Vol. 10, No. 1 • WINTER 2006

First Two NCSX Modular Coil Winding Forms Arrive

PPPL Provides Small Plasma Lab to Goshen College

Asmall plasma lab from PPPL recently became operational as a teaching tool for undergraduate students 

at Goshen College in Indiana. The tabletop lab is the first 

PPPL has created specifically for use by undergraduates 

outside of the Laboratory.

Prompted by a conversation between Goshen physics 

professor Carl Helrich and PPPL physicist Stewart Zweben, Laboratory staff designed and built the experimental 

device. In 2004, Helrich was at PPPL for a week when 

Zweben took him on a tour of the experimental facilities. 

Along the way, they stopped by Sam Cohen’s Grad Lab, 

where they saw a small plasma lab. Zweben wondered if 

Goshen might like a similar lab. Helrich said the college 

indeed would be interested in getting help establishing an 

undergraduate research experiment in plasma physics.

Surrounding the tabletop plasma lab (from left) are Goshen 

College Professor Carl Helrich and PPPL’s Stewart Zweben, Lane 

Roquemore, and Mike DiMattia. Zweben designed the experiment, 

DiMattia built it, and Roquemore helped locate equipment and 

Continued on page 3 diagnostics.

By Patti Wieser

Two of the 18 modular coil winding forms for the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) at PPPL have arrived since 

October. Manufactured by Energy Industries of Ohio, the first 

three-ton coil was wound and the second is ready for winding 

at PPPL’s modular coil manufacturing facility. NCSX, a fusion 

experiment being constructed at PPPL in partnership with Oak 

Ridge National Laboratory, is scheduled to begin operation in 

2009. Above, staff uncrate the first winding form and at right 

Doug Voorhees works on the coil. Modular coils provide uniquely 

shaped magnetic fields key to stellarators.
PPPL NEWS • Winter 2006 Page 2

The PPPL NEWS is issued by the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, a research facility supported by the United 

States Department of Energy and managed by Princeton University. Correspondence and requests to reprint material 

should be directed to: Information Services, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, P.O. Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08543; 

telephone 609-243-2750; fax 609-243-2751; e-mail pppl_info@pppl.gov .

 PPPL NEWS

Information Services Head: Anthony R. DeMeo

Editor/Writer: Patti Wieser

Photographer: Elle Starkman

Layout and Graphics: Gregory J. Czechowicz 

and Patti Wieser

Whether his gaze is tilted toward the heavens or at a computer screen, the focus has always been plasma 

for PPPL scientist Don Monticello. Plasma is the fourth 

state of matter — a hot, gaseous, electrically charged state 

that makes up the sun and the stars, and is used as the 

fuel to produce fusion energy. At PPPL, physicists use a 

magnetic field to confine plasma.

Monticello is a theoretical physicist whose research 

leads to advances in understanding the behavior of plasma 

and how fusion devices operate. His pioneering work 

focuses on modeling plasma disruptions and three-dimensional computational simulations of laboratory plasmas. 

Presently, his primary responsibility is calculating equilibria — various modes of stable plasma performance — for 

the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX), an 

experimental fusion device being constructed at PPPL. 

He is part of a team that has developed a computer code 

capable of calculating the shape a three-dimensional 

plasma would take in fusion devices called stellarators. 

This was a key tool in the design of NCSX.

Don joined the Laboratory’s Theory Group in 1975 

after receiving a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Rochester and spending two 

years at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, 

N.J. At the Institute, Monticello and coworkers involved 

in computational science were among the first to do 

large-scale computations involving the motion of electromagnetic waves along the magnetic field lines in a 

plasma. At PPPL, he continued this work, developing a 

set of reduced equations that allowed one to simulate the 

evolution of the plasma in fusion devices on computers, 

which previously had not been feasible.

“Understanding the behavior of the plasma in fusion 

devices is essential in the successful design and operation of fusion devices,” says Monticello, whose work has 

significantly contributed to this understanding.

The father of five and grandfather of six, who devotes 

his outside time to family, fitness, sports, and astronomy, 

freely shares his enthusiasm for fusion and plasma science research— as well as astronomy — with the public 

through talks for various groups. “It is really rewarding 

to work in fusion because the potential benefits to society 

are enormous,” says Monticello. “Astronomy also is a 

very exciting area. It leads to our understanding of our 

origins and the origins of the universe.”

