FRCHX Results — 540T Compression, Neutron Yields 'Possible in Near Term'
01 Executive_Summary
ASSESSMENT: FRCHX (Field Reversed Compression and Heating Experiment) at AFRL Shiva Star achieved 400x magnetic field compression but FRC lifetime was insufficient for full fusion conditions. RESULTS: (1) 'Reliably formed, translated, and captured FRCs in magnetic mirrors inside metal shells or liners.' (2) 'Imploded a liner with interior magnetic mirror field, obtaining evidence for compression of 1.36 T field to 540 T' — 400x compression. (3) 'Performed a full system experiment of FRC formation, translation, capture, and imploding liner compression operation.' (4) 'Identified factors limiting the closed-field lifetime of FRCs to about half that required for good liner compression of FRCs to multi-keV, 10^19 ion/cm^3, high energy density plasma (HEDP) conditions.' (5) 'Designed and prepared hardware to increase that closed field FRC lifetime.' (6) 'Won a 1-year extension.' CRITICAL: 'Experiments with significant neutron yields are possible in the near term.' TARGET: multi-keV temperatures (20-50+ million K), 10^19 ion/cm^3 density. PROBLEM: FRC closed-field lifetime was about HALF what was needed. The FRC was dying before the liner could fully compress it. The team was working on extending FRC lifetime. CONNECTION TO CFR: Both FRCHX and CFR use FRC plasma. CFR's innovation was cusp confinement + NBI heating; FRCHX used liner compression. Same plasma family. CONNECTION TO MARAUDER: Both used Shiva Star — MARAUDER for compact toroid acceleration, FRCHX for FRC liner compression.
03 Deep_Dive_Intelligence
Overview
ASSESSMENT: FRCHX (Field Reversed Compression and Heating Experiment) at AFRL Shiva Star achieved 400x magnetic field compression but FRC lifetime was insufficient for full fusion conditions. RESULTS: (1) 'Reliably formed, translated, and captured FRCs in magnetic mirrors inside metal shells or liners.' (2) 'Imploded a liner with interior magnetic mirror field, obtaining evidence for compression of 1.36 T field to 540 T' — 400x compression. (3) 'Performed a full system experiment of FRC formation, translation, capture, and imploding liner compression operation.' (4) 'Identified factors limiting the closed-field lifetime of FRCs to about half that required for good liner compression of FRCs to multi-keV, 10^19 ion/cm^3, high energy density plasma (HEDP) conditions.' (5) 'Designed and prepared hardware to increase that closed field FRC lifetime.' (6) 'Won a 1-year extension.' CRITICAL: 'Experiments with significant neutron yields are possible in the near term.' TARGET: multi-keV temperatures (20-50+ million K), 10^19 ion/cm^3 density. PROBLEM: FRC closed-field lifetime was about HALF what was needed. The FRC was dying before the liner could fully compress it. The team was working on extending FRC lifetime. CONNECTION TO CFR: Both FRCHX and CFR use FRC plasma. CFR's innovation was cusp confinement + NBI heating; FRCHX used liner compression. Same plasma family. CONNECTION TO MARAUDER: Both used Shiva Star — MARAUDER for compact toroid acceleration, FRCHX for FRC liner compression.
Entity Type: Assessment — FRCHX Results — 540T Compression, Neutron Yields 'Possible in Near Term' is an analytical assessment synthesizing multiple data points.
Research Findings
FRCHX Results — 540T Compression, Neutron Yields 'Possible in Near Term' appears in 10 research analysis documents:
AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011:
Findings: AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011
Source PDF: [AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011](/archive/AFRL_FRCHX_Plasma_Lifetime_2011)
Date range: 1976-2013
Source org: LANL
Summary
This 2011 report by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) investigates the trapped-flux lifetime...
AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011:
Findings: AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011
Source PDF: [AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011](/archive/AFRL_FRCHX_Plasma_Lifetime_2011)
Date range: 1976-2013
Source org: LANL
Summary
This 2011 report by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) investigates the trapped-flux lifetime...
