Brady's Plasma Notes
A plasma physics blog by Brady Elster
About Me
Welcome! My name is Brady Elster (he/him/his). I am currently a PhD student studying plasma physics at Auburn University. I currently work under Dr. Luca Guazzotto studying fusion theory. I am in my third year now, and I've spent the past year studying resistive tearing modes. This website is where I store information about myself and my work. I hope you enjoy.
My Background
I currently hold a Master of Science in Physics. I came to Auburn, AL from Ithaca, NY where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Ithaca College in a wonderful physics department there. I was born and raised in Auburn, NY which is a small, working-class city near Syracuse. I visit home about twice a year and take frequent trips to Boston to visit my partner there.
Why I Started This Blog
I started this blog to share my professional work, notes, and admittedly some crazy ideas with the world. This blog is my space to formalize and store my notes in one central location so I can share them with friends and colleagues. But perhaps others might find these useful as well, so I am making this site public access. If you find anything helpful, please share this site with others.
Get in Touch
If you have any questions, suggestions for this site, or want to collaborate, feel free to email me.
Stellarators & Quasi-symmetry
My notes on mathematics of designing optimal fusion reactors and deep insight we can gain from this work.
Christoffel Symbols
Read my latest blog post on the meaning behind the Christoffel symbols of tensor calculus with applications to the common coordinate systems used in plasma physics.
Magnetic Field Structure
Some notes on coordinate systems used in plasma physics and the geometry of magnetic field lines.