coleman2011jfe
Executive Summary
System Metadata
Source ID
DOC-CHRISTOF
Process Date
2/3/2026
Integrity Hash
SHA256-xefwvmurh...
Indexer Status
COMPLETE
INVESTIGATIVE ANALYSIS
Layman's Executive Summary
This document tells the story of Nicholas Christofilos, a self-taught engineer who designed a unique fusion energy project called 'Astron' at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Though the project never fully succeeded, it pioneered technologies like the linear induction accelerator and established the groundwork for modern compact torus fusion devices.
Document Origin
The article was authored by Elisheva R. Coleman (Albert Einstein College of Medicine), Samuel A. Cohen, and Michael S. Mahoney, published by Springer Science+Business Media in the 'Journal of Fusion Energy'.
Research Purpose
The research was conducted to document the historical context of the Astron project and the career of Nicholas Christofilos, examining how his unconventional background influenced the development of 'Big Science' and fusion research in the United States.
Relevancy Analysis
" This document is a critical primary-source history for the investigation into Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) and compact torus geometry, which are central to modern fusion and high-energy propulsion research. It connects the technical development of linear induction accelerators and magnetic mirror devices to the broader ecosystem of national laboratories and Cold War-era 'Big Science' initiatives. "
Extracted Verifiable Claims
- › The Astron project was conducted from 1956 to 1973 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
- › Nicholas Christofilos first presented his fusion idea to American scientists in 1953 while residing in Greece.
- › Building 431 at LLNL was originally constructed for the Materials Testing Accelerator (MTA) in the late 1940s.
- › The Astron project's E-layer concept was the earliest conception of a compact torus, a class including the Spheromak and FRC.
- › Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was created in 1952 at the urging of Edward Teller and Ernest Lawrence.
Technical Contribution
This document serves as a definitive historical record linking Nicholas Christofilos' individual ingenuity to the institutional evolution of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the specific technical lineage of the Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC).