MagNetUS Newsletter #6

OCTOBER 2026

Welcome to the seventh issue of the MagNetUS Newsletter!

The 2026 MagNetUS Annual Meeting at UC San Diego has now come to a close, bringing together members of our community for a week of exciting science, lively discussions, and new connections. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the meeting and helped make it a success. We hope those who attended enjoyed the opportunity to share their work, exchange ideas, and connect with colleagues from across the MagNetUS community.

The annual meeting also marked an important transition for MagNetUS. We are pleased to welcome Garima Joshi as the new Chair of the MagNetUS Executive Committee. We look forward to working with Garima as she begins her term and thank Dmitri Orlov for his leadership and service to MagNetUS over the past year.

This issue also marks a transition for the newsletter. Oak Nelson, Chair of the Outreach & Education Working Group, is now helping lead the newsletter effort. We look forward to continuing to use the newsletter as a way to highlight the research, facilities, people, and activities that make the MagNetUS community so vibrant. If you have research highlights, community news, announcements, or other material you would like to share in a future issue, please send it to Garima Joshi and Oak Nelson.

In this issue, we feature [briefly describe the main articles and highlights of this issue]. Together, these contributions showcase the breadth of research and activity across the MagNetUS community and highlight the work being done by researchers at different stages of their careers.

Thank you for being part of the MagNetUS community. We look forward to continuing to share your work and stories in the issues ahead.

Garima Joshi and Oak Nelson

MagNetUS

Measurement of the Alfvén Wave Parametric Decay Instability Growth Rate

Alfvén waves are everywhere in magnetized plasmas, from the solar corona to the solar wind to fusion devices. When these waves grow large, theory predicts they can become unstable through a process called the parametric decay instability (PDI). In PDI, a large "pump" Alfvén wave decays into a backward-propagating Alfvén wave and an ion acoustic (sound) wave. This nonlinear process is thought to play a key role in heating the solar corona and shaping solar wind turbulence. Yet for decades, the most basic quantity, how fast the instability grows, had never been measured in the laboratory. 

In a new Physical Review Letters paper, Seth Dorfman (Space Science Institute and UCLA) and collaborators report the first measurement of the Alfvén wave PDI growth rate. The team used the Large Plasma Device (LAPD) at UCLA's Basic Plasma Science Facility. The figure shows the experimental setup. From one end of the 18-meter plasma column they launched a high-amplitude pump Alfvén wave (δB/B₀ ~ 0.7%). From the opposite end, they sent a smaller "seed" Alfvén wave.   When the pump wave was present, the natural damping of the seed wave was reduced, revealing energy transfer from the pump to the seed wave and allowing the instability's growth rate to be measured for the first time.  The measurements agree well with theoretical predictions that account for acoustic mode damping.  This result therefore represents a powerful new benchmark for models of space plasmas, enhancing efforts to understand and interpret space weather disturbances.  More broadly, the new results also suggest a novel way of studying similar energy transfer phenomena in physics fields ranging from fusion energy to optics.

Fig: Experimental setup in the Large Plasma Device. (a) Antenna launch a large-amplitude pump wave from z=0 and a small-amplitude seed wave from z=8.95  m; the seed is matched to the expected PDI backward wave. Probes placed in the plasma detect changes in the amplitude of the seed wave in the presence of the pump. (b) Amplitude of the 173 kHz pump and 162.25 kHz seed at the center of the antenna pattern in the transverse x−y plane as a function of axial location z. Solid curves represent cases with only a single wave on, while dashed curves represent cases with both waves on. (c) Blowup of the seed wave amplitude profile to show a clear reduction in damping with the pump present. 

The counter-propagating seed-wave technique was also tested in simulations by team members Feiyu Li and Xiangrong Fu (New Mexico Consortium). The result is a strong example of theory, simulation, and experiment working together over several years. It also shows how MagNetUS facilities let researchers test space-physics ideas under controlled, repeatable conditions that spacecraft observations alone cannot provide. The team has made the replication data openly available through UCLA Dataverse. S. Dorfman, F. Li, X. Fu, S. Vincena, P. Pribyl, and T. A. Carter, "Measurement of the Alfvén Wave Parametric Decay Instability Growth Rate," Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 135201 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1103/qc7s-scbk.

This work was supported by the DOE (Grants No. DE-SC0023893 and No. DE-SC0025443) and NASA (Grant No. 80NSSC23K0695) and performed at the UCLA Basic Plasma Science Facility, which is supported by the DOE and NSF.

Research: 99% Boring, 1% Exciting

In this interview, we hear from Jia Han, a researcher at the Basic Plasma Science Facility (BaPSF) at UCLA, which is a US national collaborative research facility for fundamental plasma physics, supported by the US Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. Her perspectives on the realities of research offer a candid look at life in the lab. From navigating uncertainty and failed experiments to collaborating with others and celebrating those rare days when everything works, Jia shares what they wish she had understood earlier about how research really works.

