LAUSR

WE are pleased to introduce the Special Issue for Plenary and Invited Papers from the 18th China National Conference on Plasma Science and Technology (CNCPST). The associated conference, which all the guest editors had the honor to attend, took place on July 26, 2017–July 29, 2017, in Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. The conference General Chair was Prof. C. L. Liu, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, and the Technical Program Chair was Prof. C. Chang, Xi’an Jiaotong University. A total of 12 plenary talks, 36 invited talks, 159 oral talks, and 312 posters provided an excellent platform for academic exchanges for researchers to enhance scientific communication, and further promote the research development of the Chinese domestic plasma science and technology. While the conference generally used the Chinese language, several of the opening speakers presented their talks in English, and several presented both in English and Chinese, mainly for the benefit of our English-speaking contingent. The conference was attended by high-level Chinese faculty and scientists, as well as a large contingent of students. The topics spanned a broad range of areas, from low-temperature plasmas to magnetic fusion, showing the full breadth of plasma physics in China. The plenary talks included J. Li, China Academician, Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, “China’s Fusion Engineering Experiment Reactor—Current Situation and Future.” Prof. J. Verboncoeur from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA, presented “A Brief History of the Particle Simulation of Plasmas.” The additional ten plenary talks related to low-temperature plasma physics, high-temperature plasmas, fusion plasma of the HL-2A tokamak and EAST, microwave-driven plasmas, lightning plasma, astrophysics plasmas, plasmas in surface engineering, and Thompson scattering for plasma diagnostic. S. Gold, retired from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA, gave a lecture on “Study of Multipactor in X-Band Dielectric-Loaded Accelerating Structures.” M. Pu, the Officer from the Natural Science Foundation of China, gave a seminar about the status of the Physical II Disciplinary Science Fund. The CNCPST is a biannual series engaging the broad plasma community of China. The series originated in 1980, with the first three meetings held in Beijing, China. The 4th conference was held in Shanghai, China, in 1987, 5th in Dalian, China, in 1989, 6th in Nanjing, China, in 1992, 7th in Hefei, China, in 1995, 8th in Beijing, in 1997, 9th in Dalian, in 1999, 10th in Changsha, China, in 2001, 11th in