glossary:frchx
CONCEPT dossier

FRCHX

Glossary term: FRCHX

CONCEPT Programs

01 Executive_Summary

The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment, a joint AFRL/LANL experiment to demonstrate magnetized plasma compression for HEDLP/MTF studies. FRCHX faced FRC lifetime limitations (7-9 μs vs ~20 μs needed) and was closed out in 2014-2016.

02 Definition

The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment, a joint AFRL/LANL experiment to demonstrate magnetized plasma compression for HEDLP/MTF studies. FRCHX faced FRC lifetime limitations (7-9 μs vs ~20 μs needed) and was closed out in 2014-2016.

Related terms: FRC MTF AFRL LANL MRT

03 Deep_Dive_Intelligence

Overview

The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment, a joint AFRL/LANL experiment to demonstrate magnetized plasma compression for HEDLP/MTF studies. FRCHX faced FRC lifetime limitations (7-9 μs vs ~20 μs needed) and was closed out in 2014-2016.

Role: Glossary term: FRCHX

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

Technical Definition

The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment, a joint AFRL/LANL experiment to demonstrate magnetized plasma compression for HEDLP/MTF studies. FRCHX faced FRC lifetime limitations (7-9 μs vs ~20 μs needed) and was closed out in 2014-2016.

Related Concepts: FRC, MTF, AFRL, LANL, MRT

05b Related_Topics (2)

Field-Reversed Configuration
usa → russia → china → japan → israel →
Magnetized Target Fusion
usa → russia → china →

07 Key_Findings

  • ▸ Entity Type: Concept — FRCHX is a technical concept or theoretical framework.
  • ▸ Related Concepts: FRC, MTF, AFRL, LANL, MRT

09 Timeline_Mentions (10)

1979

MAGO project begins at VNIIEF (Russian nuclear weapons lab)

Russian MTF program at weapons lab. Communist Party decree. Same dual-use pattern as US.

defense-programs
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
2000

FRX-L experiment begins at LANL

FRX-L theta-pinch FRC experiment for magnetized target fusion.

fusion-research
2007

FRCHX Operations at AFRL

The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX) is conducted at the Air Force Research Laboratory but is stalled by FRC lifetime issues.

defense-programs
2007

FRCHX Program at Shiva Star

The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX) at AFRL Shiva Star attempts to compress FRCs using magnetically imploded solid liners.

defense-programs
2007

FRCHX Operations Begin

The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX) begins at AFRL Shiva Star to demonstrate FRC compression by solid liners.

defense-programs
2007

FRCHX Design and Assembly Begins at AFRL

The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX) begins at Shiva Star, leveraging AFRL's pulsed-power expertise.

defense-programs
2007

FRCHX Design and Assembly

The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX) begins assembly at AFRL's Shiva Star facility.

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

10 FAQ

What is FRCHX? ▾
The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment, a joint AFRL/LANL experiment to demonstrate magnetized plasma compression for HEDLP/MTF studies. FRCHX faced FRC lifetime limitations (7-9 μs vs ~20 μs needed) and was closed out in 2014-2016.
What role does FRCHX play in the research network? ▾
FRCHX is classified under the "Programs" category, serving as Glossary term: FRCHX. The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment, a joint AFRL/LANL experiment to demonstrate magnetized plasma compression for HEDLP/MTF studies. FRCHX faced FRC lifetime limitations (7-9 μs...
What evidence supports the FRCHX assessment? ▾
The intelligence assessment for FRCHX is supported by 4 primary sources, 1 PDF document, and 1 citation. Key sources include "FRCHX Magnetized Target Fusion HEDLP Experiments - IAEA Fusion Energy Conference 2008", "Recent magneto-inertial fusion experiments on the field reversed configuration heating experiment - IOPscience", and "Applied magnetic field design for the field reversed configuration compression heating experiment - AIP". These documents provide the evidentiary basis for the analysis.
What is the technical definition of FRCHX? ▾
The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment, a joint AFRL/LANL experiment to demonstrate magnetized plasma compression for HEDLP/MTF studies. FRCHX faced FRC lifetime limitations (7-9 μs vs ~20 μs needed) and was closed out in 2014-2016. Related Concepts: FRC, MTF, AFRL, LANL, MRT
What is the physics behind FRCHX? ▾
The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment, a joint AFRL/LANL experiment to demonstrate magnetized plasma compression for HEDLP/MTF studies. FRCHX faced FRC lifetime limitations (7-9 μs vs ~20 μs needed) and was closed out in 2014-2016. Role: Glossary term: FRCHX Entity Type: Concept — FRCHX is a technical concept or theoretical framework.
What primary source PDFs are available for FRCHX? ▾
1 PDF document is available: "FRCHX Magnetized Target Fusion HEDLP Experiments". This conference paper describes preparations and physics modeling for the Field Reversed Compression and Heating Experiment (FRCHX) to demonstrate Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) and High Energy...
What external sources document FRCHX? ▾
FRCHX is documented by 4 external sources, including 1 Conference Paper (IAEA), 1 Journal Article (Nuclear Fusion), and 1 Journal Article (Review of Scientific Instruments). Notable references include "FRCHX Magnetized Target Fusion HEDLP Experiments - IAEA Fusion Energy Conference 2008", "Recent magneto-inertial fusion experiments on the field reversed configuration heating experiment - IOPscience", and "Applied magnetic field design for the field reversed configuration compression heating experiment - AIP".
What is the historical timeline for FRCHX? ▾
FRCHX is referenced across documents spanning 2014–2016, with activity noted in 2014 and 2016. This temporal range is derived from the primary source documents in the research archive.
How does FRCHX relate to compact fusion research? ▾
Overview The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment, a joint AFRL/LANL experiment to demonstrate magnetized plasma compression for HEDLP/MTF studies. FRCHX faced FRC lifetime limitations (7-9 μs vs ~20 μs needed) and was closed out in 2014-2016. Role: Glossary term: FRCHX Entity Type:...
What documents should I read to learn more about FRCHX? ▾
To learn more about FRCHX, review the 4 primary sources, 1 PDF document, and related research finding linked in the source documents section of this dossier.

