Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011 - (Page 17)

would be water. The hydrogen in the world’s oceans could provide enough power for the entire human race for over 3 billion years, making fusion essentially a limitless energy supply. Since the waste is helium, a fusion power plant would emit no greenhouse gases or pollution. And since fusion occurs only under extreme conditions, any runaway reaction would cool the plasma and shut itself down, making fusion safe. For these reasons, fusion energy has long been the holy grail of physics. These same reasons got me interested in fusion back in high school and keep me motivated in my research today. I use the world’s largest supercomputers to do detailed computer simulations of plasmas in fusion experiments. In particular, I study how plasma turbulence affects the experiments’ performance. Essentially, turbulence is bad because it can throw hot plasma out of the reactor very quickly, giving it a chance to cool. The longer we keep the plasma hot, the more fusion reactions occur, and the more energy we get out of the reactor. By controlling turbulence, we can make a more efficient, economical fusion reactor. Experiments are being designed right now in France and California that aim to achieve energy gain from nuclear fusion for the first time in a laboratory. We’ve a long way to go before we can make a power plant, but getting more energy out of the plasma than we put in is a huge step. Fusion power will likely happen in my lifetime, and I’m excited to be in the middle of it, working on the cutting edge of science, trying to bring star power to Earth. Luc Peterson earned his bachelor’s degree in Physics and Science, Technology & Society from Vassar College, and is completing his PhD in Plasma Physics at Princeton University. Outside the lab, Luc enjoys running, playing softball, and cooking. SQUiSHY PHYSiCS by emily rUssell Soft matter is a broad field of science that sits at the crossroads of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and materials science. Soft matter, or “squishy physics” as we often call it informally, deals with systems in which forces and interactions on a molecular or microscopic scale give rise to more complex phenomena on a macroscopic, observable scale. We typically study systems no larger than you can hold in your hand and no smaller than you can see with an optical microscope. In my current project, I study the behavior of small plastic particles suspended in a liquid. The particles have an electric charge; some are positive and some are negative, and the oppositely charged particles attract and stick together. When enough of these particles stick together, they can form a large, loose network, which turns my liquid sample into a solid. This is an example of a gel. What I’ve just described is very similar to something you might have in your refrigerator: yogurt! To make plain yogurt, you take milk and add cultures of bacteria, which turn the milk from a liquid into a soft www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine imagine 17 http://www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011
Contents
Big Picture
In My Own Words
Physics Is…
Making the Team
Nuclear by Nature
Physics: The Next Generation
Telescopic Views
Exploring the Mysterious Lives of Stars
Around the Universe in Three Weeks
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Book Buddies
Meeting the (Economics) Challenge
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011