Plasma Physics
8 reportsFormal definitions and testable consequences form a case with different strengths and limits. Reports examine how plasma is confined and which instabilities limit performance, keeping definitions, predictions, and observations from being conflated.
NASA AI Model Predicts Sunspot Emergence Hours Before Surface Appearance
A NASA-led team has developed an AI model that analyzes acoustic and magnetic data from the Sun to forecast the emergence of active regions up to 12 hours in advance, offering new potential for space weather prediction
Inouye Solar Telescope Resolves Unprecedented Detail on Sun's Surface
The Inouye Solar Telescope has produced the highest-resolution images yet of the Sun's surface, revealing dynamic plasma structures and confirming a long-suspected fluid instability in solar plasma
Solar Telescope Reveals Long-Predicted Plasma Vortices on Sun's Surface
High-resolution images from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope have captured thousands of plasma whirlpools on the Sun's surface, providing direct evidence for a phenomenon predicted over a century ago and offering new insight into solar atmospheric heating
NASA's PUNCH Mission Narrows Solar Storm Arrival Forecasts
NASA's PUNCH mission has enabled scientists to predict the arrival of a solar eruption near Earth with a margin of just 30 minutes, using continuous 3D imaging of coronal mass ejections as they travel through the inner solar system
MAVEN Data Reveals Earth-Like Aurora Mechanism on Mars
NASA's MAVEN orbiter has provided evidence that localized auroras on Mars are powered by a process similar to Earth's Dungey cycle, offering new insight into Martian atmospheric loss and magnetic field interactions
How the Heliosphere Shields the Solar System from Interstellar Space
Researchers are mapping the heliosphere, the vast bubble created by the solar wind that surrounds the Sun and planets, to understand how it protects the solar system from cosmic radiation and shapes planetary environments
Extreme Solar Storms May Exceed Previous Impact Estimates
A new analysis of solar wind data suggests that the most powerful solar storms could cause greater geomagnetic disturbances on Earth than previously calculated, with implications for satellites and power grids
Quantum Sensors and Compact Accelerators Highlight 2026 Instrumentation Briefing
The 2026 Physics World Instrumentation & Vacuum Briefing surveys advances in quantum sensors, ultrahigh vacuum engineering, compact particle acceleration, and real-time radiotherapy monitoring, with a focus on experimental progress and engineering challenges