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Prof. Jan Badziak, from the Department of Laser Plasma and Magnetized Dense Plasma Physics at the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion (IPPLM), has been included in the prestigious Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List 2025. This exceptional distinction recognises outstanding researchers worldwide whose scientific work has made a significant impact on the advancement of their respective fields.

The Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List is an annual ranking jointly prepared by Stanford University and Elsevier. It highlights the 2% of the most influential scientists in the world, based on a comprehensive analysis of citation data covering both the past year and entire research careers. The evaluation methodology includes factors such as the number of citations, the Hirsch index, and the author’s position among co-authors. The list encompasses 22 main scientific disciplines and 174 specific research areas.

We extend our congratulations to Prof. Jan Badziak for earning a place among such a distinguished group of scientists.

The full list is available at: https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com

During the 29^th Science Festival in Warsaw, held on 19–28 September 2025, researchers from the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion (IPPLM) conducted lessons for upper-grade primary school students. The sessions, held at the Institute’s premises, combined theory, demonstrations, and discussions, introducing young participants to the world of plasma and nuclear fusion.

Dr Piotr Chmielewski led a class entitled "The Sun, the Aurora, Lightning and… a Fluorescent Lamp – Discovering Plasma", in which he presented plasma as the fourth state of matter, found both in the Universe and in our everyday surroundings. Students learned about the properties of plasma, such as electrical conductivity, light emission, and interaction with magnetic fields. Using examples like the aurora borealis, lightning, and the structure of the Sun, they explored how plasma occurs in nature. During the demonstration part, participants observed a glow discharge and the operation of a fusor-type fusion reactor, learning, among other things, about how gas pressure affects the discharge process. The session concluded with an educational game that reinforced the newly acquired knowledge.

Dr Krzysztof Gałązka conducted a class entitled "What’s This Nuclear Fusion All About?", designed as a discussion with elements of a lecture and live demonstrations. Students learned about various forms of energy, ways of generating and storing it, and the importance of electricity in everyday life. The fundamentals of nuclear fusion reactions and their potential as a future clean energy source were then explained. The discussion also addressed the advantages and technological challenges associated with sustaining fusion reactions on Earth. The class concluded with a visit to the laboratory, where students – like previous groups – observed glow discharges and the operation of the fusor.

The Warsaw Science Festival is a series of meetings with scientists who present the latest scientific achievements, research methods, and future challenges in an accessible way. The Festival’s programme covers a wide range of topics – from natural and exact sciences to medicine, the humanities, social sciences, culture, and the arts. Events take the form of debates, lectures, workshops, laboratory visits, exhibitions, excursions, and educational games. As part of the Festival, special lessons are also organised for school groups at all educational levels. The events are hosted by scientific, educational, and cultural institutions as well as academic societies and associations.

Photo: © IPPLM

From 15 to 19 September 2025, Warsaw hosted the international scientific conference PLASMA 2025 – International Conference on Research and Application of Plasmas, dedicated to plasma research, diagnostics, and applications. The event was organized by the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion (IPPLM).

A comprehensive scientific programme

Organized for more than 30 years, the conference once again confirmed its status as an important forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of plasma physics.

The programme covered, among others, the following topics:

• plasmas in tokamaks and stellarators (magnetic confinement fusion),
• plasmas generated by laser beams (inertial confinement fusion),
• space plasmas and laboratory astrophysics,
• dusty plasmas,
• plasma diagnostics, measurements, and data processing (including artificial intelligence),
• elementary processes and general plasma physics.

The conference was organized under the guidance of two committees: the International Scientific Committee chaired by Prof. Monika Kubkowska, IPPLM Director, and the Local Organizing Committee chaired by Dr. Natalia Wendler, Head of the Laboratory for Plasma Studies with Spectroscopic Methods at IPPLM.

20th Anniversary of the Polish Euratom–IPPLM Association

A key highlight of the conference was the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Polish Euratom–IPPLM Association (CeNTE) and the coordination of fusion research in Poland. The event brought together the Association’s pioneers, leading researchers, and representatives of scientific institutions and industry engaged in the development of technologies aiming at the realization of fusion energy.

