Our Center

The mission of the WVU Center for KINetic Experimental, Theoretical, and Integrated Computational (KINETIC) Plasma Physics is “to collaboratively solve cutting-edge kinetic-scale physics problems in magnetized plasmas using disparate and complementary approaches.”

What is the science?

Plasmas, known as the “fourth state of matter,” are gases that are hot enough that its constituents are ionized, with electrons separated from positively charged ions.

Plasmas are ubiquitous; 99% of the traditional matter in the universe is in the plasma state. It is extremely challenging to understand plasma physics at and below the kinetic-scale, the scale-size of the helical orbits charged particles make around magnetic fields. Kinetic-scale physics of magnetized plasmas is at the forefront of plasma research because it is where energy is converted to heat. This happens during many physical phenomena such as turbulence, magnetic reconnection, at kinetic-scale boundary layers called sheaths, and when waves in a system accelerate particles. The list of physical phenomena reliant on an understanding of kinetic-scale plasma physics is nearly endless, including solar flares, turbulence in the solar wind, geomagnetic storm activity in Earth’s magnetic space environment, particle-acceleration in Earth’s radiation belts with space weather implications, plasma thrusters used to propel rockets, and magnetically confined fusion devices. Thus, solving problems of kinetic-scale physics in magnetized plasmas is a vast, multidisciplinary effort.

Our Expertise

Center personnel have a diverse set of expertise and in a vast array of plasma science:

With funding from an NSF MRI grant, a unique laboratory device that can measure the distribution of the speeds of plasma particles is on site. This allows for unprecedented comparisons with space-based satellites, the only other place these measurements are being made in space-relevant plasmas. The group has high performance computing strengths in solar eruptions, reconnection, and radiation belt diffusion. Modeling efforts include machine learning for space weather prediction. The group’s observational expertise ranges from solar flares to radiation belts. It is unique to have all of these capabilities in the same institution.

Our Graduates

The plasma science program at WVU has a long history of success in research, mentorship, and student placement. The plasma program has graduated 33 students with PhDs as of 2020, and these students have gone onto successful positions in academia, industry, and the government.

Planned Center Activities

The Center provide an identity and infrastructure to foster a collaborative environment. Examples of the planned activities the Center seeks to support are:

• Fostering Cross-Disciplinary Research:
  The center aims to foster new and continuing opportunities across the WVU campus and the state for cross-collaboration. Cross-disciplinary research occurs in the Department of Physics and Astronomy (in Eberly College of Arts and Sciences) and in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (in Statler College of Engineering).

• Support of mini-grants and/or bridge funding:
  Our goal is to develop new skills and capabilities for members of the Center to become more competitive for further external funding. Faculty from across the university will be eligible to submit mini-grant proposals in the general area of kinetic-scale plasma research. Proposals must include collaboration with an existing center faculty member.

• Faculty Recruitment and Retention:
  The Center aims to foster the recruitment and retention of faculty in plasma science. It aims to be useful for recruitment in plasma science across departments and colleges covered by members of the Center.

• Development of Junior Faculty:
  Center personnel will propose visiting speakers and visiting scientists. Junior faculty will benefit from bringing in visitors to enhance or begin collaborations This will foster the development of early career faculty, which will benefit their career, the Center, and WVU.

• Expanding the Center and Increasing Interdisciplinarity:
  There are numerous avenues for expansion of the Center into plasma chemistry, catalysis, combustion, and plasma biophysics. Center personnel have active collaborations with DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown, NASA’s Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) in Fairmont, and numerous universities, national labs, and private companies.
  

Center By-Laws

Leadership

The proposed Center will have a Director and an Associate Director.

Responsibilities

The Director will oversee the operations and research mission of the Center, coordinating with the personnel working within the Center. As appropriate, the Director will help organize applications for large external funding opportunities and opportunities to increase awareness of the Center and its achievements. (All Center personnel will also be expected to identify group and individual PI funding opportunities to allow the Center to further its mission.)

The Associate Director will maintain a list of annual deliverables developed in collaboration with the personnel of the Center. These deliverables will be related to milestones from the individual proposals supporting the Center. Each deliverable will have key personnel assigned to lead it. There will be quarterly meetings of Center personnel at which progress reports on deliverables must be reported to the Associate Director. The Director, in communication with the Associate Director and other Center personnel, is responsible for Center annual reports and the five-year report. The Director is responsible for the required annual review of Center personnel.

The Director is responsible for ensuring Center resources are being used for the success of the Center. The Director has final discretion over any spending request. The Director may designate temporary authority to the Associate Director if they will be unable to perform the duties for a short time. Expenditures by the Director must be approved by the Associate Director.

Terms

The Director and Associate Director have three-year terms. Six months before the conclusion of the term, all personnel will vote on the Director and Associate Director for the next term. The position is renewable and there are no term limits. If the Director becomes incapacitated or cannot carry out the required responsibilities, the Associate Director will assume the Director’s responsibilities, and there will be a vote for a new Associate Director within three months.

Affiliates

New faculty wishing to become affiliated with the Center must submit an application, consisting of a brief letter of intent and a CV, to the Director. All applications will be shared with all Center members. The decision on membership approval will be determined by majority vote among existing members. The Director’s vote will break any ties.