MASAAKI YAMADA
Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University
P.O. Box 451
Princeton, New Jersey 08543
(609) 243-2566
(609) 243-2418 (Fax)
myamada@pppl.gov
I am a principal research physicist at
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPPL) (try here and here also),
Princeton University.
I am also a Co-Principal Investigator of a
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Physics Frontier
Center ,
Center for Magnetic Self-Organization in
Laboratory and Astrophysical
Plasmas (CMSO).
Dr. Yamada, who is a Distinguished Laboratory Research Fellow at Princeton Plasma
Physics Laboratory, is the Head of the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX)
research program. He graduated from University of Illinois with a Ph. D in Physics
in 1973. In that same year he joined PPPL as a postdoctoral fellow. He became
the head of the Q-1 research group in 1977 and carried out many basic plasma
physics experiments. During 1978-1988, he headed the research effort on the
spheromak, then a new concept for fusion, utilizing the S-1 device. Since the
early 1990's, Dr. Yamada has pioneered a new experiment, the MRX at Princeton
to explore the fundamental physics of magnetic reconnection. Magnetic reconnection
is one of the most difficult and fundamental problems in plasma physics and
it has been under intense theoretical discussion for many decades. In 1995 the
experimental apparatus was constructed and the experiments have yielded many
fundamental results, which led to the Excellence in Plasma Physics Award for
2002. Currently the MRX group is focusing their study on fast reconnection in
collision free plasmas. Dr. Yamada's other specialized research fields are micro-turbulence,
magnetic fluctuation in plasmas, ion acoustic wave, beam-plasma instability
and spheromak stability. He has been the doctoral thesis advisor for a dozen
graduate students of Princeton University, the University of Tokyo, and Purdue
University. Dr. Yamada has held invited professor positions at Ecole Polytechnique
Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland (1988), Kyoto University, Japan (1989), and
the University of Tokyo, Japan (1994). He has been an APS fellow since 1985.
Education
Ph.D., University of Illinois (USA), Department of Physics
M.S., University of Tokyo (Japan), Department of Nuclear Engineering
B.S., University of Tokyo (Japan), Department of Applied Physics
Over 150 research papers on experimental
and theoretical plasma physics published in Phys. Rev. Letts., Phys. Fluids,
Phys. Plasmas, Nucl. Fusion, and JGR
Major
publications
On Magnetic Reconnection and
MRX
- M. Yamada, R. Kulsrud, and
H. Ji, "Magnetic Reconnection", Rev. Mod. Phys. 82,
603 (2010). (pdf)
- E. Zweibel and M. Yamada,
"Magnetic Reconnection in Astrophysical and Laboratory Plasmas",
Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 47,
291 (2009). (pdf)
- S. Dorfman, W. Daughton, V.
Roytershteyn, H. Ji, Y. Ren, M.
Yamada,
"Two-dimensional fully kinetic simulations of driven magnetic
reconnection with boundary conditions relevant to the Magnetic
Reconnection Experiment", Physics of Plasmas 15,
102107 (2008). (pdf)
- Y. Ren, M. Yamada, H. Ji, S.
Dorfman, S. Gerhardt, R.
Kulsrud, "Experimental study of the Hall effect and electron diffusion
region during magnetic reconnection in a laboratory plasma", Physics of
Plasmas 15,
082113 (2008). (pdf)
- Y. Ren, M. Yamada, H, Ji, S.
Gerhardt, R. Kulsrud,
"Identification of the electron-diffusion region during magnetic
reconnection in a laboratory plasma", Physical Review Letters 101,
085003
(2008). (pdf)
- H. Ji, Y. Ren, M. Yamada, S.
Dorfman, W. Daughton, S.
Gerhardt, "New insights into dissipation in the electron layer during
magnetic reconnection", Geophysical Research Letters 35,
L13106 (2008).
(pdf)
- S. Gerhardt, E. Belova, M.
Yamada, H. Ji, Y. Ren, B.
McGeehan, M. Inomoto, "Field-reversed configuration formation scheme
utilizing a spheromak and solenoid induction", Physics of Plasmas 15, 032503
(2008). (pdf)
- S. Gerhardt, E. Belova, M.
Yamada, H. Ji, M. Inomoto, Y.
