Plasma: at the frontier of scientific discovery

The Report of the Panel of Frontiers of Plasma Science is the culmination of efforts to engage a community of scientific experts working in the fields of general plasma science, high energy density laboratory plasmas, and exploratory magnetized plasma. Whenever you have dozens of experts scattered across the country at myriad institutions working on a single document, there are bound to be challenges.

A series of community-led workshops were held to identify compelling scientific challenges at the frontiers of plasma physics; research tools and capabilities that exist presently; and requirements necessary to address these challenges in the coming decade. These activities support a rich and diverse portfolio of plasma science, sharing many common intellectual threads with the potential of broadening connections between fusion energy sciences and related fields. Sandbox was commissioned by DOE’s Office of Science to take the essence of those efforts and present them in a professional, compelling manor with one voice. We did so by collaborating with an expert from the field to produce a colorful, highly organized and skiable 120-page report that is both well-respected within the scientific community it serves, while also being approachable to policy makers and the layperson.