🔬 Category

physics.plasm-ph

727 papers

Plasma physics explores the behavior of the fourth state of matter, a superheated soup of charged particles that makes up most of the visible universe. From the fusion power we hope to harness on Earth to the glowing auroras and distant stars above, this field investigates how these energetic gases interact with magnetic fields and light. It is a dynamic area where extreme conditions reveal fundamental laws of nature in ways solid matter never can.

At Gist.Science, we bridge the gap between these complex discoveries and curious minds by processing every new preprint from arXiv in this category. We transform dense, technical research into clear, plain-language explanations alongside detailed summaries, ensuring that breakthroughs in plasma dynamics and fusion energy are accessible to everyone. Below are the latest papers in plasma physics, curated and simplified for your reading.

🔬 physics

Compressible Turbulence as a Source of Particle Beams and Ion Bernstein Waves in Collisionless Plasmas

Using high-resolution particle-in-cell simulations, this study demonstrates that compressive turbulence in collisionless plasmas drives cross-scale energy transfer where transit-time damping at MHD scales generates suprathermal electrons and proton beams, while sub-ion scale fast modes excite ion Bernstein waves, collectively explaining the origin of these phenomena in the solar wind.

Chuanpeng Hou, Huirong Yan, Siqi Zhao2026-05-25
🔬 physics

First-Principles Explanation of the Drift Configuration Dependence of the Radial Electric Field and High-Confinement Access in Tokamaks

Using first-principles gyrokinetic simulations, this study explains that the favorable drift configuration in tokamaks facilitates H-mode access by enhancing nonlinear turbulence-mean flow energy transfer, which generates a deeper radial electric field well and stronger shear to suppress turbulence, unlike the unfavorable configuration.

B. J. Frei, R. Bilato, O. Grover, W. Zholobenko, C. Angioni, M. Bergmann, P. Ulbl, F. Jenko, the ASDEX Upgrade Team2026-05-25
🔬 physics

Pre L-H Transition Radial Electric Field and Transport Validations of Edge and Scrape-off Layer Gyrokinetic Simulations at ASDEX Upgrade

This paper presents a stepwise validation of full-f gyrokinetic simulations using the GENE-X code for the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak, demonstrating excellent agreement with experimental radial electric field and transport profiles during the pre L-H transition phase and highlighting the critical roles of turbulence-driven flows and neutral gas ionization sources in reproducing edge plasma behavior.

B. J. Frei, C. Angioni, G. Lo-Cascio, W. Zholobenko, P. Ulbl, R. Bilato, F. Jenko, the ASDEX Upgrade Team2026-05-25
🔬 physics

Optical analogy for stellarators: Ridges as caustics and coils as singularities

This paper establishes an analytical theory linking sharp ridges on stellarator flux surfaces to optical caustics and unifies the geometric description of these ridges with filamentary coil design through a topological constraint on the magnetic gradient tensor, thereby explaining the necessity of ridges in optimized geometries and the efficacy of specific coil optimization parameters.

Wrick Sengupta, Stefan Buller, Rogerio Jorge, John Kappel, Andrew Brown, Richard Nies, Pedro F. Gil, Nikita Nikulsin, Pe (…)2026-05-22
🔬 physics

PIC simulations of nonrelativistic high-Mach-number oblique shocks propagating in a turbulent medium

This paper presents the first 2D3V particle-in-cell simulations demonstrating that pre-existing compressive turbulence in nonrelativistic oblique shocks enhances whistler-wave instabilities, resulting in a shorter, hotter electron foreshock and more efficient non-thermal electron acceleration.

Karol Fulat, Eloise Moore, Mahmoud Alawashra, Michelle Tsirou, Artem Bohdan, Takanobu Amano, Martin Pohl2026-05-22
🌀 nonlinear sciences

On the Riemann problem for the Adlam-Allen model

This paper investigates the rarefaction and dispersive shock waves arising in the Riemann problem of the Adlam-Allen model by combining direct analysis via the dispersionless system and DSW-fitting with a KdV reduction approximation, both of which are validated by numerical simulations to provide a systematic toolbox for analyzing cold plasma dynamics.

Su Yang, Marco Calabrese, Vassilis Koukouloyannis, Panayotis G. Kevrekidis2026-05-22
🔬 physics

Analyzing atomic oxygen product evolution in Micro Cavity Plasma Arrays by a combination of a Multi-PMT OES Setup and a 0-D Chemical Model

This study investigates the production and temporal evolution of atomic oxygen in a micro-cavity plasma array by combining a novel multi-photomultiplier optical emission spectroscopy setup with a 0-D chemical model, revealing near-complete oxygen dissociation under specific helium-oxygen discharge conditions.

Henrik van Impel, David Steuer, Volker Schulz-von der Gathen, Marc Böke, Judith Golda2026-05-21