Ren, B. McGeehan, "New method for inductively forming an oblate field
reversed configuration from a spheromak". Nuclear Fusion 48,
032001 (2008).
(pdf)
- S. Gerhardt, E. Belova, M.
Yamada, H. Ji, M. Inomoto, C,
Jacobson, R. Maqueda, B. McGeehan, Y. Ren, "Inductive sustainment of
oblate field-reversed configurations with the assistance of magnetic
diffusion, shaping, and finite-Larmor radius stabilization", Physics of
Plasmas 15,
022503 (2008). (pdf)
- S. Gerhardt, E. Belova, M.
Yamada, H. Ji, M. Inomoto, R.
Ren, B. McGeehan, "Inductive Sustainment of a Field-Reversed
Configuration Stabilized by Shaping, Magnetic Diffusion, and
Finite-Larmor-Radius Effects", Physical Review Letters 99, 245003
(2007). (pdf)
- M. Yamada, H. Ji, S.
Gerhardt, E. Belova, R. Davidson, D.
Mikkelsen, "A
Self-Organize Plasma with Induction, Reconnection, and Injection
Techniques: the SPIRIT Concept for Field Reversed Configuration
Research", Plasma Fusion Res. 2,
004 (2007). (pdf)
- A. Kuritsyn, H. Ji, S.
Gerhardt, Y. Ren, M. Yamada,
"Effects of global boundary and local collisionality on magnetic
reconnection in a laboratory plasma", Geophysical Research Letters 34,
L16106 (2007).
(pdf)
- M. Yamada, "Progress in
understanding magnetic reconnection
in laboratory and space astrophysical plasmas", Physics of Plasmas 14, 058102
(2007). (pdf)
- S. Gerhardt, E. Belova, M.
Inomoto, M. Yamada, H. Ji, Y.
Ren, A. Kuritsyn, "Equilibrium and stability studies of oblate
field-reversed configurations in the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment",
Physics of Plasmas 13, 112508
(2006). (pdf)
- M. Inomoto, S. Gerhardt, M. Yamada, H. Ji, E. Belova, A.
Kuritsyn, and Y. Ren, "Coupling between Global Geometry and the Local
Hall Effect Leading to Reconnection-Layer Symmetry Breaking", Physical
Review Letters 97, 135002
(2006). (pdf)
- M. Yamada, Y. Ren, H. Ji, J. Breslau, S. Gerhardt, R.
Kulsrud,
and A. Kuritsyn, "Experimental study of two-fluid effects on magnetic
reconnection in a laboratory plasma with variable collisionality",
Physics of Plasmas 13, 052119
(2006). (pdf)
- A. Kuritsyn, M. Yamada, S. Gerhardt, H. Ji, R. Kulsrud, and
Y.
Ren, "Measurements of the parallel and transverse Spitzer resistivities
during collisional magnetic reconnection",
Physics of Plasmas 13, 055703
(2006). (pdf)
- Y. Ren, M. Yamada, S. Gerhardt, H. Ji, R. Kulsrud, and
A.Kuritsyn, "Experimental Verification of the Hall Effect during
Magnetic
Reconnection in a Laboratory Plasma", Phys. Rev. Lett. 95,
055003 (2005). (Abstract)
(pdf file)
- R. Kulsrud, H. Ji, W. Fox, and M. Yamada, "An electromagnetic
drift instability in the magnetic reconnection experiment and its
importance for magnetic reconnection",
Phys. Plasmas 12, 082301 (2005). (Abstract)
(pdf file)
- H. Ji, R. Kulsrud, W. Fox, and M. Yamada, "An obliquely
propagating electromagnetic drift instability in the lower hybrid
frequency range",
J. Geophys. Res. 110, A08212 (2005). (Abstract)
(pdf file)
- H. Ji, S. Terry, M. Yamada, R.
Kulsrud, A. Kuritsyn, and Y. Ren. "Electromagnetic Fluctuations during
Fast Reconnection in a Laboratory Plasma", PPPL Report 3784 submitted
to Physical Review Letters (2003). (pdf)
- F. Trintchouk, M. Yamada, H.
