An assessment of plasma science in the United States will be conducted as part of the decadal assessment and outlook, Physics 2010. Since publication of the previous decadal study of this area in 1995, the field has undergone rapid advances and significant changes, ranging from a refocused mission of the DOE fusion science program to new plasma processing technologies arriving in the commercial marketplace to significant advances in understanding how to confine plasmas. A new field called high-energy-density physics has been defined that foretells new connections between astrophysical phenomena and laboratory experiments. It is timely and important to identify the compelling science opportunities in plasma science and to frame a strategy for realizing them.
Funding for this award is provided by the Divisions of Physics, Chemical and Transport Systems, and Atmospheric Physics.