The anniversary programme included lectures on the history and future of fusion research in Europe, as well as two high-level panel discussions broadcast live on the IPPLM YouTube channel:

• Panel I: Polish Contributions to Fusion Research – Achievements and International Collaborations,
• Panel II: The Future of Fusion Research – Key Milestones, Breakthrough Innovations, and Industry Collaboration.

Recordings of the debates are available online: watch them on the IPPLM YouTube channel.

Patronage, partners and sponsors

The conference was held under the honorary patronage of Mr. Marcin Kulasek, Minister of Science and Higher Education.
The event partner was the Euratom–IPPLM National Contact Point.
The conference was sponsored by: Ekspla, Eurotek International Sp. z o.o., Exosens, Hamamatsu Photonics, IRtech Sp. z o.o., LTB Lasertechnik Berlin, Precoptic Co., Quantum Design, TechnoSystem, Teledyne Princeton Instruments, Tespol Sp. z o.o.

PLASMA 2027

The next edition of the conference, PLASMA 2027, is planned for 2027.

Photos: IPPLM

It is with great sadness that we have received the news of the passing of Professor Jerzy Wołowski (1936–2025) an outstanding physicist, long-time employee of the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, mentor, and friend.

Jerzy Wołowski was born in 1936 in Lubicz near Toruń. He graduated from the University of Warsaw in 1960, defending his master’s thesis in nuclear spectroscopy. In 1967 he received his PhD in physics, also at the University of Warsaw, on the basis of research in nuclear physics carried out at the Institute of Physics, UW. From 1961 to 1969 he worked at the Military University of Technology, first as an assistant and later as an adjunct, teaching physics to WAT students. Between 1969 and 1975, Dr Wołowski was involved in establishing the new Nuclear Physics Group at WAT and led research on laser–plasma interactions, already achieving results of international significance.

From 1976 he worked at the newly established Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, formed by merging four groups previously operating at WAT. As head of a laboratory, later a department, and deputy director for research, he focused on plasma physics generated by lasers and selected aspects of laser-driven thermonuclear fusion.

In 1991 he earned his habilitation degree after defending a dissertation on anomalous effects in laser plasmas. He led numerous national and international research projects and supervised many doctoral students. In 2014 he was awarded the title of professor. Three years later, the President of the Republic of Poland honoured him with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for outstanding achievements in scientific research and teaching, for the promotion of science, for supporting the development of Polish entrepreneurship, and for his distinguished service to the state and society.

Professor Wołowski was the author or co-author of over 190 papers in leading scientific journals and more than 200 conference contributions. He co-organised international conferences and was a member of several scientific organisations and committees.

We will remember him as an eminent scholar, a kind teacher and colleague, who left a lasting mark on the development of Polish research in the field of laser microfusion.

We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Professor Wołowski.

The management and staff
of the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion

On 19 September 2025, during the PLASMA 2025 International Conference on Research, Diagnostics and Applications of Plasma in Warsaw, the IPPLM will mark 20th anniversary of the coordination of research on nuclear fusion in Poland and the establishment of the Polish Euratom-IPPLM Association (CeNTE). This milestone event will bring together leading scientists, pioneers of the Association, and representatives of research and industry engaged in the global effort to make fusion energy a reality.

The anniversary programme will include keynote lectures on the history and future of fusion research in Europe, followed by two high-level panel discussions that will be streamed live on YouTube:

• Panel I: Polish Contributions to Fusion Research – Achievements and International Collaborations
  Speakers:

• Tymoteusz Ciuk, Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics
• Łukasz Ciupiński, Warsaw University of Technology (WUT)
• Monika Kubkowska, Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion (IPPLM)
• Jacek Rzadkiewicz, National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ)

• Panel II: The Future of Fusion Research – Key Milestones, Breakthrough Innovations, and Industry Collaboration
  Featuring:

• Tony Donné, Fusion for Energy Innovation (FEInn)
• Gianfranco Federici, EUROfusion Programme Manager
• Wojciech Królas, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN)
• Fernanda Rimini, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)

These discussions will explore Poland’s role in advancing fusion research as well as the broader European and global strategies for achieving fusion energy.

We warmly invite everyone to join us in celebrating this anniversary and to follow the livestream of the panel discussions on our YouTube channel.

The livestream begins at 12:00 (CET) on Friday, 19 September.

Join the live event here: www.youtube.com/@ifpilm/streams