This is the goal of fusion energy research. Auburn Plasma research at Auburn University is an active and vibrant field. Our research interests can be loosely classified into the three major groups listed below. However, there is significant overlap and interaction between the groups. Space Plasma Physics Space plasma physics is concerned with plasma phenomena in outer space.
Ongoing research includes satellite measurements, theoretical studies and laboratory simulations.
Basic Plasma Physics Basic plasma physics research focuses on fundamental process that occur in plasma - such as wave propagation, particle and energy transport, and plasma instabilities. Ongoing experiments at the Space Plasma Laboratory and the Plasma Sciences Laboratory . Fusion Energy Research Fusion is a process that combines the atomic nuclei of light elements, like the isotopes of hydrogen, to form heavier elements. It is the same process by which the sun creates energy. Auburn faculty and students are actively engaged in experimental, theoretical and computational fusion energy research.