment;
JPL's Galileo, observing Jupiter
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John
Goree |
Experimental
plasma physics
- Dusty plasmas,
strongly-coupled plasmas, plasma processing, optical diagnostics of
plasmas, waves in plasmas
- Physics problems
are interdisciplinary: condensed matter and plasma physics; experiments
involve direct comparisons to theory
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Donald
Gurnett |
Experimental
space plasma physics
- Experimental studies
of planetary radio emissions and plasma waves
- Spacecraft data:
Voyagers 1 and 2 (now approaching interstellar space); Galileo (in orbit
around Jupiter); Cassini (on its way to Saturn); and Cluster (consisting
of four spacecraft in Earth orbit)
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Craig
Kletzing |
Experimental
plasma physics
- Plasma processes
that occur in the aurora
- Experimental verification
of Alfvén wave theory in the laboratory
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Karl
Lonngren |
Experimental
and theoretical plasma physics
- Solitons and sheaths
in plasmas
- Solitons in Schottky-barrier-diode
transmission lines
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Robert
Merlino |
Experimental
plasma physics
- Basic plasma physics
problems, including laboratory simulations of space plasma phenomena,
dusty plasmas
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Jack
Scudder |
Experimental
and theoretical plasma physics
- Experimental search
for collisionless magnetic reconnection mechanisms
- Theoretical study
of the role of suprathermal tails in heat transport
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Frederick
Skiff |
Experimental
and theoretical plasma physics
- Experimental topics
include experiments for plasma waves and instabilities, laser-induced
fluorescence diagnostics of plasmas; student projects are usually mostly
experimental and some theory
- Theoretical topics
include plasma kinetic theory, momentum flow in ionized gases
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Steven
Spangler |
Theoretical
plasma physics
- Theory and data
analysis, with applications to astrophysical plasmas
- Turbulence in
plasmas, nonlinear plasma waves, and interaction of charged particles
with waves and turbulence
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