Monticello is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a recipient of the 2001 UT-Battelle Award for 

Scientific Research by a Team for research on the physics 

of plasma confinement in three-dimensional systems. l

PPPL's Monticello Focuses on “Fourth State”
Page 3 PPPL NEWS • Winter 2006

Helrich was talking to the right person. Zweben is Head 

of PPPL’s Off-site University Research Support Program, 

which is supported by the Department of Energy through 

Darlene Markevich, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, 

and has a mission to reach out to small colleges. “The idea 

is for PPPL to act as a resource,” said Zweben. Being a 

resource means offering staff time and expertise to work 

with university colleagues, for example, to help design 

and build experiments and their components.

Idea to Do a Small Clone

“I had an idea to do a small clone of Sam’s lab and 

adapt it for undergraduate students at Goshen. I thought 

we could assemble a plasma source from spare parts 

around the Lab,” said Zweben. He pitched the project to 

the higher ups and then to Markevich. PPPL management, 

including Director Rob Goldston, Deputy Director Rich 

Hawryluk, and Plasma Science and Technology Head Phil 

Efthimion, joined Markevich in supporting the pursuit. 

With the go-ahead, Zweben began working with PPPL 

technician Mike DiMattia.

“Mike took my idea for the lab and built it from scratch 

using old but serviceable equipment and spare parts from 

the Laboratory. Much of the surplus was from the 1970s 

and 1980s, yet everything worked,” said Zweben. “Mike 

worked half time on the plasma lab from January to June 

and did a really excellent job. He designed the vacuum and 

gas delivery systems for it, and showed a lot of creativity 

and initiative in the project.”

When DiMattia was finished with construction, Zweben tested the device and wrote a manual on physics and 

safety issues that is used by Goshen to operate the plasma 

lab. “Experiments that can be done range from basic 

— how to create a plasma — to complicated — looking 

at waves, instabilities, and the effect of magnetic fields 

on plasmas,” said Zweben.

The lab is designed to give students some hands-on 

experience in experimental physics and to teach them 

some plasma physics, specifically giving them experience 

with vacuum systems, basic electrical measurements, optical measurements and spectroscopy, plasma diagnostic 

techniques, and data analysis. It also allows for creativity 

and the design of new experiments.

The lab uses helium and neon gases for plasmas and 

consists of two glass plasma-filled tubes, one at the left 

of the workbench or tabletop, which is X1, and a second 

larger one at the right, which is X2. Both X1 and X2 use 

the same vacuum system, gas delivery system, and highvoltage power supply, so experiments may not be done 

using both at the same time. X1 is for the simpler experiments and X2 is for the more advanced experiments.

The small lab received a complete safety analysis at 

PPPL, and Helrich returned to PPPL to see how it operated and to review its manual before it went to Goshen. 

“I am first very grateful to Stewart Zweben who had this 

idea during my visit to PPPL in August of 2004,” said 

Helrich. “The hospitality shown me by PPPL also made 

working through the experiments a pleasure. Specifically, 

I am grateful to Mike DiMattia, who helped with details 

of the apparatus, and to Sam Cohen, who made me feel 

like a true colleague.”

Through a Department of Energy agreement, PPPL 

loaned the experiment to Goshen for an initial one-year 

period, which may be renewed annually. As the plasma 

science program at Goshen develops, the experiment may 

be transferred to Goshen under DOE’s Energy Research 

and Laboratory Equipment grant program. The experiment began operating at Goshen in September 2005.

“It was fun for me,” said Zweben. “Plus, I could 

play with plasmas that I could actually see with my own 

eyes.”l

Goshen

Continued from page 1

Photo by David Zweben

Above is a neon plasma in the plasma lab for Goshen College.
PPPL NEWS • Winter 2006 Page 4

Director Goldston Delivers State-of-the-Lab Talk

PPPL Director Rob Goldston presents his State-of-the-Lab address 

to a full house in the MBG Auditorium on November 22. He shows 

the audience a sextant while comparing fusion research with solving the problem of longitude at sea. The sextant is used for finding 

latitude. 

On November 22, PPPL Director Rob Goldston delivered his annual State-of-the-Lab talk, this year titled, 

“What is Fusion Research Like?” Addressing a full house 

in the MBG Auditorium, Goldston summarized the answer 

by saying, “Fusion research is long term, scientifically 

challenging, and critical to the nation and the world.”

