glossary:compact-toroid
CONCEPT dossier

Compact Toroid

Glossary term: Compact Toroid

CONCEPT Fusion Physics

01 Executive_Summary

A class of plasma configurations (including FRCs and spheromaks) in which the plasma is confined in a toroidal geometry without external toroidal field coils. Compact toroids are translateable and high-beta.

02 Definition

A class of plasma configurations (including FRCs and spheromaks) in which the plasma is confined in a toroidal geometry without external toroidal field coils. Compact toroids are translateable and high-beta.

Related terms: FRC Spheromak

03 Deep_Dive_Intelligence

Overview

A class of plasma configurations (including FRCs and spheromaks) in which the plasma is confined in a toroidal geometry without external toroidal field coils. Compact toroids are translateable and high-beta.

Role: Glossary term: Compact Toroid

Entity Type: Concept — Compact Toroid is a technical concept or theoretical framework.


Technical Definition

A class of plasma configurations (including FRCs and spheromaks) in which the plasma is confined in a toroidal geometry without external toroidal field coils. Compact toroids are translateable and high-beta.


Related Concepts: FRC, Spheromak

05b Related_Topics (1)

07 Key_Findings

  • Role: Glossary term: Compact Toroid
  • Entity Type: Concept — Compact Toroid is a technical concept or theoretical framework.
  • Related Concepts: FRC, Spheromak

09 Timeline_Mentions (10)

1979

PPPL Compact Toruses Symposium

PPPL symposium consolidating compact toroid (FRC/spheromak) research.

fusion-research
1981

Foundational FRX Paper Published

W. T. Armstrong and others at LANL publish 'Field-reversed experiments (FRX) on compact toroids,' codifying FRC formation physics.

fusion-physics
1982

Fifth Symposium on the Physics and Technology of Compact Toroids

Hosted by Mathematical Sciences Northwest (MSNW), this workshop addressed FRC and Spheromak formation, focusing on slower generation methods and scaling to reactor sizes.

fusion-physics
1983

Reagan launches SDI — Shiva Star re-directed to 'Star Wars'

SDI directed energy: x-ray laser, FEL, NPB, Brilliant Pebbles. Shiva Star → MARAUDER precursor.

defense-programs
1983

FRX-C Modified for Plasma Translation

The FRX-C device at Los Alamos is modified into FRX-C/T to study the axial translation of hot, compact toroid plasmas.

fusion-physics
1990

MARAUDER program begins — AFRL fires compact toroid plasmoids as weapons

Shiva Star facility. 100 billion g acceleration. Explicitly NOT fusion. Same facility as FRCHX. The critical link.

defense-programs
1993

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-research
1995

Avramenko 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

uap-research
2003

Evolution to Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)

The NASA FAST experiment evolves into the Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX), continuing research into compact toroid acceleration for propulsion.

fusion-physics
2007

FESAC compact toroids report

DOE advisory report on the role of FRCs and spheromaks in the U.S. fusion portfolio.

fusion-research
View Full Timeline → View on Network Graph →

10 FAQ

What is Compact Toroid?
A class of plasma configurations (including FRCs and spheromaks) in which the plasma is confined in a toroidal geometry without external toroidal field coils. Compact toroids are translateable and high-beta.
What role does Compact Toroid play in the research network?
Compact Toroid is classified under the "Fusion Physics" category, serving as Glossary term: Compact Toroid. A class of plasma configurations (including FRCs and spheromaks) in which the plasma is confined in a toroidal geometry without external toroidal field coils. Compact toroids are translateable and...
What evidence supports the Compact Toroid assessment?
The intelligence assessment for Compact Toroid is supported by 4 primary sources. Key sources include "Compact toroid experiments: spheromaks and field-reversed configurations", "Compact torus", and "Recent results in the Los Alamos compact torus program". These documents provide the evidentiary basis for the analysis.
What is the technical definition of Compact Toroid?
A class of plasma configurations (including FRCs and spheromaks) in which the plasma is confined in a toroidal geometry without external toroidal field coils. Compact toroids are translateable and high-beta. Related Concepts: FRC, Spheromak
What is the physics behind Compact Toroid?
A class of plasma configurations (including FRCs and spheromaks) in which the plasma is confined in a toroidal geometry without external toroidal field coils. Compact toroids are translateable and high-beta. Role: Glossary term: Compact Toroid Entity Type: Concept — Compact Toroid is a technical concept or theoretical framework.
What external sources document Compact Toroid?
Compact Toroid is documented by 4 external sources, including 2 Conference Paper (OSTI), 1 Journal Article (OSTI), and 1 Encyclopedia Article. Notable references include "Compact toroid experiments: spheromaks and field-reversed configurations", "Compact torus", and "Recent results in the Los Alamos compact torus program".
How was information about Compact Toroid collected?
Information about Compact Toroid was collected through open-source intelligence (OSINT) methods, analyzing 4 declassified documents and cross-referencing findings across the research network.
What is the current status of Compact Toroid?
A class of plasma configurations (including FRCs and spheromaks) in which the plasma is confined in a toroidal geometry without external toroidal field coils. Compact toroids are translateable and high-beta.
How does Compact Toroid relate to compact fusion research?
Overview A class of plasma configurations (including FRCs and spheromaks) in which the plasma is confined in a toroidal geometry without external toroidal field coils. Compact toroids are translateable and high-beta. Role: Glossary term: Compact Toroid Entity Type: Concept — Compact Toroid is a...
What documents should I read to learn more about Compact Toroid?
To learn more about Compact Toroid, review the 4 primary sources, and related research finding linked in the source documents section of this dossier.

External_References 5 REFS

/pdfs/00405753.pdf#page=3 ref
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/pdfs/1979 April 18-20.pdf#page=11 ref
ID: glossary:compact-toroid
Type: concept
Region: glossary
Last updated: Research database snapshot