Um, actually ... staff had a blast testing their PPPL and fusion knowledge at a #FusionEnergyWeek lunchtime trivia event. Four teams competed to see who could be the fastest to correctly spot the inaccurate part of specific research, engineering, device or historical clues — and supply the accurate information.
Fusion Energy Week, organized by U.S. Fusion Energy (@usfusionenergy ), recognizes the birthday of Dr. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin who discovered what our sun and stars are made of, which led to our understanding of fusion — a potentially limitless source of energy.
📸 by Michael Livingston (@mlivs_photo )
How can AI help identify potential areas of damage in a fusion system? Join the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) for the next virtual #AI4Fusion Colloquium with Rinkle Juneja of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (@oakridgelab ) on Wednesday, May 20 from 4-5 p.m. ET.
Juneja will share about the Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX), expected to begin operation at Oak Ridge in late 2026, and how the lab is developing AI tools to enable rapid performance prediction and optimization, which will lead to a scalable pathway toward a full MPEX digital twin for real-time damage assessment, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's (@energy ) #GenesisMission.
PPPL's AI4Fusion Colloquium series brings together experts from around the world to explore online how AI is accelerating the path to commercial fusion power. From optimizing plasma control and predicting fusion system performance to accelerating materials research and development, AI is helping leading scientists close critical science and technology gaps.
Sign up with the link in bio.
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PPPL is a U.S. Department of Energy (@energy ) national laboratory managed by Princeton University (@princeton ). Illustration credit: Ariel Davis
Dig out those hiking boots or sneakers and enjoy some sunshine 🌞 for #FusionEnergyWeek!
On Saturday, May 9, PPPL will share science demonstrations at the Plainsboro Preserve (@plainsboropreserve80 ) from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Attendees can enjoy two guided hikes on the sunny and scenic Orange Trail at 11 and 11:30 a.m. Attendees are encouraged to register ahead of time with the link in bio to secure a spot!
Why get outside for Fusion Energy Week? Fusion energy powers the sun and stars. ⭐ Fusion Energy Week is organized by U.S. Fusion Energy (@usfusionenergy ) and recognizes the birthday of Dr. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin who discovered what our sun and stars are made of, which led to our understanding of fusion — a potentially limitless source of energy. The week runs from May 4-10.
👀 Use the link in bio to sign up for the hike.
What happens when a laser blasts a target so powerfully that the resulting plasma generates its own magnetic fields out of thin air?
PPPL researchers have found the answer — and it comes down to a critical threshold. New simulations show that when laser intensity crosses approximately 1014 watts per square centimeter, the expanding plasma rapidly self-magnetizes through a process called the Weibel instability.
Below that threshold, the plasma stays unmagnetized. Above it, magnetic fields as strong as 40 tesla emerge within hundreds of picoseconds, trapping electrons and altering how heat moves through the system. The team also developed a simple predictive formula that lets researchers quickly estimate whether self-magnetization will occur in their experiments based on laser and target parameters.
The findings have direct implications for inertial fusion research, where understanding the full picture of plasma behavior is essential for designing systems that work in the real world. Use the link in bio to learn more.
A collaborative experiment at Colorado State University’s (@coloradostateuniversity ) Advanced Beam Laboratory in Electrical and Computer Engineering (@colostate_ece ), and aided by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (@energy ) LaserNet initiative has found a way to speed up development of fusion energy techniques.
Scientists at PPPL teamed up with researchers at private fusion company Focused Energy to conduct a significant set of experiments into a fusion technique known as proton fast ignition.
Proton fast ignition is a form of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), a technique that uses high-energy lasers to rapidly compress and heat a tiny fuel pellet to achieve fusion. Scientists are interested in proton fast ignition, which uses both lasers and proton beams, because it does not require the same precision as standard ICF and can bring the fuel to higher temperatures.
The scientists were able to, for the first time, fire the lasers and protons at rapid rates — 70 times in five days, a significant boost in speed that could lead to valuable information that influences the design of future fusion power plants. They also gathered crucial data about the hemispherical sheets of foil used to create the proton beams, demonstrating that smaller foil sheets create more focused proton beams, but that those beams could more easily zoom off in the wrong direction.
The public-private partnership between PPPL and Focused Energy was part of the INFUSE program, a DOE initiative that encourages collaboration between national laboratories, universities and private industry to accelerate the development of fusion energy systems and technology.
How is #AI accelerating fusion energy? ⚡ Find out at a special edition of the #AI4Fusion Colloquium for #FusionEnergyWeek!
On Wednesday, May 6 from 4-5 p.m. ET, join us as we hear from Cristina Rea of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (@MIT ) Plasma Science and Fusion Center (@mit.psfc ). In her talk, Rea will discuss the development of interpretable machine learning-driven solutions for two critical challenges in magnetic confinement fusion: real-time monitoring of proximity to plasma stability boundaries and the optimization of plasma trajectories.
