Research Experiences for Undergraduates

Do an REU at the Center for KINETIC Plasma Physics

May 18 - July 24, 2026

The Center for KINETIC Plasma Physics is supporting a 10-week summer REU program allowing students to explore the exciting field of plasma physics, the study of the “fourth state of matter” making up the stars, space, and fusion reactors.

In this REU, students will work with in-house cutting-edge laboratory experiments, observations from NASA satellites, and simulation data from some of the nation’s most powerful supercomputers. Students will be associated with a specific research project, where they will work closely with their faculty research mentor and other researchers.

Selected students will receive $7,000 stipend, $500 in travel expenses, meals and lodging.

For full consideration, please submit your application by February 16, 2026.

See this flyer about the REU program.

What areas of research are included?

Research projects will focus on studies of eruptive instabilities in plasmas, the Sun, and Earth's radiation belts. Projects include in-house cutting-edge laboratory experiments, observations from NASA satellites, and simulation data from some of the nation’s most powerful supercomputers.

• Determining the impact of localized electron heating in computer simulations of the solar wind interaction with Mars. (Supervisor: Prof. Chris Fowler)

  Our Sun emits a stream of charged particles radially outward into our solar system. This flow, known as the solar wind (or more generally as a stellar wind), is usually (but not always) deflected around planets and other bodies it encounters, much like water in a stream is deflected around a rock. Space is however tenuous and so physical collisions are extremely rare: electromagnetic forces (“space plasma physics”) thus play pivotal roles in the evolution of the solar wind and its deflection about solar system bodies.
  
  This project focuses on the solar wind interaction with the planet Mars. The student will analyze output from pre-run global hybrid simulations of the Martian magnetosphere and ionosphere: these simulations are run on super computers and simulate the 3D space around the planet. The simulations include ions and electrons, which are “driven” by simulated electric and magnetic fields. The student will determine the impact of a newly added module to the simulation code, which introduces localized heating of electrons. In particular, the student will determine the impact of this heating rate on ion and electron density and temperature profiles within the planetary ionosphere.
  
  A 10 minute simulation run can generate Gbs of data. The student will write computer code in Python to ingest the simulation outputs and perform their analysis, including code to visualize their results. The student will be mentored by post-doctoral researcher Dr. Catherine Regan and Dr. Christopher Fowler. The student will frequently interact with other members of the Fowler and Plasma Physics research groups within the department, including group and individual meetings.

  

  A computer simulation of the space plasma environment at Mars, highlighting the magnetic field strength, which is a key parameter for understanding how the solar wind interacts with the planet.

• The Sun-Earth Connection (Supervisor: Prof. Katy Goodrich)

The Earth and Sun are in constant contact with one another. While the Sun constantly pushes out particles and magnetic fields from its surface, the is caught in the firing line. How the Earth reacts to this constant onslaught, often called “The Sun-Earth Connection” has been the subject of many scientific questions for decades. The biggest reaction we see from the Earth is the aurora, or the Northern Lights, at the Earth’s poles. But what happens between the Sun ejecting fields and particles and the sky lighting up in the north pole? That’s what we hope to answer in the GLIMPSE (Goodrich Looking at Magnetosphere, Plasma, Shocks, and Electric fields in space) group at WVU. With your help, we will look at measurements taken directly from the space above the Earth’s north pole to better understand how the Sun and Earth stay connected.

• Laboratory Plasma Experiments (Supervisor: Prof. Earl Scime)

Students will participate in research on the PHAse Space MApping (PHASMA) experiment. PHASMA is a new experimental plasma facility with advanced diagnostics for magnetic field, electric field, and particle measurements. The student will be assigned to work with one of the diagnostic teams for the summer and will be responsible for operating the diagnostic, performing measurements, and analyzing the results. Specific projects include microwave scattering for turbulence measurements, 3D electron velocity distribution function measurements, magnetic fluctuation measurements, design of a novel space plasma instrument, and detection of fluorescence from 2 and 3 photon pumping of ion states.

• Investigating helium ion velocity distribution functions in an electron beam assisted plasma using two-photon laser induced fluorescence (Supervisor: Dr. Jacob McLaughlin)
  Our lab has been a trailblazer in the realm of spectroscopic measurements, with a particular focus on understanding the velocity distribution functions of various species within low-temperature plasmas. While our endeavors have frequently centered around helium ions, the challenge lies in the inability of our low-temperature plasmas to excite helium ions to electronic states accessible through two-photon laser-induced fluorescence (TALIF). In our upcoming research project, our objective is to overcome this limitation by directly populating the targeted electronic state using a high-energy electron beam. As a student participant, you will assume a pivotal role in operating an electron beam source within a helium gas environment, aiming to generate sufficient helium state densities. Your primary responsibility will involve the precise measurement of helium ion velocity distribution functions through TALIF, employing a femtosecond pulsed laser source. This hands-on experiment also presents an exciting opportunity for you to contribute to the design and construction of a laser beam line, ensuring the safe delivery of ultraviolet laser radiation to the experiment. Furthermore, you will take charge of designing and implementing injection and collection optics, playing a crucial role in facilitating these TALIF measurements. Join us in this research venture, where your involvement will not only expand your scientific skill set but will also contribute significantly to our understanding of plasma dynamics and the fundamental behavior of helium ions in low-temperature plasmas.