As in previous years, this talk was marked by a nautical theme. Goldston noted that budget issues and the 

challenges of explaining fusion are similar to those faced 

by 18th century scientists trying to determine longitude 

at sea.

Goldston also discussed the Lab’s accomplishments 

during the past year and plans, the importance of doing 

all operations safely, noted new employees and promotions, and congratulated staff on awards received during 

the past year. “Teamwork is how we succeed,” he said.

Prior to the talk, the Director hosted a breakfast for 

all staff in the LSB Lobby. Following it, he presented the 

Kaul Prize for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research 

and Technology Development to PPPL physicist Taik Soo 

Hahm and the PPPL Distinguished Engineering Award 

to PPPL engineer Wayne Reiersen (See page 6). l

The staff enjoy Goldston’s talk.

PPPL Celebrates America Recycles Day

The Laboratory celebrated America Recycles Day on November 15 with a lunchtime information event in 

the Lobby. Organized by PPPL’s Margaret Kevin-King and 

Thomas McGeachen, it included displays and promotional 

items from the Federal Energy Management Program, 

Marcal, the Mercer County Improvement Authority, the 

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 

and PPPL. 

“We had a good turnout — about 10 percent of the 

Lab’s staff stopped by for information about recycling and 

buying recycled products,” said McGeachen. This was 

the eighth consecutive year the Lab marked the day.

The PPPL display included information about the 

Laboratory’s recycling program and its efforts to buy 

recycled products. Kevin-King said, “In Fiscal Year 2005, 

the office trash recycling rate at PPPL was 53 percent, 

which is 2 percent more than it was the year before. The 

construction trash recycling rate was only 12 percent, so 

we have to improve in this area.” She added, “Thanks to 

all PPPL staff for their continual support and efforts in 

recyling and buying recycled content products!” l

PPPL’ers stop by the Lab’s recycling display during the America 

Recycles Day event in the LSB Lobby.
Page 5 PPPL NEWS • Winter 2006

Science on Saturday — Twenty Two Years and Going Strong

Operations on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor were 

in full swing and the Princeton 

Beta Experiment — after being 

converted from the Princeton 

Divertor Experiment — was creating kidney-shaped plasmas for 

one second. And for the first time, 

a group of high school students 

came to hear science lectures 

through a new program called 

Science on Saturday.

The year was 1984 and the 

place was PPPL. By 1989, the 

Science-on-Saturday program 

drew more than 100 high school 

students, parents, teachers, and 

area residents to hear talks that 

focused on fusion, lasers, space 

studies, fiber optics, and immunology. The program, initiated by 

former PPPL’ers Fred Dylla and 

Dennis Manos, was part of the 

Lab’s educational outreach. As 

Dylla stated in a 1990 letter, “The 

intent of the program is to bring 

together students and scientists 

from Princeton University and 

New Jersey corporate research 

laboratories for lectures and 

discussions on recent developments in science and technology 

...We hope this program will 

generate enthusiasm for science 

and, perhaps, motivate interested 

students toward pursuing science 

careers.”

Fast forward to the present.

A collage with a sampling of photos from Science-on-Saturday talks, including PPPL physicist 

and Nobel Laureate Russell Hulse (far left, second row), PPPL’s David Cylinder (far right, third 

row), and U.S. Congressman Rush Holt (middle, fourth row).

The goal is still the same, and now the wintertime Saturday morning lecture series draws an average of more than 

300 people of all ages to hear about topics that range from evolution to fusion and from forensics to microbiology. 

This year’s series kicked off on January 14 and will conclude on March 11 (see link to listing of talks on the web at 

www.pppl.gov).

PPPL engineer Ronald Hatcher, co-organizer of the series, said, “Our challenge is to present a program that is 

timely in terms of research topics, varied, and accessible to a primarily lay audience. It is encouraging to see how well 

the lectures are received by the community, and that with each year the popularity of Science on Saturday continues 

to grow.”

Co-organizer James Morgan, involved with the program for the past eight years, said, “Almost every lecture draws 

an overflow capacity crowd. Our team begins working on getting speakers months before the series begins, always 

with an eye for a balance of interesting, current, and sometimes provocative science-based talks. It is so rewarding 

to see how much everyone who attends — students and seniors alike — get out of the lectures.” l
PPPL NEWS • Winter 2006 Page 6

PPPL’s Nathaniel Fisch has been named the 

2005 recipient of the American Physical Society’s 

James Clerk Maxwell Prize 

for Plasma Physics. The 

prize recognizes Fisch for 

his outstanding contributions to the field of plasma 

physics. It was given at the 

APS-Division of Plasma 

Physics annual meeting in 

Denver in October. Fisch 

PPPL physicist Taik Soo Hahm received the Kaul 

Prize for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research and 

Technology Development. 

