Research in Basic Plasma Science and Engineering

The DOE SC program in Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) hereby announces its interest in receiving new or renewal single-investigator or small-group applications to carry out hypothesis-driven frontier-level research in basic plasma science and engineering. The FES Discovery Plasma Science: Plasma Science and Technology–General Plasma Science (GPS) program supports research at the frontiers of basic plasma science (including astrophysical, dusty, and low temperature plasma). GPS topical areas are broad and include but are not limited to: understanding the onset of magnetic reconnection and trigger mechanisms for explosive instabilities in nature (solar flares, geomagnetic storms) and in the laboratory; magnetic dynamo processes by which magnetic fields are generated in laboratory and astrophysical plasmas; mechanisms by which energy is transferred between fields, flows, and particles; how coherent structures are created through the self-fields of the plasma and its interactions with waves; coupling of dusty plasma in strong magnetic fields; and plasma chemistry and processes related to interaction of plasma with surfaces, materials, or biomaterials. Through the support of this research, the GPS program plays a key role in training the next generation of plasma scientists and engineers.