Tess Bernard - SCGSR
Dancing with the Stars
Graduate student gains valuable experience at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
By Kelly Day
Tess Bernard’s resume features a range of experience not commonly found in the world of science.
On the one hand, she is a physicist, having earned a Phd in physics from the University of Texas-Austin. On the other, she is a former professional ballerina, employed by two ballet companies between 2008 to 2013.
After 2013, she decidedly gravitated toward science.
In the later years of pursuing her doctorate, Bernard earned a grant through theDepartment of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program. The program is one of several offered through the DOE’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists.
A natural path to PPPL
Bernard, who excelled at calculus and was interested in the potential of renewable energy, studied plasma physics while pursuing her doctoral degree. That contributed to her decision to continue her graduate work through SCGSR at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in Princeton, N.J.
At PPPL, Bernard worked with the computational plasma physics code Gkeyll. She used the code to study plasma dynamics on the boundaries of fusion devices, with the goal of replicating the same nuclear reactions that occur in a star within a fusion reactor. The heat from these reactions could be converted into abundant renewable and reliable electricity create a clean, renewable energy source.
Bernard continues to benefit from her time at PPPL. She uses the skills, connections, and even the Gkeyll code as a staff scientist at General Atomics, a San Diego-based defense and diversified technologies company. There, the plasma team uses magnetic fields to confine the plasma, essentially creating a star on earth.
“It’s an optimization problem,” Bernard said of her work at General Atomics. “We need to control the heat and particles to maintain the good quality of the core plasma while also extracting heat for electricity.”
Continuing to use PPPL lessons
Bernard’s said General Atomics work with Gkeyll builds on her SCGSR-funded project. She said she “uses the code to analyze plasma turbulence phenomena in simulations and compare it with experimental data.”
This model is more accurate than other less computationally expensive models, Bernard said, emphasizing that the skills obtained at PPPL remind her of the importance of public funding of plasma research.
“Public funding is essential to solving critical issues in order to make fusion energy a reality,” Bernard said.
She pointed to DOE’s announcement in 2022 that Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory had achieved fusion ignition as an encouraging sign for scientists working with the potential of plasma.
Bernard, now years removed from her previous life as a ballerina, said she was grateful for her time at PPPL, adding that the experience has been essential to her growth as a scientist.
“As a graduate student awardee, I gained firsthand experience at one of the premier plasma physics research laboratories in the United States,” Bernard said. “That helped me to become a better researcher and opened important career pathways.”