Hahm was cited for his 

analysis of plasma simulations and measurements 

in fusion energy research. 

Plasma is a hot, gaseous 

state of matter used as the 

fuel to produce fusion energy 

— the power source of the 

sun and the stars. Princeton 

Wayne Reiersen, an engineer at PPPL, received 

the PPPL Distinguished Engineering Fellow Award in 

November. The Lab honored 

Reiersen for his technical 

and leadership contributions 

to many machine design 

studies and most notably the 

National Compact Stellarator 

Experiment (NCSX). NCSX 

is a fusion experiment being 

built at PPPL. l

University awards the Kaul Prize to recognize a recent 

outstanding technical achievement in plasma physics or 

technology development by a full-time, regular employee 

of PPPL. l

PPPL Researchers Receive Accolades

was cited “For theoretical development of efficient radio frequency-driven current in plasmas and for greatly 

expanding our ability to understand, to analyze, and to 

utilize wave-plasma interactions.” He was honored for 

his work in predicting new ways to drive electric current 

in hot, magnetized plasma by means of electromagnetic 

waves, and for his larger innovations in techniques to 

use radio frequency waves to interact with particles in 

plasmas. The wave-induced currents predicted by Fisch 

can enable fusion reactors, called tokamaks, to operate 

continuously, which is necessary for an economical and 

practical fusion reactor. 

Fisch is Professor of Astrophysical Sciences and 

Director of the Program in Plasma Physics at Princeton 

University. He also is an Associated Faculty in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. At 

PPPL, he is the Associate Director for Academic Affairs 

and the Head of the Laboratory’s Hall Thruster Experiment. l

Bill Tang, PPPL Chief Scientist, recently received the Chinese Institute of Engineers-USA (CIE-USA) 

Distinguished Achievement Award. 

The Institute honored Tang “for his outstanding leadership in fusion research 

and contribution to fundamentals of 

plasma science.” He received the award 

at the 2005 CIE Convention in October in Newark.

Tang also is the Associate Director for the Princeton 

Institute for Computational Science and Engineering. The 

Institute was recently established at Princeton University 

to stimulate progress in innovative computational science 

via interdisciplinary alliances involving computer science, 

applied mathematics, and prominent applications areas 

in the physical sciences and engineering disciplines. l

PPPL’s John Krommes was among four Princeton faculty members named as recipients of Graduate 

Mentoring Awards by the McGraw Center for Teaching and 

Learning. They were honored during the Graduate School’s 

hooding ceremony in May. The McGraw Center, together 

with the Graduate School, 

instituted the award in 2002 

to recognize Princeton faculty 

members whose work with 

graduate students is particularly 

outstanding. It is intended to 

honor faculty members who 

nurture the intellectual, professional and personal growth of 

their graduate students. l
Page 7 PPPL NEWS • Winter 2006

PPPL physicist Hong Qin received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers at a 

ceremony in Washington, D.C., June 13. Qin was among 

58 researchers supported by eight federal departments and 

agencies who received the award. The Presidential award 

is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on 

outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning 

their independent careers.

Each Presidential award winner received a citation, a 

plaque, and a commitment for continued funding of their 

work from their agency for five years. John H. Marburger 

III, Science Advisor to the President and Director of the 

Office of Science and Technology Policy, presented the 

awards.

Qin also received the DOE’s Office of Science Early 

Career Scientist and Engineer Award at a separate ceremony June 13 at DOE Headquarters.

Both the Presidential and DOE awards cite Qin for 

his contributions to the physics of high-intensity particle 

beams, with application to ion-beam fusion energy, and 

for his work on electromagnetic effects in magnetically 

confined plasmas, with application to magnetic fusion 

energy. l

Hong Qin (left) and DOE Office of Science Director Ray Orbach during 

the DOE Award ceremony on June 13.

I

n October, the American 

Physical Society’s Division 

of Plasma Physics (APSDPP) honored PPPL scientist 

Elena Belova by presenting 

her with the Katherine E. 

