LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Fundamental Plasma and Fusion Science Lab
Machine-translated · View original
A lab that uses supercomputers to unravel the physics of fusion and space plasmas.
AboutAbout the lab
Solving the complexity of plasma through computation.
The Fundamental Plasma and Fusion Science Lab studies plasma, the most common state of matter in the universe, through theory and numerical simulation.
Plasma is a system made up of a great many charged particles, and it is prone to turbulence and behaves in ways that are hard to predict.
The lab combines large-scale supercomputer calculations with theories of statistics, turbulence, and chaos to unravel these complex phenomena.
Its main subjects are nuclear fusion, which is expected to become a carbon-neutral energy source, and plasmas in space and astrophysical objects.
Key terms
- Plasma
- A gas in which atoms have separated into electrons and ions. The most common state of matter in the universe
- Nuclear fusion
- A reaction in which light atomic nuclei join together and release a large amount of energy. The process that makes the Sun shine
- Magnetic reconnection
- A phenomenon in which magnetic field lines reconnect and the energy of the magnetic field is suddenly converted into heat and motion
NewsLab news
Analysis of laser-generated solitary waves published in APS Open Sci.
Paper on plasmoid formation published in Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion
Study of plasmoid ejection from magnetic islands published in Phys. Plasmas
A master's student received the Young Researcher Presentation Award at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research
ResearchResearch themes
Plasma, the most universal state of matter in the universe, is a many-body system of charged particles with many degrees of freedom. The lab investigates its complex nonlinear and nonequilibrium phenomena through numerical simulation on supercomputers and through theories of statistics, turbulence, and chaos, and carries out a wide range of theoretical research centered on fusion plasmas and space and astrophysical plasmas.
*Illustrative imageTurbulence and order in fusion plasmas
When high-pressure plasma is confined in a small space, it often becomes turbulent. Using a global gyrokinetic simulation code developed in-house, the lab studies turbulence and the zonal flows that form spontaneously.
*Illustrative imageConfining plasma while it burns
Many problems remain unsolved in the physics of fusion burning plasmas, which are needed to deliver energy on a practical scale. The lab studies burning plasmas such as those in ITER with a global gyrokinetic code and predicts confinement in future reactors.
*Illustrative imageWhen magnetic field lines reconnect
Magnetohydrodynamic phenomena in which the magnetic field changes greatly affect both confinement performance in fusion and the formation of structures in space plasmas. Centered on magnetic reconnection, the lab analyzes them with gyrokinetic codes and particle simulations.
*Illustrative imageInferring equations from data
The results of large-scale simulations are complex, and the underlying physics is sometimes hard for people to read from them. The lab is developing methods that use physics-informed neural networks to infer which partial differential equations the data obey.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Fundamental Plasma and Fusion Science Lab consist of faculty, a secretary, doctoral and master's students, and undergraduates.As of 2026
- ProfessorAkihiro Ishizawa
- Associate ProfessorKenji Imadera
- Assistant ProfessorShuhei Okuda
VoicesStudent voices
Compiled from answers by students who were in the lab. Ratings and reviews reflect individual students' experiences, not the lab's official views.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
On a 4-point scale, ● marks where students' answers fall
Who is this lab for?
What's great about this lab?
What did you learn after joining?
What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
Where do graduates go?
RelatedLabs similar to Fundamental Plasma and Fusion Science Lab
Plasma Physics and Engineering LabFaculty of Engineering, School of Physical Science and EngineeringElucidation of plasma physics phenomena and development of c…
Mechanical Systems Control LabFaculty of Engineering, School of Physical Science and EngineeringSystem control theory and its application to advanced scienc…
Propulsion Engineering LabFaculty of Engineering, School of Physical Science and EngineeringPlasma technology for creating tomorrow: from space to micro…
Neutron Engineering LabFaculty of Engineering, School of Physical Science and EngineeringNeutron–matter interactions; development of quantum technolo…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “The Sun by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory - 20100819” NASA/SDO (AIA) / Public domain (cropped)
- Turbulence and order in fusion plasmas: “PIA21972 Jupiter Blues” NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstadt/Sean Doran / Public domain (cropped)
- Confining plasma while it burns: “Horseshoe Magnetic Filings (Flipped 180)” Noguarde / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- When magnetic field lines reconnect: “Aurora and perseids” Stephan Sprinz / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Inferring equations from data: “Dülmen, Hausdülmen, Spuren auf einem Feld” Dietmar Rabich / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (プラズマ物理工学): “Tokamak schematic Smith” Smith Chris Llewellyn and Cowley Steve / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (機械システム制御): “Swarm of Colias Robot” Farshadarvin / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (推進工学): “Xenon hall thruster” Jet Propulsion Laboratory / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (中性子工学): “Fields and neutron source - geograph.org.uk - 5301501” Rudi Winter / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.