Source_Documents 1 FILES

FRCHX Magnetized Target Fusion HEDLP Experiments
This conference paper describes preparations and physics modeling for the Field Reversed Compression and Heating Experiment (FRCHX) to demonstrate Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) and High Energy Density Laboratory Plasma (HEDLP). A high-pressure field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma is formed using conical theta coils, translated, captured inside an imploding solid aluminum liner driven by the Shiva Star capacitor bank, and compressed to kilovolt temperatures. Detailed 1D adiabatic modeling, 2D MHD simulations (MOQUI and MACH2), and hardware developments from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) are presented.
PDF Archive →

External_References 5 REFS

/pdfs/00405985.pdf#page=2 ref
/pdfs/1123798.pdf#page=2 ref
/pdfs/1123798.pdf#page=3 ref
/pdfs/1123798.pdf#page=4 ref
/pdfs/1123798.pdf#page=6 ref

Glossary_Sources

→ 00405985.pdf → 1123798.pdf → 1123798.pdf → 1123798.pdf → 1123798.pdf

Citations 1

  1. [1] (2008) — International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

External_Primary_Sources 3

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.

Verified_Primary_Sources 4 SOURCES

primary iaea.org Conference Paper (IAEA)
FRCHX Magnetized Target Fusion HEDLP Experiments - IAEA Fusion Energy Conference 2008
Verifies: FRCHX is the Field Reversed Compression and Heating Experiment at AFRL Shiva Star facility; Joint LANL/AFRL experiment for magnetized target fusion (MTF) demonstration; FRCs formed at 3 Tesla with high-beta plasma pressures of 20-30 atmospheres; First 1.5 MJ implosion tests expected in early 2009
External Link ↗
primary iopscience.iop.org Journal Article (Nuclear Fusion)
Recent magneto-inertial fusion experiments on the field reversed configuration heating experiment - IOPscience
Verifies: AFRL and LANL developed MIF with FRC formation, translation, capture, and liner compression; Identified factors limiting closed-field lifetime of FRCs to about half that required; FRC lifetime limitations affected compression to multi-keV HEDP conditions; Evidence for FRC rotation and rotation control measures
External Link ↗
primary doi.org Journal Article (Review of Scientific Instruments)
Applied magnetic field design for the field reversed configuration compression heating experiment - AIP
Verifies: FRCHX magnetic field design using COMSOL Multiphysics for FRC formation, translation, and capture; Liner implosion initiated before FRC injection due to limited FRC lifetime; 2D axisymmetric MHD simulations using MACH2 for magnetic field coil design
External Link ↗
primary osti.gov Technical Report (OSTI)
Magneto-inertial fusion FRCHX Experiments at AFRL - OSTI.GOV
Verifies: FRCHX experiments at AFRL reliably formed, translated, and captured FRCs in metal liners; Imploded liner with interior magnetic mirror field, compressing 1.36 T field to 540 T; Full system experiment of FRC formation, translation, capture, and liner compression; FRC closed-field lifetime limited to about half that required for good compression
External Link ↗
← Back to Dossiers
ID: glossary:frchx
Type: concept
Region: glossary
Last updated: Research database snapshot