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Fatima Ebrahimi

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PPPL physicist Fatima Ebrahimi in front of an artist's conception of a fusion rocket

Fatima Ebrahimi is an Iranian-American physicist and inventor. She carries out theoretical and computational plasma physics research for applications including fusion energy and space and astrophysical plasmas.[1][2]

Biography

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Ebrahimi received BSc and MSc degrees in physics from Tehran Polytechnic in 1993 and 1996, respectively, and a PhD in plasma physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2003 under the supervision of Stewart Prager.[3][2] Her approach to plasma physics has been characterized as "applying knowledge from her fusion research in the laboratory to astrophysics and vice versa".[2] She is a principal research physicist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Theory Department and an affiliated research scholar at the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University.[4]

Ebrahimi's most notable contribution to science has been her research on how plasmoids (plasma objects enclosed by magnetic fields) can be used to create the initial plasma current in compact spherical tokamaks[5][6] and produce thrust for space propulsion.[7][8][9][10][11][12] Her proposed electromagnetic plasma thruster utilizes magnetic reconnection for magnetic-to-kinetic energy conversion, emulating the physical mechanism that generates solar flares.[13] Simulations on NERSC supercomputers[14] demonstrated that thrust is generated by expulsion of continuously created plasmoids, when magnetic helicity is injected into an annular thruster channel.[15]

Princeton University has a patent pending on the thruster technology,[13] which "may come to be known as the Ebrahimi Drive – an engine inspired by fusion reactors and the incredible power of solar Coronal Mass Ejections".[8] Ebrahimi has also done research on the magnetorotational instability and demonstrated in global simulations its importance for the dynamo of astrophysical disks[16] and for plasmoid reconnection.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Pandika, Melissa (October 30, 2017). "Could this young physicist finally crack the code to nuclear fusion?". OZY Magazine. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Awe, Stephanie (April 5, 2022). "A Future for Nuclear Fusion". On Wisconsin Magazine. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  3. ^ "Fatima Ebrahimi". UW Department of Physics. April 5, 2022. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  4. ^ "Fatima Ebrahimi". PPPL Theory Department. April 5, 2022. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  5. ^ Rosen, Raphael (June 1, 2015). "Giant structures called plasmoids could simplify design of future tokamaks". Science Daily. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  6. ^ "Physicists conduct experiments indicating efficiency of fusion start-up technique". phys.org. May 31, 2016. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  7. ^ Delbert, Caroline (February 2, 2021). "The Unusual Rocket Thruster That Will Send Humans to Mars". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Cimone, Matthew (February 9, 2021). "Plasma Thruster Could Dramatically Cut Down Flight Times to the Outer Solar System". Universe Today. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  9. ^ Szondy, David (January 31, 2021). "New magnetic rocket thruster concept could propel astronauts to Mars". New Atlas. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  10. ^ Banerjee, Krishnendu (January 30, 2021). "Scientist Develops New Fusion Rocket that Could Take Humans to Mars in Short Time". International Business Times. Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  11. ^ Houser, Kristin (February 3, 2021). "Nuclear fusion inspires new rocket thruster design". Freethink. Archived from the original on July 10, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  12. ^ "How Dr. Fatima Ebrahimi is Geting Humans a Faster Ticket to Mars". Energy.gov. February 11, 2021. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Fatima Ebrahimi: A rocket thruster that could take humans to Mars and beyond". Princeton Innovation. November 2, 2021. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  14. ^ "NERSC Aids Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in Plasma Rocket Breakthrough". HPCwire. March 30, 2021. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  15. ^ Ebrahimi, Fatima (December 21, 2020). "An Alfvenic reconnecting plasmoid thruster". Journal of Plasma Physics. 86 (6). arXiv:2011.04192. doi:10.1017/S0022377820001476. S2CID 226281913. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  16. ^ Ebrahimi, Fatima (May 19, 2009). "Saturation Of Magnetorotational Instability Through Magnetic Field Generation". The Astrophysical Journal. 698 (1): 233–241. arXiv:0904.2941. Bibcode:2009ApJ...698..233E. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/698/1/233. S2CID 14642487. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  17. ^ Rosenberg, Jarrett (October 14, 2021). "Onset of Plasmoid Reconnection during Magnetorotational Instability". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 920 (2): L29. arXiv:2110.00850. Bibcode:2021ApJ...920L..29R. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ac2b2e. S2CID 238259006.
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