Plasma Science and Fusion Center

As part of an ARPA-E award, the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center will help explore new magnetic geometries for fusion devices, such as the mirror concept pictured here, in search of a faster and less-expensive path to fusion energy.

Plasma Science and Fusion Center receives $1.25M from ARPA-E to explore practical paths to fusion

MIT experience with heating plasmas will support novel and low-cost approaches to creating fusion energy.

April 15, 2020

MIT researchers have observed mysterious Majorana fermions in islands of gold. The discovery could lead to new family of robust qubits for quantum computing.

First sighting of mysterious Majorana fermion on a common metal

Physicists’ discovery could lead to a new family of robust qubits for quantum computing.

April 10, 2020

A fusion community report recommends three science drivers and several new facilities to accelerate toward commercially relevant fusion power.

Fusion researchers endorse push for pilot power plant in US

Fusion energy community makes unified statement on priorities in report for Department of Energy Policy Advisory Group.

March 18, 2020

Thomas Dupree, professor emeritus of nuclear science and engineering and physics, dies at 86

Highly regarded physicist was well-known for studying plasma turbulence in terms of coherent structures.

February 28, 2020

At an IAP workshop in the new nuclear makerspace, "MIT Nucleus," participants created fusors, devices that use an electric field to accelerate ions to energies high enough to fuse nuclei, giving off a purple glow.

Fusor workshop inaugurates nuclear makerspace

Building devices to study fusion at the new (and highly controlled) “MIT Nucleus” makerspace generates enthusiasm — and a purple glow.

February 24, 2020

“Assuming I continue to graduate school, I think I would like to be involved in a research effort," says MIT junior Analyce Hernandez, "like the one I’m working on in dark matter, where I uncloak big mysteries and discover something fundamental about the way the universe works.”

Analyce Hernandez: Uncloaking big mysteries

Junior double major seeks to piece together puzzles of the universe, particle by particle.

February 12, 2020

Research Scientist Nathan Howard used data from MIT's Alcator C-Mod tokamak as the basis for an award-winning paper.

Nathan Howard wins Nuclear Fusion Award

Researcher unravels the mystery of heat loss in turbulent fusion plasmas.

January 29, 2020

For his prize-winning thesis, Pablo Rodriguez-Fernandez examined data from MIT's Alcator C-Mod tokamak (background).

Heating by cooling

Pablo Rodriguez-Fernandez resolves a fusion paradox to receive Del Favero Prize.

November 27, 2019

“One of the reasons I came back to grad school was to be steeped in something for a long time," says Julian Picard, who works in MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center. "After spending so long working hard on something, you start to develop a gut instinct.”

Julian Picard: Chopping microwaves, sharpening instincts

MIT graduate student slices microwave pulses to test advanced accelerators.

August 12, 2019

An example of an interstellar collisionless shock is seen in this photo of a bow shock in the Orion Nebula.

Astrophysical shock phenomena reproduced in the laboratory

Lab-scale experiment could help scientists understand interstellar and galactic-scale smashups.

August 6, 2019

Anne White named head of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

Fusion energy and turbulence modeling expert will succeed Dennis Whyte.

June 18, 2019

Cross sections of pressure profiles are shown in two different tokamak plasma configurations (the center of the tokamak doughnut is to the left of these). The discharges have high pressure in the core (yellow) that decreases to low pressure (blue) at the edge. Researchers achieved substantial high-pressure operation of reverse-D plasmas at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility.

Steering fusion’s “D-turn”

Research scientist Alessandro Marinoni shows that reversing traditional plasma shaping provides greater stability for fusion reactions.

May 17, 2019

Steven Lacey, host of The Energy Gang, leads a live taping of the show during the MIT Energy Conference.

MIT Energy Conference explores changes to the grid in coming decades

Student-run event spans energy policy, carbon pricing, storage technologies, and the rise of renewables.

April 9, 2019