Bostick Plasmoid
Foundational concept for the entire plasmoid weapons lineage from 1956 to present.
01 Definition
Self-contained 'plasma-magnetic entity' first described by Winston Bostick in 1956 at UC Livermore. Formed by projecting ionized matter across a magnetic field. Foundational concept for all subsequent plasmoid weapons research.
02 Detailed_Analysis
Bostick coined 'plasmoid' in 1956 at UC Livermore under Project Sherwood (AEC). His plasma gun projected ionized matter at 2×10^7 cm/sec. Plasmoids exhibited reflection, curved orbits, fission, and spin. By 1957, he demonstrated laboratory simulation of spiral galaxy formation. The Armour Research Foundation (1958-1962) reproduced his plasmoids for missile defense. Shoulders met Bostick in 1980 at APS DPP San Diego. Nachamkin cited Bostick in 1992 Phillips Lab paper.
03 Key_Facts
- ▸ Coined 1956 at UC Livermore
- ▸ Project Sherwood (AEC)
- ▸ 2×10^7 cm/sec velocity
- ▸ Galaxy simulation 1957
- ▸ Shoulders met Bostick 1980
04 Deep_Dive_Intelligence
Bostick coined 'plasmoid' in 1956 at UC Livermore under Project Sherwood (AEC fusion program, Contract W-7405-ENG-48). His plasma gun projected ionized matter at speeds up to 2×10^7 cm/sec. He observed plasmoids reflecting off each other, following curved orbits, and smashing into fragments. By 1957, he demonstrated laboratory simulation of spiral galaxy formation using multiple plasma sources. His career spanned MIT Radiation Lab (1941-1948), Tufts (1948-1954), Livermore (1954-1956), and Stevens Institute (1956-1981/1986) as George Meade Bond Professor. His primary collaborator was Vittorio Nardi (1967-1995, 18 shared papers). At the 22nd APS DPP Annual Meeting (November 10-14, 1980, San Diego), Bostick met Ken Shoulders and interested him in vortex filaments — directly inspiring Shoulders' EVO work. Bostick also conducted research at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory (Kirtland AFB), establishing a direct institutional connection to later AFRL plasma weapons programs. His patent US 2,900,548 (1957) 'Plasma generator' was assigned to the US Atomic Energy Commission. Nachamkin's 1992 paper states: 'Some of the results of the simple theory may explain experiments performed by Bostick and his associates.' Bostick died January 19, 1991 in Tijuana, Mexico.
06 Related_Terms (2)
07 Related_Entities (12)
08 Timeline_Mentions (10)
PPPL Compact Toruses Symposium
PPPL symposium consolidating compact toroid (FRC/spheromak) research.
fusion-researchFoundational FRX Paper Published
W. T. Armstrong and others at LANL publish 'Field-reversed experiments (FRX) on compact toroids,' codifying FRC formation physics.
fusion-physicsFifth 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-physicsReagan launches SDI — Shiva Star re-directed to 'Star Wars'
SDI directed energy: x-ray laser, FEL, NPB, Brilliant Pebbles. Shiva Star → MARAUDER precursor.
defense-programsFRX-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-physicsMARAUDER 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-programsAvramenko plasmoid ABM system revealed — Russian plasma weapons
Plasmoid ABM. Yeltsin proposed joint test to Clinton. Russian and US patents exist.
defense-programsMARAUDER (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-researchLLNL and Air Force Phillips Laboratory Collaboration
LLNL collaborates with the Air Force Phillips Laboratory on the MARAUDER device for accelerator studies and CT stagnation experiments at higher energy.
defense-programsAvramenko 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-research09 FAQ
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Quick_Facts
- Category
- Concepts
- Aliases
- Bostick Plasmoid, bostick-plasmoid, Bostick plasmoid, plasma-magnetic entity
- Sources
- 4
- Related Terms
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- Graph Entities
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- Timeline Events
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