IOP Groups
Plasma Physics Group Links
Collaborative Networks
Non-thermal Plasma Network (NPN)
A network of HEI's interested in the important field of low temperature plasmas and gas discharges, coordinated by the Open University (Professor N. Braithwaite) has been established with support from the EPSRC. See the networks pages for information relevant to these plasmas.
Universities and Other Research Centres
Queen's University Belfast
Plasmas and laser interaction physics, low temperature plasmas and astrophysics
Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine
Plasma physics, fusion plasmas and laser plasma interactions
University of Strathclyde
Relativistic non-neutral plasmas
Atomic Molecular, Discharge and Plasma Physics
Terahertz to Optical Pulse Source
Manchester Metropolitan University
Low temperature plasma physics
Open University - Oxford Research Group
Gas discharge plasmas
Sheffield University
Plasma Processing
University of York
Laser-produced plasmas and X-ray lasers
University of St. Andrews
Theory of radio frequency heating of plasmas
Oxford University
Low temperature plasmas, Dusty plasmas
University of Glasgow
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Plasma Theory
Trinity College Dublin
Laser-plasma applications
Culham Science Centre
Controlled thermonuclear fusion research at Culham
The fundamental aspects of fusion plasmas are studied at Culham as well as plasma particle dynamics, waves in plasmas, kinetic theory, MHD, transport, chaos, computational techniques, laser plasmas, space plasmas, solar plasmas, astrophysical plasmas and plasma diagnostics.
Highlights from the research at Culham, in particular the experimental devices include:-
- JET The world's largest tokamak, operated by UKAEA on behalf of Europe.
- MAST The new Spherical Tokamak.
- COMPASS-D A highly-adaptable medium-sized tokamak.
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Daresbury Laboratory
High power lasers for research from astrophysics to fusion energy
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) is based in Oxfordshire in the UK and, together with the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire, is operated by the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC). The facilities at RAL include the world's leading pulsed neutron and muon source for materials and structures research, and high power lasers for research from astrophysics to fusion energy. Alongside these activities, RAL also has active programmes of work in space science, particle physics, IT and engineering.
AWE Aldermaston
Plasma physics research into the behaviour of matter under extreme ('High Energy Density') conditions is carried out at several large laser facilities worldwide. Typical temperatures are in the range 10,000K to 10M K, with densities from 0.1kg/m3 to 10 Mkg/m3, inducing pressures of 100GPa to 100TPa. Access to these conditions is provided by laser facilities operating on nanosecond (10-9 s) timescales with powers of 1TW to 1PW, using targets with scalelengths of 10-6 to 10-3 m in suitably designed vacuum interaction chambers. Examples are the HELEN laser at AWE and VULCAN at RAL.
One of the principal applications of these laser technologies is to Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), with the "fast ignition" concept being of particular interest at the current time. The goal of ICF is to use a set of laser beams to compress and heat a pellet of DT to ignition. In fast ignition the compression is carried out by relatively long pulse lasers and the resulting high density DT fuel is then subjected to a multi-petaWatt ignitor beam. Problems involved with guiding the ignitor beam through the coronal plasma to the compressed fuel have been overcome at RAL by the use of a gold cone which keeps the channel clear, although the implosion hydrodynamics become more complex (non-spherical).
AWE is embarking on a new national laser facility (Project ORION) in collaboration with the Rutherford-Appleton-Laboratory. This will provide a unique capability for High Energy Density plasma physics research into the next decade, coupling nanosecond and picosecond laser technology from the two laboratories.
^ To the top ^