MagNetUS

MagNetUS and the directors of five leading U.S. plasma science facilities announce the 2025 Joint Call for Collaborative Research Facilities, with proposals due September 15, 2025. Full details, including facility descriptions, proposal templates, and application instructions, are available at https://lnkd.in/gXKDjqem. This initiative offers researchers the opportunity to pursue frontier plasma science at the Basic Plasma Science Facility (University of California, Los Angeles), Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory (University of Wisconsin–Madison), Magnetized Plasma Research Laboratory (Auburn University), DIII-D National Fusion Facility (General Atomics), and the PHASMA device at West Virginia University. Proposals, which will run on a two-year cycle, may request runtime starting in 2026 and should focus on advancing the frontiers of plasma science and engineering, guided by reports such as the NASEM Plasma 2020 Decadal Report (https://lnkd.in/gX48U6Qn) and the DOE FESAC Long Range Planning Report (2021) (https://lnkd.in/gmzS5xk5). Proposals will be evaluated in an anonymized peer review process based on three main criteria: Intellectual Merit, Technical Approach, and Record of Discussion (ROD) with the facility, which addresses feasibility, resource requirements, and team preparedness. Awards provide experimental runtime and facility support, but not direct funding. Researchers may later apply for funding from agencies such as DOE FES (https://lnkd.in/e33tNsg7), NSF (https://lnkd.in/gMmQxGeV), or NASA, some of which may require an awarded runtime allocation to qualify. Each facility offers different runtime opportunities: DIII-D allocations from Fall 2026 in half-day increments; MPRL access to MDPX, ALEXIS, and related platforms; WiPPL use of MST and BRB devices; PHASMA’s two weeks of runtime in 2026; and BaPSF’s LAPD with up to three weeks annually. Applicants are encouraged to engage relevant facility experts during proposal development to ensure feasibility and maximize scientific impact. Questions and proposals should be sent to Steve Vincena (vincena@physics.ucla.edu). This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with leading experimental teams, leverage world-class plasma facilities, and contribute to cutting-edge research shaping the future of plasma science and engineering.

The latest MagNetUS webinar tutorial, a two-part live coding series led by Dr. Nick Murphy, is now available on the MagNetUS YouTube channel. Part 1 – Creating Your First Python Package with uv An introduction to uv, a fast Python package and project manager. Dr. Murphy demonstrates how to use uv to create, manage, and run Python projects ranging from simple scripts to full libraries. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gcMrABDV Part 2 – Writing Your First Software Test with pytest This tutorial walks through the process of creating automated tests using pytest, the most widely used testing framework in Python. It emphasizes how testing improves reliability and accelerates software development. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gRaj9Zbd We invite you to subscribe to the MagNetUS YouTube channel, like, and share the videos with your colleagues and collaborators. These tutorial seminars will continue approximately on a monthly basis, covering topics of interest to the basic plasma science community.

Second MagNetUS tutorial webinar - July 22 & 23 Dear MagNetUS community, Welcome back for another MagNetUS seminar, this time a two-part series of live coding tutorials to level up your Python! These tutorials will be led by Nick Murphy, in a partnership between MagNetUS and PlasmaPy. Zoom link for both sessions: https://lnkd.in/gdubwxq3 To follow along with either of these tutorials, please follow these instructions to install uv. Creating your first Python package with uv Tuesday, July 22 at 2 pm ET One of the most exciting recent additions to the Python ecosystem is uv: an extremely fast Python package and project manager. In addition to serving as a drop-in replacement for pip, we can use uv to run scripts and create Python packages. This live coding tutorial will introduce how to use uv to create & manage Python projects, ranging from individual scripts to full libraries. Writing your first software test with pytest Wednesday, July 23 at 2 pm ET Software testing is the best thing since sliced arrays. Automated software tests help us determine whether our code is producing the intended results much more quickly and reliably than manual testing. With well-written software tests, we can change code with confidence that we are not unknowingly introducing bugs anywhere else in the program. This live coding tutorial will go through the process of creating an automated software test with pytest — the most frequently used package for testing Python software.   • uv installation guide:  https://lnkd.in/g8SUqJs8    • uv documentation:  https://docs.astral.sh/uv/    • pytest documentation:  https://lnkd.in/grzU9fnM Looking forward to seeing you at the sessions!

MagNetUS Launches Quarterly Newsletter – July 2025 Issue Now Available We’re pleased to announce the launch of the MagNetUS Quarterly Newsletter, a new initiative to keep our community of plasma scientists, students, and collaborators connected and informed. Each issue will feature: • Community and facility highlights • Research news and publications • Upcoming meetings and deadlines • Career and collaboration opportunities • Spotlights on early-career scientists The July 2025 issue includes a recap of the MagNetUS annual meeting at West Virginia University, the new MagNetUS overview paper published in Journal of Plasma Physics, updates on the upcoming Joint Call, the launch of our new webinar series, and more. Read the full issue here: https://lnkd.in/g-NMy4sr We welcome contributions and updates from across the community for future issues. #MagNetUS #PlasmaPhysics #FusionEnergy #SpacePlasma #ResearchCommunity #STEM #BasicPlasmaScience

MagNetUS is now on YouTube We’re excited to launch the official MagNetUS YouTube channel, and we invite you to subscribe. Our first video is now live: a recording of this week’s webinar, “Foundations of Machine Learning for Physicists” by Nat Matthews. Nat delivered a clear and engaging introduction to the topic, and we hope to welcome him back for future talks. Watch the recording here: https://lnkd.in/dw6DgSQ7 This is just the beginning. Our goal is to host monthly MagNetUS webinars, with all recordings published on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to the channel to stay updated: https://lnkd.in/dzvXPWq4 #MagNetUS #PlasmaPhysics #MachineLearning #FusionEnergy #WebinarSeries

