Guest Editorial Special Issue on Plenary, Invited, and Selected Minicourse Tutorial Papers From ICOPS 2018

The IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS) is held annually, sponsored by the Plasma Science and Applications Committee (PSAC) of the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Science Society (NPSS). The 45th IEEE NPSS ICOPS was held on June 24–28, 2018, in Denver, CO, USA. The conference's technical program included a wide range of topics, which ranged from basic and fundamental research to traditional and emerging technology applications. Over 530 accepted abstracts, representing scientists from over 30 countries. The program also included a minicourse on “New Directions in Plasma Diagnostics for High Energy Density and Burning Plasmas.” This year, the ICOPS sessions were enhanced by several exceptional plenary talks and two IEEE Birdsall award talks. John Cary from the University of Colorado (the 2016 Birdsall Award Winner) gave a talk entitled “The Evolution of Computational Physics,” and Alex Friedman from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (the 2017 Birdsall Award Winner) spoke on “Computer Simulations of Plasmas and Beams: A View From Multiple Angles.” Other plenary talks covered areas that included: particle accelerator technology; challenges of high-energy density physics and inertial fusion; the physics, chemistry, and interactions of plasma with liquids; radiation belt remediation; and electron beams, plasmas, and EM fields and waves.