PUFFIN is a new pulsed-power facility under construction at MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC). PUFFIN (the PUlser For Fundamental INvestigations) will use intense pulses of electrical current to heat initially solid loads made from thin wires or foils to a high-energy-density (HED) plasma state. In Summer 2025, PUFFIN will move to Cornell University to join the Laboratory of Plasma Studies.

These plasmas will be accelerated by the strong magnetic fields generated by the intense currents, creating long-lasting flows of magnetized plasma which mimic the extreme conditions found in astrophysical objects. We will use PUFFIN to carry out research into fundamental plasma processes, such as magnetic reconnection and magneto-hydrodynamic turbulence, which underpin events such as solar flares and the transport of matter in the accretions disks of black holes. The same physical processes are important in magnetized target fusion, a hybrid between the mainstream magnetically confined and inertially confined fusion concepts.

PUFFIN is currently under construction, and you can find out about the latest progress on our News page. The PUFFIN group is grateful for funding from the NSF, the NNSA, and ARPA-E.