Experimental studies in plasma physics are primarily concerned with measurements aimed at broadening our understanding of basic properties of plasmas and of ions in the plasma environment: transport properties, fluctuations, and influences of plasma fields on the radiative properties of atoms and ions (plasma spectroscopy). Out of these studies comes, in addition to basic data for comparison with plasma theory, new diagnostic techniques that may be applied for measurement of properties of plasmas in, e.g., the fusion power program and industrial plasma applications.

Research conducted by the Experimental Plasma Physics Group is supported by NSF, DOE, and ONR/NRL.