From lightning bolts to neon lights to the furnace known as our sun, plasmas are everywhere. In fact, 99% of the measurable universe is in the plasma state. Thus, cold plasmas can light the dark corners of our lives while hot plasmas can liberate us from the risks of radioactive waste and the fears from nuclear proliferation. The future is now with the need for revolutionary new physics in our treatments of photons, ions and electrons. The future is now with the need for a generation of new plasma and photonics physicists. Florida A&M University (FAMU) answers the challenge!
Housed in the Department of Physics at Florida A&M University (FAMU), The
Center for Plasma Science and Technology (CePaST) is to become the premier center
for the study of plasmas in the state of Florida. In its newly renovated and expanded
facility in Tallahassee’s Innovation Park, the Center is home to a highly successful team
of faculty, students and researchers dedicated to the new science and new applications
of theoretical, experimental, and computational Plasma Physics. The center is the flagship
of FAMU’s commitment to comprehensive research excellence with technological
impact.
Major Programs Include:
- Remote Sensing Research in the Nation’s Defense
- Fusion and Plasma Research for Alternative Power and Advanced Materials
- Advanced Computations Research in support of Plasmas and Photonics Physics
Research Areas and Facilities
Center faculty, staff and students conduct research in a newly renovated
30,000 sq. ft. facility housing state of the art equipment. Research activities
range from purely basic sciences to applied development, with active collaborations
with academia, industry and government laboratories. Area of research include
X-Pinch Physics, Laser Plasma Interactions, Computational Dynamics of
Atomic and Molecular Processes, Investigations of Turbulence in Plasmas, Materials Processing and Characterizations, and Ultra-fast Spectroscopy. In
support of these research efforts, CePaST is home to many unique
laboratory instruments and supporting diagnostics including:
- 3.5 Terawatt Laser System
- X-Pinch System
- Raman Microscope
- 128 - Node (256 Processor) Apple Xserve Computing Cluster
- Mach 50 Arc Driven Shock Tube
- 2 Ultra-fast Steak Camera Systems
- Many other Nanosecond and Femetosecond Laser Systems
- An arsenal of multi-Ghz Digitizing Oscillscopes
- Array of fast Spectrometer and Spectrographs
Center Funding
The CePaST investigators have received nearly $40 M in federal
and state funding to support their research activities. This has included
support from Boeing Aircraft Corp, NSF, NASA, NOAA, DOE
and DOD. Current research has been supported by NASA for applications
to hypersonic aerodynamics, by DOE for applications to fusion
science, and by DOD for applications to materials research and
to experimental, theoretical, and computational physics in remote
sensing through the breakdown spectroscopy in plasmas. In addition
to its external funding, CePaST projects, staff and students receive
support directly from FAMU.
Center Management
The CePaST Director, Dr. Joseph Johnson, has overall responsibility for CePaST operations. He coordinates scientific supervision with the CePaST investigators as they supervise the various Centers and Laboratories which may function within the CePaST infrastructure and with the FAMU Vice President for Research who is responsible for the CePaST facility in meeting CePaST goals,
objectives and milestones.
The CePaST Deputy Directory, Dr.
Lynette Johnson, is the Chief Financial Officer for all research
projects which operate under the CePaST infratructure. The
option to operate under the CePaST infrastructure is available
to all CePaST investigators, an option which provides to them
reliability, efficiency, and accountability in their fiscal affairs
as a benefit to the funding agencies and to FAMU. Dr. Charles
Weatherford is CePaST Chief Scientist for Computational
Physics. He has pioneered new algorithms for percise calculations
in atomic and molecular systems using high performance
computers. Dr. Lewis Johnson is CePaST Chief Scientist
for Photonics. He has provided altered states of matter using
ultra-high powered ultra-short laser pulses for new spectroscopy
venues at gas-material interfaces.
Center Faculty
Richard Appartaim, Associate Professor of Physics
Tel: (850) 599 - 8459
Email: richard.appartaim@famu.edu
Research: X-Pinch Science - High density, high
temperature, highly localized plasmas
formed by driving large currents
through very fine wires which are excellent
sources of soft x-ray radiation with
applications such as “point source” x-ray
imaging and as sub-kilovolt radiation
sources.
Kalayu Belay, Associate Professor of Physics
Tel: (850) 599 - 3815
Email: kalayu.belay@famu.edu
Research: Materials Processing and Characterization
- Synthesizing, characterizing and
understanding the physics of a variety of
carbon–based and carbonnanostructured
materials with potential
applications in new device applications
such as nano-electronics, sensors, flat
panel displays, and other areas of emerging
technology.
Maurice Edington, Associate Professor & Chairman of Chemistry
Tel: (850) 599 - 8494
Email: maurice.edington@famu.edu
Research: Ultrafast Spectroscopy - Nonlinear laser
spectroscopy; condensed phased reaction
dynamics; chemical physics; molecular
biophysics; coherence spectroscopic
studies of solvation dynamics; the application
of photoacoustic calorimetry to
the study of protein reactivity
Lewis Johnson, Chief Scientist, Assistant Professor of Physics
Tel: (850) 599 - 8456
Email: lewis.johnson@famu.edu
Research: Laser Plasma Physics - Laser Induced
Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) with
nanosecond and femtosecond sources,
Ultrafast Atmospheric Pulse Propagation,
Remote Sensing Science and Technology
for Rapid Detection of Materials of Interest.
Joseph A. Johnson III, Director, Professor of
Physics
Tel: (850) 561 - 2471
Email: joseph.johnsoniii@famu.edu
Research: Plasma Turbulence - Glow discharge,
Microwave induced and laser induced
plasmas as well as moving and stationary
plasmas behind ionizing shock
waves with implications for remote sensing,
materials characterizations, aeronautics,
astrophysics and fusion.
Charles A. Weatherford, Chief Scientist, Professor & Chairman of Physics
Tel: (850) 599 - 8382
Email: charles.weatherford@famu.edu
Research: Computational Molecular/Atomic Dynamics - Computational Atomic and Molecular
Physics including Interaction of
photons,electrons, positrons, and atomic
ions with Molecules; Quantum Control
of molecular dynamics; Laser-molecule
interactions; plasma dynamics and simulations
Educational Opportunities
CePaST offers a wealth of research opportunities
for both graduate and undergraduate students. Students at
Florida A&M university can pursue degrees in the following
areas:
- PhD in Physics
- MS in Physics or Chemistry
- BS in Physics or Chemistry
Scholarship and Research Assistantship Support as well as
Summer Research opportunities are available. If you are
interested, applications for undergraduate and graduate
study are way to obtain. Click
here, to download forms. For further information, call (850) 599-3470 and ask for information about the admissions application process.
For more information about the Research or the Center please contact the individual scientist. General questions can be directed to:
Mrs. Sandra Chin
Center for Plasma Science and Technology (CePaST)
2077 E. Paul Dirac Drive | Tallahassee, FL 32310
Tel: (850) 599 - 3943 | Fax: (850) 599 - 3901
