Established in 1951, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is dedicated to de- veloping the scientific and technological knowledge base for fusion energy as a safe, econom- ical, and environmentally attractive energy source for the world’s long-term energy require- ments. It was the site of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor which completed a historic series of experiments using deuterium-tritium fuel in April 1997. A new innovative facility, the National Spherical Torus Experiment, came into operation in 1999, ahead of schedule and on budget.Princeton University manages PPPL under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy. The fiscal year 2003 budget was approximately $66.5 million. The number of full-time reg- ular employees at the end of the fiscal year was 420, not including approximately 30 subcon- tractors and limited duration employees, 35 graduate students, and visiting research staff. The Laboratory is sited on 88 acres of Princeton University’s James Forrestal Campus, about four miles from the main campus.
Through its efforts to build and operate magnetic fusion devices, PPPL has gained exten- sive capabilities in a host of disciplines including advanced computational simulations, vacuum technology, mechanics, materials science, electronics, computer technology, and high-voltage power systems. In addition, PPPL scientists and engineers are applying knowledge gained in fusion research to other theoretical and experimental areas including the development of plas- ma thrusters and propagation of intense beams of ions. The Laboratory’s Office of Technolo- gy Transfer assists industry, other universities, and state and local government in transferring these technologies to the commercial sector.The Laboratory’s graduate education and science education programs provide educational opportunities for students and teachers from elementary school through postgraduate studies.