XLIV Zvenigorod International Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion (ICPAF2017)

Introduction This issue of Journal of Physics: Conference Series includes 28 articles submitted by the participants of the XLIV International Zvenigorod Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion (February 13-17, 2017). The conference is named after the town of Zvenigorod, Moscow region, where it has been annually held for 44 years. More than 600 scientists took part in the conference this year. These articles showcase a wide range of topical issues in the field of plasma physics that were discussed at the conference. Leading foreign scientists took part even in the first Zvenigorod conferences. They were invited by the conference organizers to give talks on the challenging problems of plasma physics. By now, the conference has truly become international. Several dozens of foreign scientists from the USA, Europe, and Japan take part in the conference annually. They represent about 30 leading research centers working in different fields of plasma physics. Nowadays, the conference has expanded to include a large number of topics. The conference schedule includes sessions on magnetic confinement of high-temperature plasma, inertial fusion, processes in low-temperature plasma, physical principles of plasma and beam technologies, and topical issues of the ITER project. About 90 Russian research centers are usually represented at the conference. Among them are institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, research centers of Russian universities, institutes of the State Corporation ROSATOM, and other scientific organizations of the Russian Federation. The conference talks are selected by the Programming Committee comprised of leading Russian and foreign scientists. Leading scientists from around the world working in the field of plasma physics have become members of the International Advisory Board of the International Zvenigorod Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. The International Advisory Board is aimed to ensure and confirm the international status of the conference, which takes place in Russia. The full list of papers can be viewed on the conference website http://www.fpl.gpi.ru/Zvenigorod/XLIV/Zven-XLIV-e.html. The issue was edited by V.A. Ivanov, I.A. Grishina, and E.V. Voronova. (paper)