Findings: AFRL LANL FRCHX 2016
Source PDF: [AFRL LANL FRCHX 2016](/archive/AFRL_LANL_FRCHX_2016)
Date range: 1981-2022
Source org: LANL
Summary
This programmatic analysis investigates the 2014-2016 closeout of the Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX), a joint initiative by the Air Force ...
Findings: AFRL LANL FRCHX 2016
Source PDF: [AFRL LANL FRCHX 2016](/archive/AFRL_LANL_FRCHX_2016)
Date range: 1981-2022
Source org: LANL
Summary
This programmatic analysis investigates the 2014-2016 closeout of the Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX), a joint initiative by the Air Force ...
ARPA-E ALPHA Fusion Retrospective 2019:
Findings: ARPA E ALPHA Fusion Retrospective 2019
Source PDF: [ARPA-E ALPHA Fusion Retrospective 2019](/archive/ARPA_E_ALPHA_Fusion_Retrospective_2019)
Date range: 1956-2019
Source org: LANL
Summary
Produced by researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E and Booz Allen Hamilton, this 2019 retrospective reviews th...
Source Documents
Intelligence derived from 4 source documents:
- OSTI.GOV — 'Magneto-inertial fusion FRCHX Experiments at AFRL'
- APS DPP 2010 — 'Magnetized Target Fusion Integrated Engineering Test Shot'
- IAEA — FRCHX Magnetized Target Fusion HEDLP Experiments (2008)
- APS DPP 2009 — 'Neutron Activation Diagnostics for FRCHX at AFRL'
05b Related_Topics (4)
06 Research_Findings (10)
# Findings: AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011 **Source PDF:** `AFRL_FRCHX_Plasma_Lifetime_2011.pdf` **Date range:** 1976-2013 **Source org:** LANL ## Summary This 2011 report by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) investigates the trapped-flux lifetime of plasma in the Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX). Researchers found that current plasma lifetimes are significantly shorter than the duration required for successful compress
View Source PDF → AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011# Findings: AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011 **Source PDF:** `AFRL_FRCHX_Plasma_Lifetime_2011.pdf` **Date range:** 1976-2013 **Source org:** LANL ## Summary This 2011 report by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) investigates the trapped-flux lifetime of plasma in the Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX). Researchers found that current plasma lifetimes are significantly shorter than the duration required for successful compress
View Source PDF → AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011# Findings: AFRL LANL FRCHX 2016 **Source PDF:** `AFRL_LANL_FRCHX_2016.pdf` **Date range:** 1981-2022 **Source org:** LANL ## Summary This programmatic analysis investigates the 2014-2016 closeout of the Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX), a joint initiative by the Air Force Research Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The report concludes with high confidence that the technology was not terminated but successfully transitioned to a classified program at Lockh
View Source PDF → AFRL LANL FRCHX 2016# Findings: AFRL LANL FRCHX 2016 **Source PDF:** `AFRL_LANL_FRCHX_2016.pdf` **Date range:** 1981-2022 **Source org:** LANL ## Summary This programmatic analysis investigates the 2014-2016 closeout of the Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX), a joint initiative by the Air Force Research Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The report concludes with high confidence that the technology was not terminated but successfully transitioned to a classified program at Lockh
View Source PDF → AFRL LANL FRCHX 2016# Findings: ARPA E ALPHA Fusion Retrospective 2019 **Source PDF:** `ARPA-E_ALPHA_Fusion_Retrospective_2019.pdf` **Date range:** 1956-2019 **Source org:** LANL ## Summary Produced by researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E and Booz Allen Hamilton, this 2019 retrospective reviews the ALPHA program’s efforts to develop low-cost magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) technologies. The report highlights experimental achievements from various research teams in advancing intermediate-density
