APAM Research Scientists Coauthor Highly Cited Plasma Physics Research Paper

Jun 25 2015 | By Jesse Adams

Jack Berkery and Steven A. Sabbagh BS’84, MS’85, MPhil’88, PhD’90, both research scientists in the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics (APAM), coauthored one of the 20 most cited papers in Physics of Plasmas, the premiere journal of plasma physics research, in 2014. 


Jack Berkery and Steven A. Sabbagh

The paper, “Benchmarking kinetic calculations of resistive wall mode stability,” showcases a multiyear effort that benchmarks leading fusion plasma stability analyses, and includes calculations for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world’s largest tokamak project currently under construction in France. Berkery and Sabbagh (also an adjunct professor in APAM) are part of a Columbia research team collaborating on the National Spherical Torus Experiment—Upgrade (NSTX-U) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.

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