Primary Intelligence Asset

LosAlamos Scylla ThetaPinch 1976

Declassified Public record OCR verified
INTEL

Executive Summary

This 1976 technical report describes experiments on a small-scale plasma research device called the Scylla I-C at Los Alamos. Researchers were studying the behavior and stability of high-density plasma to help develop more advanced nuclear fusion energy technologies.
Analysis Confidence: High
ST_CODE: 9876E9

System Metadata

Source ID

DOC-LOSALAMO

Process Date

8/9/2026

Integrity Hash

SHA256-229p6ajzlw2...

Indexer Status

COMPLETE

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INVESTIGATIVE ANALYSIS

Summary

This 1976 technical report describes experiments on a small-scale plasma research device called the Scylla I-C at Los Alamos. Researchers were studying the behavior and stability of high-density plasma to help develop more advanced nuclear fusion energy technologies.

Origin

The document was authored by Kenneth F. McKenna at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the University of California, located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. It was issued under the United States Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) contract W-7405-ENG-36.

Purpose

The Scylla I-C was developed as a versatile research instrument to investigate basic plasma physics processes and test advanced concepts, specifically studying the interaction of high-energy CO2 lasers with dense plasma columns to support larger theta-pinch fusion programs.

Why It Matters

" This report is a foundational technical record for the 'Scylla' series of experiments, which are critical to the history of Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) and magnetic confinement fusion. The mention of high-energy CO2 laser-plasma interaction connects this research to the intersection of directed-energy studies and advanced energy production, often cited in the evolution of aerospace black programs. "

Key Claims

  • › The Scylla I-C is a 1-meter research theta pinch with a maximum energy storage of 175 kJ at 60-kV primary bank voltage.
  • › The system utilizes fifty-four 1.8-uF capacitors feeding a 50-cm long, 10.5-cm diameter single-turn compression coil.
  • › A peak crowbarred compression field of 33 kG is obtained 2.0 microseconds after discharge initiation.
  • › Experiments were conducted using an initial fill pressure range of 100 to 500 mTorr of deuterium gas.
  • › Spectroscopic data identified that identifiable lines other than the Balmer series resulted primarily from carbon ion radiation.

Contribution to the Field

This document provides specific electrical circuit parameters, peak magnetic field measurements (33 kG), and spectroscopic analysis confirming that Z-pinch pre-ionization systems do not introduce undesirable impurities into the main plasma discharge.

External Primary Sources (3)

Verified external sources that corroborate the claims in this document.

patent
US Patent 9,947,420 B2 — Magnetic field plasma confinement for compact fusion power
conference 2019
Recent Achievements in the C-2W Field-Reversed Configuration Experiment — APS DPP19
TAE Technologies
paper 2019-06-05
Formation of hot, stable, long-lived field-reversed configuration plasmas on the C-2W device — Nuclear Fusion
H. Gota et al.

Full Transcript

Transcript

Page 1 of 2

INTRODUCTION

LA-8397-MS Informal Report DC 20 Reporting Date: August 1976 Issued: August 1976 Plasma Experiments on the Scylla I-C Theta Pinch by Kenneth F. Mc Kenna scientific laboratory of the University of California LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO 87545 An Affirmative Aclion/Equal Opportunity fmployer n UNITED STATES ENERGY RE8EAHCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION CONTRACT W-740S-ENG. 3< Printed in the United States of America. Available from National Technical Information Service U.S. Department of Commerce 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 Price: Printed Copy $3.50 Microfiche $2.25 Thi* rvaori «*••* awparwl an *•> •rmunl irf work •a Maan* at the t'nitrd State, (iavrranwal Neither the 1'nitcd Mialra nor the Ciii Ud Slalra Kmms Krtrart-lt ai«l l>rvrlaaa»nil M- i Mrlar*. aubr Mlrartan. «r Ihrir rmatoitv*. malurs * n V warranl.i. nprm ar implied, ar ii Mion aav legal liah JKl^ «r rraaoniibility f»r |IM> arrvrarv, c«mal H*(wa«. ar wwfulnet* af anv inr«rirtai Hin. apparalin. prarfwrl, ar arm-na rfiaclaaatl. ar reprrorain thai H* UM> wauw na< inf Vinffr arivalrl> •wnctl rlah U. PLASMA a Cf'BUMEBTS 08 THE SCit XA I-C ?H£?A PI8CK Kenneth F. Mc Kenna

Cited In (1 references)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this document? ▾
This 1976 technical report describes experiments on a small-scale plasma research device called the Scylla I-C at Los Alamos. Researchers were studying the behavior and stability of high-density plasma to help develop more advanced nuclear fusion energy technologies.
Where does this document come from? ▾
The document was authored by Kenneth F. McKenna at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the University of California, located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. It was issued under the United States Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) contract W-7405-ENG-36.
What is the research purpose of this document? ▾
The Scylla I-C was developed as a versatile research instrument to investigate basic plasma physics processes and test advanced concepts, specifically studying the interaction of high-energy CO2 lasers with dense plasma columns to support larger theta-pinch fusion programs.
Where is this document cited in the investigation? ▾
This document is referenced in 1 places across the investigation: 1 Research Rounds. See the "Cited In" section below for the complete list of pages that reference this document.