Board of Directors
Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. G. ECKER, Ruhr-Universität Bochum; chairman
Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. J. ENGEMANN, Bergische Universität GH Wuppertal
Dr. U. SAMM, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 
Prof. Dr. J. UHLENBUSCH, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
 

Cooperating Institutions
RUHR-UNIVERSITÄT BOCHUM 
HEINRICH-HEINE-UNIVERSITÄT DÜSSELDORF 
UNIVERSITÄT GH ESSEN
BERGISCHE UNIVERSITÄT GH WUPPERTAL
FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JÜLICH GmbH
 

Data
About 180 scientists of the cooperating institutions contribute to the work of the APP. Much of them are supported through additional funding of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) and similar financing resources.
 

Aims of the APP
In the past decades a remarkable potential in the field of plasma physics was 
accumulated in expertise of scientific staff and in equipment at the universities 
Bochum, Düsseldorf, Essen, and Wuppertal as well as at the Institute of 
Plasma Physics (IPP) of the Research Center Jülich . In order to make best 
use of this potential and develop it successfully in the future the cooperating 
institutions decided in the year 1986 to found the Arbeitsgemeinschaft 
Plasmaphysik (APP).
The scientific aim of this working group is the cooperative research in plasma 
physics in the following fields:
 

1. Basic research covering plasmas of any degree of ionization. 
2. Solution of research problems in high temperature plasma physics related to large scale experiments of thermal fusion. 
3. Research in plasma technology as a basis for innovations in industrial applications. 
4. Problems of plasma physics in the domain of extraterrestrical physics.

Development
Here, it is not possible to describe in detail all the endeavours and successes 
of the APP. We must restrict ourselves to some typical examples:

In BASIC RESEARCH the APP was successful to acquire from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft two Sonderforschungsbereiche (special collaborative 
research centers). The SFB 162 operated from 1972 to 1989 under the title "Plasmaphysik Bochum/Jülich " and the SFB 191 is operating since 1990 
under the title "Physikalische Grundlagen der Niedertemperaturplasmen".

The activities in the Sonderforschungsbereich 191 are subdivided in
three project groups: 
 

(A) "Analysis of characteristic aspects of low temperature plasmas" 
(B) "Diagnostics of low temperature plasmas" 
(C) "Theoretical investigation of non-equilibrium states of low temperature
plasma in transcritical parameter ranges" 

With respect to PLASMA TECHNOLOGY the APP succeeded in initiating
and coordinating the three Verbund Projekte (joint projects) "Plasma Radiation 
Sources" , "Dielectric Barrier Discharges for Gas Treatment" , and "Investigations
of Pulsed Plasmas". In these joint projects several german universities and industrial institutions are integrated.

Since April 1999 the joint-project "Analyse und Anwendung des Randbereiches zeitmodulierter Plasmen" is supported by the MSWWF.

In IONOSPHERIC AND SPACE RESEARCH non-linear dynamic plasma processes are investigated with the aim to explain the processes of structure formation. The main fields of work are the domains of magnetospheric and solar activity. Here too, several national and international institutions cooperate.

In the general field of PROMOTION OF PLASMA PHYSICS the APP as a whole
and many of its individuals have been successful. We mention especially the
foundation of the INSTITUTE OF LOW TEMPERATURE PLASMA PHYSICS 
(INP) GREIFSWALD , which was initiated through members of the board 
of the APP. The chairman was called upon by the government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to guide this founding process. The development of 
new funding structures in the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Bildung
(BMBF) was also decisevely influenced through the APP. The APP further administrates the activities of the
DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR PLASMATECHNOLOGIE (DGPT).

The APP organizes regularly conferences, seminars, and workshops 
(e. g., 10. ISPC, 1991; XXI ICPIG, 1993; 7. BFPT, 1996).

Some interesting links
Special Collaborative Research Center 191
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Plasmatechnologie (DGPT)
Plasma on Internet
Plasma Physics and Technology
Institut für Niedertemperatur-Plasmaphysik (INP) Greifswald
.