Plasma Science and Fusion Center

“We now strongly believe that these magnetic fields critically affect structure formation in the universe — they are critical to shaping the world as we see it," says Associate Professor Nuno Loureiro.

Probing the magnetic universe

Nuclear Science and Engineering Associate Professor Nuno Loureiro ponders the origins of magnetic fields.

June 23, 2017

Assistant Professor Zach Hartwig joined the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering faculty this year after almost a decade of doctoral and postdoc work at MIT.

Zach Hartwig: Applying diverse skills in pursuit of a fusion breakthrough

Newly-appointed Assistant Professor Zach Hartwig's mission is to use nuclear technology to benefit society and the environment.

May 22, 2017

"I didn’t want just to prove a concept; I wanted to make things work," says Sasha Soane, PhD candidate in electrical engineering and computer science. "There is a lot of pride in figuring that out."

Sasha Soane wins International Vacuum Electronics Conference best student paper award

PhD candidate explores the intersection of theory and engineering.

May 17, 2017

“I want to empower girls to feel they belong in these fields,” says Monica Pham, a sophomore in nuclear science and engineering.

Monica Pham: Advancing nuclear power and empowering girls

Sophomore researches fusion energy and promotes STEM opportunities for young women.

April 21, 2017

“My upbringing fostered the desire to tackle big problems that have a global impact," says MIT grad student Julien Barber. "Fusion fits the bill of a global remedy for both energy needs and some environmental problems. It’s trying to change the game.”

Julien Barber: Protecting magnets and the environment

Master's candidate explores ways to cool high-temperature superconductors used in fusion research.

March 27, 2017

At MIT, Hong Sio can be found in the PSFC High-Energy-Density Physics (HEDP) accelerator facility, which develops and characterizes nuclear diagnostics for inertial fusion facilities across the country, including NIF and OMEGA. "The opportunity to be so deeply involved at these world-class facilities as a graduate student is nothing short of remarkable,” he says.

Hong Sio: On the road for fusion

Ph.D candidate enjoys a range of fusion research from coast to coast.

February 28, 2017

Left to right: Gabriela Schlau-Cohen, Rafael Jaramillo, David Hsu, Nuno Loureiro

New faculty strengthen, broaden MIT’s energy expertise

MIT's newest faculty bring a wide array of energy interests and developments to the Institute.

February 7, 2017

“I was interested in clean energy. In a physics textbook, on literally the last page, they made a reference to fusion, ‘the power source of the future.’ I was intrigued and decided to find out more,” says PhD candidate Brandon Sorbom.

Brandon Sorbom: Designing a fusion future

PhD candidate explores a faster, high-magnetic-field pathway to fusion energy.

January 23, 2017

Featured video: Touring MIT's nuclear facilities

Two graduate students provide an inside look at MIT's network of nuclear facilities and labs that mimic the footprint of a national lab.

January 3, 2017

This mosaic image of the Crab Nebula was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Features of this nebula and other astrophysical phenomena are being studied at MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

Chikang Li brings the Crab Nebula to the lab

Plasma Science and Fusion Center researcher figures out the kink in the crab.

December 19, 2016

“As a child I would throw a ball through the air and wonder why it made a curved shape; I would hold an ice cube in my hand and wonder at the processes that made it melt. And it turned out there are physical models for all those things and you can explain them somehow with math. That was just really beautiful for me,” says MIT graduate student Libby Tolman.

Fusing theory and practice

Grad student Libby Tolman melds the elegance of theoretical physics with practical applications of nuclear science.

November 14, 2016

The interior of the fusion experiment Alcator C-Mod at MIT recently broke the plasma pressure record for a magnetic fusion device. The interior of the donut-shaped device confines plasma hotter than the interior of the sun, using high magnetic fields. Postdoc Ted Golfinopoulos, shown here, is performing maintenance between plasma campaigns.

New record for fusion

Alcator C-Mod tokamak nuclear fusion reactor sets world record on final day of operation.

October 14, 2016

Alex Tingly (right), a graduate student in the Department of Physics, and senior research scientist Earl Marmar, head of the Alcator C-Mod project since 2002, review data on synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons in plasma.

High-intensity fusion

MIT’s Alcator C-Mod nuclear reactor winds down — and defines its legacy on its final run.

October 14, 2016

"When I learned about fusion I thought: This is the future!” —Silvia Espinosa, PhD candidate

On the edge of discovery

For PhD student Silvia Espinosa, a passion for solving theoretical puzzles fuels a quest for fusion energy.

September 13, 2016

“When I started in graduate school I knew already that I wanted to work on turbulence in tokamaks,” says Anne White, the Cecil and Ida Green Associate Professor in Nuclear Engineering in MIT’s Plasma Fusion and Science Center.

Anne White: A passion for plasma

Physicist has a fascination for the complexities of turbulence, and how to reduce it in fusion reactors.

June 29, 2016

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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