Princeton University's Nuclear Projects

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) was founded in 1951 by Lyman Spitzer *38 as a joint project between Princeton University and the US Department of Energy. PPPL conducts research on developing controlled nuclear…

Princeton's Nuclear Fallout Shelters

During the Cold War, many Princetonians feared a nuclear bomb being dropped by the Soviets on NYC or Philadelphia. Princeton contemplated whether they should construct nuclear fallout shelters to protect their students and Princeton community members in the event of nuclear fallout. 

To address these…

Princeton-Pennsylvania Accelerator Laboratory

The Princeton-Pennsylvania Accelerator Laboratory operated on Princeton’s Forrestal Campus from 1957 to 1971. It was designed and constructed under the leadership of Milton White and…

Project Matterhorn

Project Matterhorn was the code name for controlled thermonuclear research started by Lyman Spitzer at Princeton University during the Cold War. In 1951, Spitzer outlined the basic concept for creating a stellarator, a device for confining and heating…