Contents and Arrangement Collection View
Description:

Series 1: Digitized Historical Negatives includes images (electronic files and thumbnail prints) of facility construction, scientific apparatus and unidentified people working, providing a visual documentation of 41 years at the PPPL.

The electronic files and thumbnail prints within Series 1: Digitized Historical negatives are arranged chronologically.

Description:

Series 2: Publications consists of back issues of serials produced by the PPPL Communications Office. The serials include: PPPL Hotline, which is published irregularly and features stories about the Laboratory's employees, projects, events, and activities; PPPL News, which is generally published monthly as a summary of recent events and activities; PPPL Weekly, which contains a weekly overview of laboratory highlights; Fact Sheets, produced periodically and written for the general public and broader scientific community; and This Week at PPPL, which is a digital display in the Lab's lobby that previews the upcoming week's events.

The contents of Series 2: Publications are arranged by publication title, and thereunder chronologically.

Description:

Series 3: Earl C. Tanner Files include Princeton Plasma Laboratory administrative materials, visual materials for presentations and publications, and resource files on energy production research.

Materials within Series 3: Earl C. Tanner Files have been generally grouped together by subject or format, but otherwise have not been arranged.

Scope and Contents

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Records document the people, projects, events, activities and physical grounds of the laboratory through a span of 49 years. The records include one binder of digitized historical negatives and four binders, one box of PPPL Communications Office Publications, and three boxes of materials from the office of Dr. Earl C. Tanner, a long-term employee of the PPL. Included with the digitized historical negatives are thumbnail prints and a list of images. The publications include PPPL Hotline (1979-2007) and two series of PPPL News (1977-1979, 1997-2007). Dr. Tanner's files inlude PPL administrative materials, visual materials, and resource files on energy production research.

Collection Creator Biography:

Princeton University. Plasma Physics Laboratory

The U.S. Department of Energy Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a Collaborative National Center for plasma and fusion science. Its primary mission is to develop the scientific understanding and the key innovations which will lead to a new fusion energy source.

Magnetic fusion research at Princeton began in 1951 under the code name Project Matterhorn. Lyman Spitzer, Jr., Professor of Astronomy at Princeton University, had for many years been involved in the study of very hot rarefied gases in interstellar space. Princeton University's controlled fusion effort was born when Professor Spitzer took his design of a plasma being confined in a figure-eight-shaped tube by an externally generated magnetic field, the "stellarator," before the Atomic Energy Commission in Washington. In 1958, magnetic fusion research was declassified allowing all nations to share their results openly.

Since the 1970s, PPPL has been a leader in magnetic confinement experiments utilizing the tokamak approach. PPPL researchers continue to lead work on advanced fusion devices and are developing other innovated concepts. Laboratory scientists are collaborating with researchers on fusion science and technology at other facilities, both domestic and foreign. Staff are applying knowledge gained in fusion research to a number of theoretical and experimental areas including materials science, solar physics, chemistry, and manufacturing.

Other directors, succeeding Mr. Spitzer (1951-1961), were Melvin B. Gottlieb (1961-1980), Harold P. Furth (1981-1990), Ronald C. Davidson (1991-1996) and Robert J. Goldston (1997-Present).

Acquisition:

Portions of this collection were transferred to the University Archives by the Plasma Physics Laboratory on October 17, 2007, July 29, 2008, and January 15, 2015 .

Appraisal

Appraisal has been conducted in accordance with Mudd Library guidelines. A duplicate binder of material for a 1981 committee meeting and one linear foot of loose, unorganized reference materials on energy production research were separated from Series 3: Earl C. Tanner Files.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Mike Mellor in November 2007. Finding aid written by Mike Mellor in November 2007. Series 3 was added by Christie Peterson with assistance from Eleanor Wright '14 between December 2010 and January 2011. Accession AR.2018.074 and AR.2019.057 were added by Kelli Yakabu in July 2019. Accessions AR.2022.046 and AR.2022.047 were added by Annalise Berdini in December 2022.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. For instances beyond Fair Use, if copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers do not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with use of materials from the Princeton University Archives.

For instances beyond Fair Use where the copyright is not held by the University, while permission from the Library is not required, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Digital Images in TIFF and PDF formats require software for viewing. Access to this material follows the Mudd Manuscript Library policy for preservation and access to audiovisual materials.

This collection contains materials acquired from an Apple mini computer running OS X 10.7.5 ("Lion"). Researchers are responsible for meeting the technical requirements needed to access these materials, including any and all hardware and software

Credit this material:

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Records; Princeton University Archives, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/7h149p90r
Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1-7
Related Materials

Additional information pertaining to the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory can be found in the Historical Subject Files Collection (AC109), Series 8. Finding aid available online at: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/kw52j807s.

Audio recordings of lectures, symposia and special events related to the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory can be found in the Historical Audiovisual Collection (AC332). Finding aid availabe online at: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/8g84mm25r.

Existence and Location of Originals

The originals of the historic negatives and PPPL Hotline are located at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.

Bibliography

Organizational history based on information provided by the PPPL website ( http://www.pppl.gov/history.cfm).

Subject Terms:
Controlled fusion.
Energy alternatives.
Nuclear Physics.
Plasma (Ionized gases).
Tokamaks.
Genre Terms:
Born digital.
Newsletters.
Photographs, Original.
Names:
Tanner, Earl C.