View Source PDF → ARPA-E ALPHA Fusion Retrospective 2019# Findings: AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011 **Source PDF:** `AFRL_FRCHX_Plasma_Lifetime_2011.pdf` **Date range:** 1976-2013 **Source org:** LANL ## Summary This 2011 report by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) investigates the trapped-flux lifetime of plasma in the Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX). Researchers found that current plasma lifetimes are significantly shorter than the duration required for successful compress
View Source PDF → AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011# Findings: AFRL LANL FRCHX 2016 **Source PDF:** `AFRL_LANL_FRCHX_2016.pdf` **Date range:** 1981-2022 **Source org:** LANL ## Summary This programmatic analysis investigates the 2014-2016 closeout of the Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX), a joint initiative by the Air Force Research Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The report concludes with high confidence that the technology was not terminated but successfully transitioned to a classified program at Lockh
View Source PDF → AFRL LANL FRCHX 2016# Findings: ARPA E ALPHA Fusion Retrospective 2019 **Source PDF:** `ARPA-E_ALPHA_Fusion_Retrospective_2019.pdf` **Date range:** 1956-2019 **Source org:** LANL ## Summary Produced by researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E and Booz Allen Hamilton, this 2019 retrospective reviews the ALPHA program’s efforts to develop low-cost magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) technologies. The report highlights experimental achievements from various research teams in advancing intermediate-density
View Source PDF → ARPA-E ALPHA Fusion Retrospective 2019# Findings: BAESystems CFR SoC 2015 2020 **Source PDF:** `BAESystems_CFR_SoC_2015_2020.pdf` **Date range:** 1999-2025 **Source org:** AFRL ## Summary This report assesses BAE Systems' role as the lead subcontractor for the CFR program's radiation-hardened System-on-Chip (SoC) development between 2015 and 2020 at its Manassas facility. It details how the company reconstituted the program's control system following the 2014 loss of the Freescale Semiconductor team, utilizing DARPA initiatives
View Source PDF → BAESystems CFR SoC 2015 2020# Findings: Christofilos Astron Fusion 2011 **Source PDF:** `Christofilos_Astron_Fusion_2011.pdf` **Date range:** 1955-2011 **Source org:** LANL ## Summary Published in 2011 by researchers affiliated with Princeton University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, this review article chronicles the history of the Astron project and the career of its creator, Nicholas Christofilos, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory between 1956 and 1973. The document explores Christofilos's unco
View Source PDF → Christofilos Astron Fusion 201107 Key_Findings
- ▸ Entity Type: Assessment — FRCHX Results — 540T Compression, Neutron Yields 'Possible in Near Term' is an analytical assessment synthesizing multiple data points.
- ▸ AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011:
- ▸ Source PDF: `AFRL_FRCHX_Plasma_Lifetime_2011.pdf`
- ▸ AFRL FRCHX Plasma Lifetime 2011:
- ▸ Source PDF: `AFRL_FRCHX_Plasma_Lifetime_2011.pdf`
09 Timeline_Mentions (2)
MARAUDER (August 1993): USAF compact toroid weapon, 100 billion g acceleration, Shiva Star, went dark mid-1990s
USAF Phillips Lab compact toroid weapon. 100 billion g acceleration. 9.5 MJ Shiva Star. 'Not a fusion program' — weapons. Physics identical to FRC. Went dark mid-1990s. Lineage: SHIVA I → MARAUDER → F
uap-researchAvramenko plasmoid weapon (April 1995): Russian plasma ABM tested, Ogonek/Belitsky DTIC document, 'Doverie' experiment proposed
Russian plasma weapon tested. Phased arrays focus 10 MW at 50 km altitude. Projectile deflected and self-destructed in tests. Yeltsin proposed joint US-Russia 'Doverie' experiment ($300M). Boris Belit
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Source_Documents 5 FILES
External_References 4 REFS
Citations 1
- [1] (2008) — International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
External_Primary_Sources 3
Verified_Primary_Sources 4 SOURCES
Type: assessment
Region: intel-base
Last updated: Research database snapshot