Ji, R. M. Kulsrud, and T. A. Carter "Measurement of the transverse Spitzer
resistivity during collisional magnetic reconnection", Phys. Plasmas
10, 319 (2003). (pdf)
- T. Carter, M. Yamada, H. Ji,
R. Kulsrud, and F. Trintchouk "Experimental Study of Lower-Hybrid Drift Turbulence
in a Reconnecting Current Sheet," Physics of Plasmas 9 3272 (2002)
(pdf)
- T.A. Carter, H. Ji, F. Trintchouk,
M. Yamada, and R.M Kulsrud, "Measurement of Lower-Hybrid Drift Turbulence
in a Reconnecting Current Sheet," Physical Review Letters 88 015001-1
(2002) (pdf)
- H. Ji, T. Carter, S. Hsu, and
M. Yamada, "Study of local reconnection physics in a laboratory plasma," Earth
Planets Space 53, 539 (2001) (pdf)
- M. Yamada, "Review of the Recent
Controlled Experiments for Study of Local Reconnection Physics," Earth Planets
Space 53, 509 (2001) (abstract)
(pdf)
- S. C. Hsu, T. A. Carter, G. Fiksel,
H. Ji, R. M. Kulsrud, and M. Yamada, "Experimental study of ion heating and
acceleration during magnetic reconnection," Physics of Plasmas 8, 1916
(2001) (pdf)
- M. Yamada, H. Ji, S. Hsu, T.
Carter, R. Kulsrud, and F. Trintchouk, "Experimental investigation of the
neutral sheet profile during magnetic reconnection," Physics of Plasmas 7,
1781 (2000) (pdf)
- S. C. Hsu, G. Fiksel, T. A. Carter,
H. Ji, R. M. Kulsrud, and M. Yamada, "Local Measurement of Nonclassical Ion
Heating during Magnetic Reconnection," Physical Review Letters 84,
3859 (2000) (pdf)
- M. Yamada, "Review of Controlled
Laboratory Experiments on Physics of Magnetic Reconnection," Journal of Geophysical
Research 104 14,529 (1999) (abstract)
(pdf)
- H. Ji, M. Yamada, S. Hsu, R.
Kulsrud, T.Carter, and S. Zaharia "Magnetic reconnection with Sweet-Parker
characteristics in two-dimensional laboratory plasmas," Physics of Plasmas
6, 1743 (1999). (pdf)
- H. Ji, M. Yamada, S. Hsu, and
R. Kulsrud, "Experimental Test of the Sweet-Parker Model of Magnetic Reconnection,"
Physical Review Letters 80, 3256 (1998) (pdf)
- M. Yamada, H. Ji, S. Hsu, T.
Carter, R. Kulsrud, Y. Ono, and F. Perkins, "Identification of Y-Shaped and
O-Shaped Diffusion Regions During Magnetic Reconnection in a Laboratory Plasma,"
Physical Review Letters 78, 3117 (1997) (pdf)
- M. Yamada, H. Ji, S. Hsu, T.
Carter, R. Kulsrud, N. Bretz, F. Jobes, Y. Ono, and F. Perkins, "Study of
driven magnetic reconnection in a laboratory plasma," Physics of Plasmas 4,
1936 (1997) (pdf)
- M. Yamada, H. Ji, T. A. Carter,
S. C. Hsu, R. M. Kulsrud, N. L. Bretz, F. C. Jobes, Y. Ono, M. Katsurai, T.
H. Watanabe, T. Sato, and T. Hayashi, ``Comparative Study of Compact Toroid
Plasmas Formed by Induction and Reconnection,'' in Fusion Energy 1996:
Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Conference on Fusion Energy
(International Atomic Energy Association, Vienna, 1997), pp. 253-261.