MagNetUS is now on YouTube We’re excited to launch the official MagNetUS YouTube channel, and we invite you to subscribe. Our first video is now live: a recording of this week’s webinar, “Foundations of Machine Learning for Physicists” by Nat Matthews. Nat delivered a clear and engaging introduction to the topic, and we hope to welcome him back for future talks. Watch the recording here: https://lnkd.in/dw6DgSQ7 This is just the beginning. Our goal is to host monthly MagNetUS webinars, with all recordings published on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to the channel to stay updated: https://lnkd.in/dzvXPWq4 #MagNetUS #PlasmaPhysics #MachineLearning #FusionEnergy #WebinarSeries

Dear Colleagues, We are excited to announce that registration and abstract submission for the fifth annual MagNetUS Workshop* are now open! https://lnkd.in/gcPqVWhN MagNetUS 2025 will be held June 2–5, 2025, in Morgantown, West Virginia. This workshop brings together the community working on the basic science of magnetized plasmas, aiming to spotlight exciting research in and around the MagNetUS community while fostering and maintaining collaborations across the field. If you’re curious about the fundamental science of magnetized plasmas, we’d love to have you at MagNetUS 2025! Whether you work with spacecraft data, simulations, theory, or experiments—from large collaborative facilities like BaPSF, WiPPL, MPRL, DIII-D, or PHASMA to single-PI labs—MagNetUS 2025 is a great opportunity to connect with others in the field, share your work, and explore new directions in basic plasma science. Key Dates: Abstract Submission Deadline: May 1, 2025 Registration Deadline: May 10, 2025 Additional Events: MagNetUS will be preceded by a half-day PlasmaNET (https://lnkd.in/gDTiH3A7) meeting on Sunday, June 1, 1PM-5PM local time. The event will feature two hands-on workshops: "Battling misconceptions and misinformation in plasma" and "Developing effective assessment tools for public engagement and educational programs". More details and a webpage for the event coming soon. MagNetUS 2025 will be followed by a CHIMERAS Workshop on the afternoon of June 5 and a full day on June 6. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the CHIMERAS Project (https://lnkd.in/g36NkdsV) and participate in its growing community. More details here - https://lnkd.in/gK-Z6YxN. We look forward to welcoming you to Morgantown and to an exciting week of scientific exchange and community building. Best regards, The MagNetUS 2025 Program Committee Jia Han, UCLA (Chair) Jason TenBarge, Princeton University James Yang, PPPL Peiyun Shi, PPPL Troy Carter, ORNL Ranganathan Gopalakrishnan, University of Memphis MagNetUS 2025 Local Organizing Committee Earl Scime, West Virginia University MagNetUS exists to create an ecosystem for a broad scientific community interested in experimental magnetized plasma research. The initiative brings together users of national facilities, university-scale experiments, and theorists and simulators to foster collaboration, broaden participation, and train future generations of plasma physicists. More info: http://magnetus.net

We are pleased to announce the results of the MagNetUS 2025 Election, which the MagNetUS Executive Committee officially approved at our last monthly meeting. Please join us in congratulating the newly elected leaders who will help guide our community forward: MagNetUS 2025 Election Results    Vice-Chair: Dr. Garima Joshi    Chair of Facilities Working Group: Dr. Peiyun Shi    Chair of Annual Meeting: Dr. Jia Han    Chair of Software Working Group: Dr. Jimmy Juno A heartfelt thank you to the MagNetUS Nomination Ad-Hoc Committee Members - Noah Hurst, Derek Schaeffer, and Carlos Paz-Soldan - for their dedication and efforts in organizing this election. MagNetUS continues to grow as a vibrant and collaborative community dedicated to advancing magnetized plasma physics. Our research is critically important to understanding fundamental plasma processes and developing applications in fusion energy, space physics, and laboratory plasma experiments. We are excited to continue our collaborative efforts under the leadership of our newly elected officers, fostering innovation, inclusivity, and scientific progress. Congratulations to our newly elected leaders, and thank you to everyone who participated in the election! We look forward to another exciting year of scientific discovery and collaboration. Dmitri Orlov On behalf of the MagNetUS Executive Committee

MagNetUS 2025 Election Announcement Dear MagNetUS Community, We are excited to share that voting emails for the MagNetUS 2025 Election are ready to be sent out. What to Expect: • Voting emails will be sent from noreply@ucsd.edu (Dmitri Orlov). • Each email will include a personal voting link unique to each member. Important Information: If you know any MagNetUS member who did not receive a voting email, it is likely because we do not have their most current email address. • Members can update their information by: • Emailing their updated address to either Dmitri or Noah, and we will update the database accordingly. • Alternatively, they can complete the registration form available on the MagNetUS website to ensure their details are accurate. Additional Resources: • Visit the MagNetUS website at http://magnetus.net/ for more information about our organization. • Review the candidates’ bios and statements for this election at https://lnkd.in/gs9W3ePh. • Anyone interested in joining MagNetUS is welcome to fill out the registration form on the website. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring that all eligible members have the opportunity to participate in this important election. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Best regards, Dmitri Orlov and Noah Hurst On behalf of the MagNetUS Nomination Ad-Hoc Committee