“What is something you wish you had understood earlier about how research actually works?” For Jia, the answer is perhaps less glamorous than many might expect: “Research is 99% times boring with 1% of excitement.” That small percentage of excitement, however, is what makes the process worthwhile. Research means exploring unknown territory, and feeling lost or puzzled along the way is not only common but inevitable. Particularly in experimental research, there is another challenge: resources. Experiments require significant time, funding, equipment, and other forms of support, and competition for those resources can be intense. In fact, Jia notes that researchers may experience more failure while trying to secure the resources they need than during the research itself.

Research is also rarely a solo endeavor. As collaboration and teamwork have become increasingly central to modern research, interpersonal skills are essential. For Jia, navigating these realities requires a particular mindset, one grounded in acceptance and adaptation. Negative results and uncertainty are guaranteed parts of day-to-day research, rather than exceptions to the rule. Instead of fighting that reality, Jia embraces it as part of the process and remains genuinely excited about what might happen next. She says, “What helps me most is a mindset centered on acceptance and adaptation. In day-to-day research, negative results and uncertainty are guaranteed. Instead of fighting that reality, I accept it as part of the process and stay genuinely excited about what might happen next. I don't let temporary failure demotivate me; I adapt, stay objective, and keep working toward a solution.” This is a lesson every scientist can take hope: Temporary failures do not have to be demotivating; they can simply be signals to adapt, remain objective, and keep working toward a solution.

So, what does a “good day in the lab” look like? Jia’s answer captures the rare magic of experimental research with a touch of humor: “Everything works somehow and nothing fails until it's time to go home!” After all the uncertainty, troubleshooting, failed experiments, and resource challenges, sometimes the best research day is simply the one where everything works.

NSF Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Opportunities

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) continues to seek qualified scientists, engineers, and other STEM professionals interested in serving at NSF through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Mobility Program. These opportunities allow faculty members, researchers, and other eligible professionals to contribute to the development and administration of national research programs while gaining experience in research management, merit review, and science policy.

Several NSF directorates are currently seeking candidates, including:

• Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS): https://www.nsf.gov/careers/openings/mps/mps-2026-120783

• Geosciences (GEO): https://www.nsf.gov/careers/openings/geo/geo-2026-120752

• Engineering (ENG): https://www.nsf.gov/careers/openings/eng/eng-2026-120754

NSF Plasma Physics Program

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released its new NSF 26-523 MPS Physics Research Programs solicitation, which includes the Plasma Physics program. The program supports foundational research in plasma physics, including magnetized plasmas in laboratory, space, and astrophysical environments, as well as high-energy-density, low-temperature, strongly coupled, non-neutral, and intense field–matter interaction plasmas. NSF supports experimental, theoretical, and computational research, including the development and use of AI and machine learning approaches in plasma physics. The FY2027 target date for Plasma Physics proposals is November 16, 2026.

• NSF Plasma Physics: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/plasma-physics

ECLIPSE: ECosystem for Leading Innovation in Plasma Science and Engineering

NSF's ECLIPSE program supports translational research and workforce development at the interface of fundamental plasma science and technological innovation. The program brings together researchers across disciplines including plasma physics, plasma chemistry, materials science, and space science, with the goal of applying foundational plasma research to important societal and technological challenges. ECLIPSE is a cross-directorate NSF program, with participating programs spanning Engineering, Geosciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, STEM Education, and Integrative Activities. Researchers interested in submitting to ECLIPSE should consult the relevant participating program regarding submission requirements and target dates.

• NSF ECLIPSE: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/eclipse-ecosystem-leading-innovation-plasma-science-engineering

This August (3–6), the MagNetUS community gathered in San Diego for our 6th annual meeting. More than 40 participants joined for a program of talks and posters spanning basic plasma physics, advanced diagnostics, simulation, and machine learning. Attendees also had the chance to tour the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, and the CHIMERAS satellite workshop brought together both in-person and remote participants for focused discussion.

We were especially glad to welcome so many new students and early-career researchers to our growing network. Thank you to our local organizers, program committee, and everyone who presented and took part. The full program and presentations are available here.

Coming up: Keep an eye out for the 2027 Joint Call for Runtime Proposals, which is expected to open earlier than usual this year. The call supports collaborative research across participating user facilities. For reference, details from the previous call are available at callforruntimeproposals.org.

Thanks for being part of the MagNetUS community!

Columbia University Tokamak for Education (CUTE)

(PIs: Carlos Paz-Soldan, Associate Professor, and Christopher Hansen, Research Scientist, Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University)

The Columbia University Tokamak for Education (CUTE) is a flexible, low-aspect-ratio tokamak currently being refurbished at the Columbia Plasma Physics Laboratory in New York City. The device was formerly the HIT-II experiment at the University of Washington and was brought to Columbia by Dr. Hansen. At Columbia, it is being reborn as an education-focused platform for developing and testing hands-on engagement through sub-scale fusion devices, with the broader goal of making tokamak experiments accessible to students, researchers, and companies well beyond the Columbia campus.