On Ion-Beam-Driven and Current-Driven
Instabilities
- Evolution of the Ion Acoustic
Instability in a DC-Discharge Plasma
M. Yamada and M. Raether
Phys. Fluids 18, 361-368 (1975)
- Electrostatic Ion Cyclotron Instabilities
Driven by Parallel Ion Beam Injection
M. Yamada, S. Seiler, H.W. Hendel, and H. Ikezi
- Lower Hybrid Instability Driven
by a Spiralling Ion Beam
S. Seiler, M. Yamada, and H. Ikezi
Phys. Rev. Letts. 37, 700-703 (1976)
- Cross-Field Current Driven Lower-Hybrid
Instability and Stochastic Ion Heating
M. Yamada and D. K. Owens
Phys. Rev. Letts. 38, 1529-1532 (1977)
- Anomalous Slowing of a Perpendicularly-Injected
Ion Beam in Both Quasilinear and Trapping Regimes
M. Yamada and S. Seiler
Phys. Rev. Letts. 39, 808-811 (1977)
- Current-Driven Instabilities
and Resultant Anomalous Efffects in Isothermal Inhomogeneous plasmas
M. Yamada and H.W. Hendel
Phys. Fluids 21, 1555-1568 (1978)
- Ion-Beam-Driven Lower -Hybrid
Instability and Resultant Anomalous Beam Slowing
S. Seiler and M. Yamada
Nucl. Fusion 19, 469-483 (1979)
On Spheromak
- Quasistatic Formation of the
Spheromak Plasma Configuration
M.Yamada, H.P.Furth W.Hsu, A.C.Janos et. al.
Phys. Rev. Letts. 46, 188-191 (1981)
- Studies of Conceptual Spheromak
Fusion Reactors
M. Katsurai and M. Yamada
Nucl. Fusion 22, 1407-1419 (1982)
- Experimental Investigation of
the Spheromak Configuration
M. Yamada, R.A. Ellis,Jr. H.P. Furth, R.A Hulse et. al.
Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled
Nuclear Fusion Research, Baltimore, USA (Sept. 1982)
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, Vol.2, 265-281 (1983)
- Initial Results From S-1 Spheromak
M.Yamada, R.A. Ellis,Jr. H.P. Furth, G. H. Hart et. al.
Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled
Nuclear Fusion Research, London, UK (1984)
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, Vol.2, 535-544 (1985)
- S-1 Spheromak
M.Yamada
Nucl. Fusion 25, 1327-1330 (1985)
- Relaxation of Spheromak Plasmas
Toward a Minimum-Energy State and Global Magnetic Fluctuations
A.C. Janos, G.W. Hart, and M. Yamada
Phys. Rev. Letts. 55, 2868-2871 (1985)
- Verification of Taylor (Minimum
Energy ) State in the S-1 Spheromak
G.W. Hart, A.C. Janos, D.D. Meyerhofer, and M. Yamada
Phys. Fluids 29, 1994-1997 (1986)
- Investigation of Confinement
Properties of Spheromaks
M. Yamada, R.A.Ellis, Jr., A. Janos, et. al.
Twelfth International Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear
Fusion Research, Nice, France (Oct.1988)
Proceedings of the Twelfth International Conference on Plasma Physics and
Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria (1989)
Paper IAEA-CN-50/C-4-3
- Experimental Investigation of
Magnetic Compression of a Spheromak Plasma
M. Yamada, T.K. Chu, R.A. Ellis, Jr., A.C. Janos, et. al.
Phys. Fluids B2, 3074-3080 (1990)
- Experimental Study on Relaxation
Cycle of Decaying Spheromak in External Magnetic Field
Y. Ono, M. Yamada, A.C. Janos, and F.M. Levinton
Phys. Fluids B3, 1452-1460 (1991)
On TFTR/Tokamak
- Diagnostics For Documentation
of Magnetic Reconnection in Sawtooth Crash on TFTR
M.Yamada, Y. Nagayama, W. Davis, E. Fredrickson, A. Janos, and F. Levinton
Rev. Sci. Instuments ( Nov. 1992)
- Q-Profile
Measurements in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor
F. M. Levinton, S. Batha, M. Yamada, and M.C. Zarnstorff
Phys. Fluids B5, 2554 (1993)
- Investigation of Magnetic Reconnection
During a Sawtooth Crash in a High-Temperature Tokamak Plasma
M. Yamada, et al.
Phys. Plasmas 1, 3269 (1994)
- Tomography of Full Sawtooth Crashes
on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor,
Y. Nagayama, M. Yamada, et. al.
Phys. Plasmas 3 1647 (1996)
- ECE Image Reconstruction of Partial
Sawtooth Crashes in Ohmic Plasmas
Y. Nagayama, et al.
Nucl. Fusion 36, 521 (1996)