shiva-star-weapons
Summary
The complete mission progression of the Shiva Star facility at Kirtland AFB — from nuclear weapons effects simulation to plasmoid weapons to 'fusion energy': (1) 1971-1974 SHIVA I: nuclear weapons effects (x-ray simulation), 1 MJ at 100 kV. (2) 1975-1979 SHIVA II: nuclear survivability, 1.9 MJ at 120 kV. (3) 1980-1982 Shiva Star: SDI ('Star Wars') studies, 9.4-10 MJ, 6 arms. (4) 1988-1993 MARAUDER: compact toroid (plasmoid) weapons — explicitly NOT fusion. (5) 1993-1994 LLNL RACE collaboration: CT acceleration transition. (6) 1990s solid liner implosion: weapons simulation. (7) 2007-2016 FRCHX: FRC 'fusion energy' (same physics, rebranded). (8) Present: continued HEDP research. SAME FACILITY, SAME PHYSICS, SAME ORGANIZATION. The 'energy' framing of FRCHX was a rebranding of the weapons mission. Quote from ResearchGate: 'Initial efforts centered on the MARAUDER concept to produce a compact toroid for eventual compression. About the same time, the research team pioneered the implosion of solid spherical and cylindrical metal shells.' — directly connects MARAUDER to FRCHX liner implosion.
Deep Dive Analysis
Overview
The complete mission progression of the Shiva Star facility at Kirtland AFB — from nuclear weapons effects simulation to plasmoid weapons to 'fusion energy': (1) 1971-1974 SHIVA I: nuclear weapons effects (x-ray simulation), 1 MJ at 100 kV. (2) 1975-1979 SHIVA II: nuclear survivability, 1.9 MJ at 120 kV. (3) 1980-1982 Shiva Star: SDI ('Star Wars') studies, 9.4-10 MJ, 6 arms. (4) 1988-1993 MARAUDER: compact toroid (plasmoid) weapons — explicitly NOT fusion. (5) 1993-1994 LLNL RACE collaboration: CT acceleration transition. (6) 1990s solid liner implosion: weapons simulation. (7) 2007-2016 FRCHX: FRC 'fusion energy' (same physics, rebranded). (8) Present: continued HEDP research. SAME FACILITY, SAME PHYSICS, SAME ORGANIZATION. The 'energy' framing of FRCHX was a rebranding of the weapons mission. Quote from ResearchGate: 'Initial efforts centered on the MARAUDER concept to produce a compact toroid for eventual compression. About the same time, the research team pioneered the implosion of solid spherical and cylindrical metal shells.' — directly connects MARAUDER to FRCHX liner implosion.
Entity Type: Program — Shiva Star Weapons Lineage is a government or defense program/initiative.
Technical Definition
A pulsed-power facility at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM. Originally built in the 1970s for nuclear weapons effects simulation, Shiva Star stores up to 10 megajoules of energy and discharges it in microseconds. It was used for magnetized target fusion experiments, including the AFRL Shiva Star implosion experiments that compressed FRC plasmas to high densities.
Related Concepts: Air Force Research Laboratory, Magnetized Target Fusion, FRC, Pulsed Power, FRCHX
Network Relationships
Shiva Star Weapons Lineage connects to 3 entities in the intelligence network:
Experiments (1):
- → Shiva Star: Facility lineage: weapons effects → SDI → MARAUDER → FRCHX
Programs (2):
- ← MARAUDER: Part of Shiva Star weapons lineage (1990-1993)
- ← SDI Directed Energy: SDI re-directed Shiva Star to directed energy (1980s)
Research Findings
Shiva Star Weapons Lineage appears in 5 research analysis documents:
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...
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 ...
DoD FRC-CFR Orb Assessment 2023:
Findings: Dod Frc cfr Orb Assessment 2023
Source PDF: DoD_FRC-CFR_Orb_Assessment_2023.pdf
Date range: 1975-2025
Source org: LANL
Summary
This technical assessment examines the clandestine acquisition ecosystem and developmental history of the Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) ...
LANL 3D Magnetic Reconnection FRC 2014:
Findings: LANL 3D Magnetic Reconnection FRC 2014
Source PDF: LANL_3D_Magnetic_Reconnection_FRC_2014.pdf
Date range: 1999-2025
Source org: LANL
Summary
This report assesses a 2014 Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) research project that bridged experimental plasma physics wit...
LANL 3D Turbulent Reconnection 2020:
Findings: LANL 3D Turbulent Reconnection 2020
Source PDF: LANL_3D_Turbulent_Reconnection_2020.pdf
Date range: 1999-2020
Source org: LANL
Summary
This technical analysis from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) examines the theoretical framework of 3D turbulent magnetic reconn...
Source Documents
Intelligence derived from 5 source documents:
- Wikipedia — Shiva Star
- Kirtland AFB official website
- ResearchGate — 'Shiva Star: Pioneering megagauss science and technology'
- INIS — compact-toroid-plasma-flow-switched plasma focus
- DTIC ADA639263 — Compact Torus Plasma Flow Switch
Key Findings
- ▸ Entity Type: Program — Shiva Star Weapons Lineage is a government or defense program/initiative.
- ▸ Related Concepts: Air Force Research Laboratory, Magnetized Target Fusion, FRC, Pulsed Power, FRCHX
- ▸ → Shiva Star: Facility lineage: weapons effects → SDI → MARAUDER → FRCHX
- ▸ ← MARAUDER: Part of Shiva Star weapons lineage (1990-1993)
- ▸ ← SDI Directed Energy: SDI re-directed Shiva Star to directed energy (1980s)
External Primary Sources (3)
Related Entities (3)
Network Graph
Explore shiva-star-weapons and its connections in the interactive network graph.
View in Network GraphSource Documents (5)
Research References
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