Overview of Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory research

The Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory (WiPPL) is a multi-device collaborative research facility supporting experiments in basic, astrophysical, and fusion plasma science. WiPPL is a founding member of the MagNetUS experimental plasma network, and outside collaborator run time is allocated via a US DOE joint proposal review process for the participating MagNetUS facilities. We present an overview of WiPPL capabilities, recent and ongoing projects, and key WiPPL-led results. In the BRB device, collisionless reconnection is examined with the use of a new drive system upgrade that achieves Lundquist numbers reaching into the kinetic regime. First experiments utilizing a planar spheromak injector to mimic astrophysical jets are underway, and work to generate a rotating magnetic dipole to emulate a pulsar wind is ongoing. In the MST device, tokamak plasmas are produced for a variety of studies: dynamics, transport, and acceleration of runaway electrons, whistler-range wave correlation with runaway electrons, self-organization of low-q tokamaks, and high density exceeding the Greenwald limit. RFP plasmas in MST are used for studies of plasma self-organization, with programmable power supplies expanding the Lundquist-number overlap with nonlinear MHD simulations. MST's high-temperature plasmas and high availability make it a useful source for the development of advanced x-ray diagnostics.