Virtual Pressroom 2005

Summary

Most of the matter we are familiar with in everyday life comes in three states - solid, liquid, or gas. But much more of the matter in the universe exists in a fourth state known as plasma. Plasmas are gaseous collections of electrically charged particles such as electrons and protons. Stars are primarily composed of hot plasmas. On Earth, plasmas are formed in lightning strikes and produce light in fluorescent bulbs. They are used to inscribe patterns in computer chips and other electronics, and are at the heart of the most promising nuclear fusion devices that may someday lead to an abundance of cheap, clean, and safe power sources.

These and many other subjects will be addressed at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Plasma Physics, to be held October 24-28, 2005, in Denver, Colorado. More than 1500 attendees will present 1600 papers covering the latest advances in plasma-based research and technology.

The American Physical Society is the world's largest professional body of physicists, representing over 43,500 physicists in academia and industry in the US and internationally.

Public Event

• American Physical Society invites Denver to discover plasma

Highlights

	Studying turbulence with a planetary-scale wind tunnel Scientists examine how turbulence in the solar wind affects Earth’s magnetosphere October 24, 2005 Monday, 11:00-11:30 am Invited Session BI1: Space and Astrophysical Plasmas I	PDF (385k)
	Dynamo provides clues to origin of magnetic fields Device replicates the magnetic fields generated at Earth's core October 24, 2005 Monday, 9:30-10:00 am Invited Session BI2: Basic Plasma Physics I	PDF (5.0M)
	High-speed images capture ripples in edge of hot plasma Advanced imaging technology reveals mechanisms behind fusion plasma instabilities October 24, 2005 Monday, 2:00 pm Session CP1: Poster Session II	PDF version (489k)
	Keeping the fire burning in a fusion reactor Simulating the behavior of alpha particles and Alfvén waves in fusion reactors October 27, 2005 Thursday, 11:30 am -12:00 pm Invited Session QI1: Wave and Particle Interactions	PDF (332k)
	Accelerating Electrons with Bright Sparks A train of ultra-intense radiation spikes can be created for use as an advanced electron accelerator for medical and physics applications October 25, 2005 Tuesday, 11:30 am -12:00 pm Invited Session FI2: Plasma-Based Acceleration and Light Sources	PDF (91k)
	Up Against the Wall – Solid and Liquid Solutions to Fusion’s Materials Challenges Novel materials have important implications for power handling and performance October 25, 2005 Tuesday, 10:30 -11:00 am Invited Session FI1: The Road to Burning Plasmas	PDF (495k)
	Additional Papers more papers on magnetic fusion, basic plasma science, and HEDP