Anne White: A passion for plasma

Turbulence is a common occurrence, as evidenced by the curls of smoke that rise from a fire or the cream that we add to our morning coffee.However, the specifics of how turbulent flows behave remain somewhat a mystery to scientists despite centuries of research.

In addition, turbulence remains one of the most significant obstacles in the quest to make fusion, which has the potential to be a clean and virtually limitless source of electricity, practical for power generation.

Since she was an undergraduate, Anne White, who is the Cecil and Ida Green Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering at MIT’s Plasma Fusion and Science Center, has been fascinated by the intricate nature of turbulence and its crucial role in draining power from fusion reactors.She has made significant progress toward solving some of that mystery since arriving at MIT, where she received tenure last year.