CUTE is located in the Columbia Fusion Research Center. Its modest footprint of approximately 6′ × 10′ makes it well suited for educational interaction and training, and the experimental hall is equipped with a large overhead crane for easy and repeatable maintenance. The device is driven by medium-voltage (~900 V) capacitor banks and programmable arrays of Switching Power Amplifiers (SPAs), which together enable independent control of each of the machine’s 28 equilibrium and transformer coils as well as the toroidal field coil. An extensive magnetic diagnostic set, including more than 56 flux loops and more than 74 Mirnov probes, supports detailed reconstruction of the plasma equilibrium and its evolution.

This combination of coil flexibility and dense magnetic diagnostics makes CUTE an ideal platform for exploring the design of operating scenarios for magnetic-confinement fusion power plants, along with the associated engineering and operational considerations. The project is part of Columbia’s plasma control and scenario development research program and together with the Open FUSION Toolkit, which is led by Columbia, will provide a connected and open-source hardware and software platform for equilibrium control and pulse design. It also addresses a practical need in the growing fusion industry: companies pursuing streamlined, purpose-built power plant designs often want to know how few field coils they can get away with, or what the simplest workable configuration looks like, questions that are difficult to test without building a dedicated device. A flexible, well-diagnosed tokamak like CUTE offers a way to explore such concepts experimentally during the early design stage.

A central technical goal of the refurbishment is remote operation. Because each of CUTE’s coils supports its own programmed current waveform during a discharge, the team is developing a modular, digital control system, an effort being led in part by undergraduate researchers. Once operational, CUTE is planned to support remote operation by off-site users with minimal on-site support staff, extending access to tokamak experiments beyond the New York area.

CUTE joins a diverse set of experiments at the Columbia Plasma Physics Laboratory, including the HBT-EP tokamak, the Columbia Stellarator eXperiment (CSX), and the Pellets at Columbia (PAC) experiment. Like these devices, CUTE draws heavily on the lab’s culture of mentorship and student-driven research, in which undergraduate and graduate students work hands-on alongside faculty and staff. Already the refurbishment effort has provided valuable hands-on experience in fusion-relevant engineering skills to over a dozen undergraduates – both from Columbia and externally through the center’s REU site. With its emphasis on accessibility, flexibility, and training, CUTE is positioned to become a valuable resource for fusion workforce development and for the broader plasma science community.

(left) The CUTE tokamak during test fit of new TF return legs in spring 2026.  
(right) Cross-section of the CUTE tokamak. Images courtesy of the Columbia Fusion Research Center.

Additional information on CUTE can be found at: https://fusion.columbia.edu/facilities/cute-tokamak.

[1] I. Franco, “Harnessing the Sun at the Columbia Plasma Physics Lab,” Columbia Daily Spectator, The Eye, March 27, 2025. https://www.columbiaspectator.com/the-eye/2025/03/27/harnessing-the-sun-at-the-columbia-plasma-physics-lab/

[2] CUTE project entry, Fusion Energy Base. https://www.fusionenergybase.com/projects/cute

[3] T. Jarboe et al., Nuclear Fusion 41, 679 (2001)

We’re always eager to highlight news, accomplishments, and perspectives from across the MagNetUS community in each issue of the newsletter. If you have any of the following, we encourage you to share them with us:

• Recent publications, preprints, or notable research results

• Student awards, fellowships, or professional recognitions

• Open job postings, internships, graduate positions, or postdoctoral opportunities

• Upcoming events, deadlines, workshops, or community initiatives

In addition, we welcome short opinion or perspective pieces on topics of interest to the MagNetUS community, including (but not limited to) workforce development, science funding, education and training, and the role of fundamental plasma science in advancing plasma technologies and applications.

Please send submissions or inquiries to gjoshi@magnetus.net. Your contributions help keep the MagNetUS community connected, informed, and engaged, and help showcase the breadth of work and ideas across our network.

• MagNetUS Website https://magnetus.net

• MagNetUS 2025 Annual Meeting (UCSD) https://sites.google.com/magnetus.net/2026-magnetus-workshop/

• Joint Call for Runtime Proposals (2026 site) http://callforruntimeproposals.org

• MagNetUS YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@MagNetUSplasma 

• MPRL https://mprl.auburn.edu/

• APS DPP CPP https://sites.google.com/pppl.gov/dpp-cpp

• FESAC Long-Range Plan (2021) https://science.osti.gov/-/media/fes/fesac/pdf/2020/202012/FESAC_Report_2020_Powering_the_Future.pdf

• NASEM report https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/a-decadal-assessment-of-plasma-science

• DOE Basic Research Needs report https://www.pppl.gov/basic-research-needs