UCLA has been at the forefront of research and education in plasma science for nearly half a century. UCLA faculty have made seminal contributions in this area, including creating the field of plasma-based acceleration, leading the development of particle-in-cell methods for plasma physics computation, and contributing innovative ideas for confining and diagnosing high-temperature plasmas for fusion energy application. The UCLA Plasma Science and Technology Institute supports interdisciplinary research and education led by 36 faculty members and over 100 other PhD scientists on campus, spanning 7 departments in Physical Sciences and Engineering. PSTI faculty are world renowned, including recent winners of the most prestigious prizes in plasma science:
2023
European Physical Society Alfvén Prize was jointly awarded to Prof. James Rosenzweig (Physics and Astronomy) and Prof. Chan Joshi (Electrical and Computer Engineering).
2021
The American Physical Society Maxwell Prize was awarded to Prof. Margaret Kivelson (Earth, Planets and Space Sciences)
2020
The American Physical Society Maxwell Prize was awarded to Prof. Warren Mori (Physics and Astronomy and Electrical and Computer Engineering)
“Now is an incredibly exciting time for plasma science and technology, with opportunities for basic science, including understanding the most energetic events in the universe, alongside a wealth of plasma applications, including fusion energy, plasma processing of materials and plasma medicine. Applications of plasmas provide opportunities for faculty entrepreneurship and partnerships with industry, including the rapidly growing fusion energy industry, with over $5B of private capital invested to date.”
Troy Carter, Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Director of the Plasma Science and Technology Institute
To learn how you can support Plasma Science and Technology at UCLA, please contact Amber Buggs at amberbuggs@support.ucla.edu or (310) 994-5782.