Exploring a Mystery of the Universe

The Facility for Laboratory Reconnection Experiments (FLARE) is a one-of-a-kind device designed to probe the physics behind magnetic reconnection, one of the most fundamental, yet still not fully understood, phenomena in the universe. Offering capabilities found nowhere else in the world, FLARE will help scientists study when magnetic field lines approach each other, snap apart and then reattach in new configurations. This research will expand our understanding of solar flares, the aurora borealis, atmospheric disturbances that could damage satellites and power grids, and improve our understanding of fusion plasma behavior.