Use the link in bio to attend the #AI4Fusion Colloquium online.
Fusion Energy Week is organized by U.S. Fusion Energy and runs May 4-10 in recognition of Dr. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin's birthday on May 10. Payne-Gaposchkin discovered what our sun and stars are made of, which led to our understanding of fusion.
PPPL is excited to be part of a landmark new 10-year agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy (@energy ) and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Germany to advance research on the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator.
Even better, this collaboration is the first to be established under a brand-new model project framework between the U.S. and the European Commission, making it easier than ever to initiate and expand these sorts of transatlantic fusion research partnerships.
W7-X is designed to demonstrate the viability of the stellarator concept for generating net energy by confining particles of plasma — the fourth state of matter — in the shape of a twisted doughnut. Since beginning operations in December 2015, W7-X has achieved a series of record-setting results, drawing on expertise and contributions from research institutions around the world, including PPPL.
Use the link in bio to learn more.
As the Lab kicks off #FusionEnergyWeek, we share another look at a moment in time for our 75th anniversary that reveals how PPPL has established the scientific underpinnings of America's fusion and plasma research landscape. Through a diversified research portfolio, the Lab is strengthening U.S. energy resilience and leadership, driving economic innovation and delivering solutions for the nation's toughest science and technology challenges.
Starting in the late 1950s, Project Matterhorn scientists began developing small devices shaped not like a figure eight, like Lyman Spitzer’s original stellarator design, but more like a straight line. The researchers developed these devices to conduct research into plasma physics and controlled fusion.
Originally called “Polonaise,” the first linear device, L-1, began operation in 1958. L-2, a larger and more powerful machine (at 12 feet compared to L-1’s 6 feet), began operation in 1960 and was then modified and renamed L-2Q in 1965. L-3 and L-4 soon followed and continued to operate until 1980. These linear devices helped formulate and confirm many important theories in plasma physics.
Similar to linear devices, quiescent, or Q, machines were designed for basic plasma physics research. The first Q machine, Quiescent-1 (Q-1), began development under Project Matterhorn in 1960. PPPL soon developed other Q machines, such as Quiescent-3 (Q-3), Quiet Energetic Dense (QED) and H-1 in 1972.
Other institutions in the United States, including Stanford University and Columbia University, soon developed their own Q machines. The trend continued abroad, including, but not limited to, the former Soviet republics, England and Germany. Linear and Q devices opened up entirely new avenues of experimental investigation into plasmas and greatly increased our understanding of this complex medium.
Enjoy some sunshine 🌞 for #FusionEnergyWeek!
On Saturday, May 9, PPPL will share science demonstrations at the Plainsboro Preserve (@plainsboropreserve80 ) from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Attendees can enjoy two guided hikes on the sunny and scenic Orange Trail at 11 and 11:30 a.m. Attendees are encouraged to register ahead of time with the link in bio to secure a spot!
Why get outside for Fusion Energy Week? Fusion energy powers the sun and stars. ⭐ Fusion Energy Week is organized by U.S. Fusion Energy (@usfusionenergy ) and recognizes the birthday of Dr. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin who discovered what our sun and stars are made of, which led to our understanding of fusion — a potentially limitless source of energy. The week runs from May 4-10.
Apprenticeships matter. As part of National Apprenticeship Week, NJ Governor Mikie Sherrill (@govsherrillnj ) joined the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) to celebrate the latest four graduates of PPPL’s first-in-the-nation U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program in fusion energy and engineering.
PPPL is a U.S. Department of Energy (@energy ) national laboratory managed by Princeton University (@princeton ). Use the link in bio to learn more about PPPL's apprenticeship program and its expansion to other national labs throughout the country.
#NAW2026 #ApprenticeshipsUSA
#WhatIsItWednesday x #NAW2026 — An apprentice at the Lab works on a linear winder for winding a superconducting solenoid magnet.
A superconducting solenoid magnet is an electromagnet wound from superconducting wire that conducts electricity with zero resistance when cooled to cryogenic temperatures. An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by an electric current. To wind superconducting wire effectively, linear winding machines are configured to manage the high tension, fragile nature and specific insulation requirements of superconducting materials to ensure high-performance, uniform magnetic field.
At PPPL, the High-Field Magnet Test Facility supports research from private fusion companies, superconductor suppliers and university scientists. It plays a key role in restoring U.S. leadership in superconductor and superconducting magnet technology by advancing wire production and in-field testing capabilities.
The facility focuses on developing powerful magnets with a range of high-temperature superconducting materials that let electrical current flow with little resistance at relatively warm temperatures. Such magnets can produce high magnetic fields at relatively low cost, which is crucial for designing and constructing fusion facilities that are more compact than those that exist today. Scientists also use powerful magnets to research dark matter and condensed matter physics, among other areas.
Learn more with the link in bio.
