Matthew Stoneking
Lawrence University, WI·Physics
A plasma is a gas of charged particles. When a plasma is made entirely of electrons, it can be held in a trap by magnetic fields.
- Fields
Physics
- Topics
plasma physics
non-neutral plasma
electron plasma
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through May 2027
What they work on
- Test whether electron plasmas confined in a toroidal (doughnut-shaped) magnetic field can reach thermal equilibrium, as existing theory suggests they cannot.
- Test whether thermal equilibrium states exist for electron plasmas trapped in a dipole magnetic field, as theory suggests they might.
- Develop an electron plasma target suitable for injecting positrons, in order to create a positron-electron plasma in a levitated dipole magnetic field.
More about the research
In a simple, uniform magnetic field, such a 'non-neutral' plasma can settle into thermal equilibrium, a stable, steady state, and stay trapped indefinitely. This works because the trap's symmetry conserves a quantity called canonical angular momentum. It is unclear whether such stable states can exist in more complex magnetic shapes. Answering this question matters both for plasma physics and for creating matter-antimatter plasmas. These plasmas exist around neutron stars and existed in the early universe.
Why it matters
This basic research clarifies how the symmetry of a magnetic trap determines whether a plasma can be held stably. It could help researchers make positron-electron plasmas in the laboratory, and so study a form of matter found around neutron stars and in the early universe.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Colby Haggerty
University of Hawaii at Manoa, HI·Physics·Early-career
Determine how a velocity shear between neighboring plasma flows changes the rate, outflow speed and heating of collisionless magnetic reconnection, using kinetic modeling and theory.
Peter Constantin
Princeton University, NJ·Mathematics & Statistics
Develop a new mathematical analysis of radiative kinetics, the equations describing how radiation affects plasma dynamics, as a new direction in applied analysis.
Paul Cassak
Clemson University, SC·Physics
Measure how energy conversion in non-equilibrium plasmas depends on ambient plasma conditions, using a series of two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of magnetic reconnection and turbulence.
The school
Lawrence University: 1 labs on PI Pages.
Reach out
A start for your email. Fill in the brackets.