Plasma science in the University of California system

A survey is presented of the plasma science research underway in the University of California (UC) system. Plasma research is carried out in at least fifteen different departments at seven of the nine UC campuses, as well as at the three UC-managed DOE laboratories (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)). In addition, many of these activities involved strong collaborations among UC sites as well as with institutions outside of the UC system. The environment for plasma science at UC ranges from small-scale research activities to large programs. Students have the opportunity of being trained in a team setting or in working individually with a professor. Research activities are supported by both government and private sector funding and have a wide range of applications and motivations. These applications can be grouped into general categories such as commercial manufacturing, energy, defense, development of new tools, and fundamental understanding of our universe.