Research Experiences for Undergraduates

Do an REU at the Center for KINETIC Plasma Physics

May 19 - July 25, 2025

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 17, 2024.

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 when and where the near Mars space environment can support the magnetic pumping proces (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 generically 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 planet Mars, investigating a specific process that arises as the solar wind is deflected around the planet. The process, called “magnetic pumping”, enables some fraction of the incident solar wind kinetic energy to be transferred to the atmosphere of the planet via electromagnetic forces. While a detailed case study of this process has been reported (Fowler+ 2020), the statistical characteristics of the Mars space environment, and how “amenable” they are for this process to occur more generally, have not yet been quantified. This project will tackle this topic via data analysis of 10 years of space plasma measurements made at Mars by NASAs Mars Atmosphere And Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. We request one REU student who will learn how to interact with and analyze in-situ space plasma observations (namely NASA MAVEN observations). The student will map plasma parameters critical to the magnetic pumping process at Mars to determine where and how often the background plasma conditions support the magnetic pumping process.

  

  A computer simulation of the space plasma environment at Mars, highlighting the magnetic field strength, which is a key parameter in driving the magnetic pumping process.

• 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.

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.

When is the program?

May 19, 2025 – July 25, 2025

Where is the program?

West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV

The 2025 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 17, 2025.

Contact

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