• Investigating helium ion velocity distribution functions in an electron beam assisted plasma using two-photon laser induced fluorescence (Supervisor: Dr. Tommy Steinberger)
  Cold atmospheric-pressure plasmas (CAPs) are gaining traction for biomedical applications—from sterilization to encouraging wound healing and even adjunct cancer therapies—but they’re notoriously hard to control. This REU project asks a simple question with big impact: how can changing the shape of the driving voltage (traditional sinusoidal vs. programmable arbitrary waveforms) steer plasma behavior? The student will use active laser spectroscopy—laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and two-photon absorption LIF (TALIF)—to quantify key species and temperatures, and field diagnostics—electric-field-induced second harmonic (EFISH) and quantum beat spectroscopy (QBS)—to map time-resolved electric-field dynamics that govern stability and reactive chemistry. By varying waveform shapes, we’ll link drive parameters to measurable changes in plume stability, gas temperature, and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species concentrations—ultimately identifying strategies for more stable, tunable operation in biomedical contexts. Students will gain hands-on experience in optics and alignment, waveform generation and high-voltage safety, fast data acquisition, and analysis (lineshape fitting, time-series/FFT methods) using Python/Matlab.

• Studying Magnetic Reconnection in Simulations of Chromospheric Jets (Supervisor: Dr. Giulia Murtas)
  Magnetic reconnection is a ubiquitous process in astrophysical plasmas: it facilitates the conversion of magnetic energy stored in twisted magnetic field lines into heat and kinetic energy, forming jets and fast plasma flows and producing waves. In the solar atmosphere, magnetic reconnection is responsible for triggering dramatic eruptive events – such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. More recently, this plasma process has been associated with tiny explosive phenomena happening deeper in the solar atmosphere, in a cool, denser, partially ionized layer called the chromosphere: in this setting, reconnection is considered to be responsible for pushing ions to the external layer – the corona – where observations of elemental abundances drastically vary compared to the solar surface, a phenomenon called the FIP effect.
  The student will run and analyze 2D simulations of magnetic reconnection in chromospheric jets, and quantify the energy carried by Alfvén waves during the process to determine their impact in accelerating ions up and down the solar atmosphere: these simulations are run on super computers and will model a slice of the solar atmosphere from the surface to the solar corona. The student will code analysis routines in Python and learn how to initialize and modify science cases in Fortran90 with the (PIP) code.

What is included in the REU Program?

• Placement in a research group for your summer research project.
  
• Attendance at a science conference: Students in the REU program will be supported to attend the annual American Physical Society (APS) pision of Plasma Physics (DPP) or the annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting, where they will use these skills at a genuine scientific conference. This conference hosts thousands of plasma physicists, whose research interests are encompass the entire field.
• Seminars and informational meetings: students will be exposed to a wide variety of topics related to working in STEM fields.
• Team Building Activities: The state of West Virginia has numerous outdoor recreational opportunities (e.g., biking, hiking, rafting) within a short drive of WVU that make ideal  excursions during the program.

In collaboration with the WVU Astronomy group REU program in 2025, you will also have:

• A two-day visit and scientific tour of the Green Bank Observatory (GBO). The GBO is the world’s largest steerable radio single dish and many research projects involve Green Bank Telescope data.
• Research Poster Session: REU students will present their research at a poster session at the conclusion of the 10-week program. Students will gain an experience similar to that of an academic conference and to hone their skills discussing research with a perse audience.
• Workshops: Workshops will be provided to give guidance on professional preparation, public speaking, professional interactions, and scientific poster creation. Topics include Graduate School Roundtable, Career Building (resumes, interviewing, elevator speech), Prestigious Scholarships, and Creating an Effective Research Poster.

Who should apply?

Applications will be accepted from rising sophomores through rising seniors, as well as rising freshmen with advanced (Honors or Advanced Placement) Physics and Astronomy coursework or those involved in the First 2 network. People from underrepresented groups in physics are encouraged to apply.

There is no citizenship requirement for REU participants. Qualified applicants will:

1. Have a grade point average 2.8 or above in their STEM undergraduate coursework,
2. Be majoring in physics or astronomy undergraduate degree programs (baccalaureate or associate and part-time or full-time), and
3. Be rising freshmen through seniors.
4. Be enrolled at a US accredited institution.

When is the program?

May 18, 2026 – July 24, 2026

Where is the program?

West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV

The 2026 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is an onsite program. 

How to apply?

Each applicant will be required to submit:

• an application, which includes personal, academic (institution, major, level, coursework), and voluntary demographic information, future career plans, a brief essay on your motivation for wanting to participate in the REU (including the project you are interested in working on, if applicable), and the email address of a science faculty member familiar with the your abilities/motivation who can write a letter of recommendation ;
• Undergraduate transcripts (unofficial is fine; send to the email address below)
  

For full consideration, please submit your application by February 16, 2026.

Contact

Prof. Earl Scime
Earl.Scime@mail.wvu.edu