Virtual Pressroom 2005
Summary
Most of the matter we are familiar with in everyday life comes in three states - solid, liquid, or gas. But much more of the matter in the universe exists in a fourth state known as plasma. Plasmas are gaseous collections of electrically charged particles such as electrons and protons. Stars are primarily composed of hot plasmas. On Earth, plasmas are formed in lightning strikes and produce light in fluorescent bulbs. They are used to inscribe patterns in computer chips and other electronics, and are at the heart of the most promising nuclear fusion devices that may someday lead to an abundance of cheap, clean, and safe power sources.
These and many other subjects will be addressed at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Plasma Physics, to be held October 24-28, 2005, in Denver, Colorado. More than 1500 attendees will present 1600 papers covering the latest advances in plasma-based research and technology.
The American Physical Society is the world's largest professional body of physicists, representing over 43,500 physicists in academia and industry in the US and internationally.
Public Event
Highlights
 | Studying turbulence with a planetary-scale wind tunnelScientists examine how turbulence in the solar wind affects Earth’s magnetosphere October 24, 2005 | PDF (385k) |
 | Dynamo provides clues to origin of magnetic fieldsDevice replicates the magnetic fields generated at Earth's core October 24, 2005 | PDF (5.0M) |
 | High-speed images capture ripples in edge of hot plasmaAdvanced imaging technology reveals mechanisms behind fusion plasma instabilities October 24, 2005 | PDF version (489k) |
 | Keeping the fire burning in a fusion reactorSimulating the behavior of alpha particles and Alfvén waves in fusion reactors October 27, 2005 | PDF (332k) |
 | Accelerating Electrons with Bright SparksA train of ultra-intense radiation spikes can be created for use as an advanced electron accelerator for medical and physics applications October 25, 2005 | PDF (91k) |
 | Up Against the Wall – Solid and Liquid Solutions to Fusion’s Materials ChallengesNovel materials have important implications for power handling and performance October 25, 2005 | PDF (495k) |
Additional Papersmore papers on magnetic fusion, basic plasma science, and HEDP
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