Weimer Award for Women in 

Plasma Physics. The Weimer 

Award recognizes Belova for 

her outstanding achievement 

in plasma science research, 

citing her for pioneering analytical and numerical contributions to the fundamental physics of magnetically 

confined plasmas. The award is given to recognize and 

encourage outstanding achievement in plasma science 

research by a woman physicist in the early years of her 

career. Weimer (1919-2000) was a pioneering woman 

physicist at PPPL. l

The American Physical Society’s Division of 

Plasma Physics (APS-DPP) 

named PPPL physicist Cynthia Phillips an APS Fellow 

in October. Phillips received 

the lifetime appointment in 

recognition of “her theoretical and experimental 

contributions to the understanding of radio frequency 

wave-particle interactions in fusion plasmas.” In fusion 

experiments, radio waves are used to heat and drive 

current in the plasma. Researchers choose waves with 

characteristics for interacting with the ions or electrons 

in the plasma that cause the ions or electrons to move 

faster and thereby raise the temperature. l

Dale Meade, who recently retired from PPPL, has 

been named a recipient of 

the Fusion Power Associates 

(FPA) 2005 Distinguished 

Career Award. The FPA announced the honorees in July. 

In selecting Meade, the FPA 

Board recognizes his decades 

of “outstanding contributions 

to the fusion effort, including 

but not limited to his roles in 

leading the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) and Next 

Step Options programs and his inspirational guidance in 

the search for an affordable path to fusion power.” l

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Laboratories house world-class facilities where more than 30,000 

scientists and engineers perform cutting-edge research 

spanning DOE’s science, energy, national security, and 

environmental quality missions. Interested in the latest 

achievements of the National Laboratories? Then visit the 

DOE Pulse at: http://www.ornl.gov/news/pulse/.
Page 8 PPPL NEWS • Winter 2006

PPPL Receives Funds for Mathematics Research

PPPL’s Wei-li Lee, along with Mark Adams of 

Columbia University, has 

been awarded $1.7 million over three years for 

plasma particle simulation 

research. The research 

award is funded by the 

Department of Energy 

(DOE) Office of Science’s 

Multiscale Mathematics 

Program, which addresses 

science problems that span Wei-li Lee

many time scales — from femtoseconds* to years — and 

many length scales — from the atomic level to the macroscopic. The problems cannot be easily broken down 

into simpler problems for solutions using traditional 

mathematical techniques.

“Science is replete with examples that range over 

orders of magnitude in length and time scales,” said 

Raymond L. Orbach, Director of the Office of Science. 

“Brute force computational simulation, even on the most 

powerful present-day computers, cannot handle these 

ranges, so new mathematics is needed. This initiative is 

meant to surmount this barrier to our understanding of 

nature.”

Lee and Adams, joined by PPPL’s Stephan Ethier, 

Hong Qin, and Ed Startsev, will develop numerical algorithms** and computer codes that describe the complex 

behavior of magnetized plasmas. These cover a range of 

time and spatial scales and will be used to solve equations 

relating to ion cyclotron waves and various modes of 

plasma behavior that affect plasma stability and confinement. Ion cyclotron waves are used to heat plasma.

Wide Applications

The codes developed by the team will have wide applications in fusion and space physics, as well as astrophysics, 

and will provide training for graduate students and post 

docs who are interested in computational plasma physics. The new project will sponsor a short summer school 

in collaboration with the interdepartmental Program in 

Integrative Information, Computer and Application Sciences (PICASso) of Princeton University, for the students 

and young researchers from the U.S. and abroad.

In DOE’s Multiscale Mathematics Program, 13 major 

research awards totaling $20 million will go to 17 universities and eight national laboratories. The program will 

fund more than 100 researchers who will use higher-level 

mathematics to help solve problems in energy production, 

pollution cleanup, manufacturing ever smaller computer 

chips, and making new nanomaterials. l

* A femtosecond is one millionth of a nanosecond.

** An algorithm is a procedure or formula for solving a 

problem.

Department of Energy Honors Meade and Schmidt

During a joint retirement party for PPPL scientists Dale Meade and John Schmidt in July, N. Anne Davies, Associate Director for Fusion Energy Sciences at the DOE Office of Science, presented Meade (left) and Schmidt with DOE Distinguished Associate Awards signed by Energy 

Secretary Samuel Bodman.