Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) Colloquium

As we recently crossed several breakthroughs in magnetic fusion plasma physics and we approach an epoch-making milestone in the near future, it is worthwhile to celebrate the theoretical foundations of our progress toward magnetic nuclear fusion. Since the early days of Alfvén and Spitzer, guiding-center theory has been a key concept in understanding the physics of the magnetic confinement of charged particles. A review of guiding-center and gyrokinetic theory is first presented with an emphasis on the role played by many generations of PPPL plasma theorists over the past nearly 70 years. Next, a survey of recent results in space and laboratory plasma physics is presented.