Shiva Star
A pulsed-power facility at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM.
01 Definition
High-powered pulsed-power research device at AFRL's Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. Research rounds 621-623 established that Shiva Star was PRIMARILY a weapons simulation facility. The IEEE paper (2016) states: 'The Shiva program at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory developed radiation sources for the purpose of assuring nuclear survivability for defense systems.' Both MARAUDER (weapons) and FRCHX (fusion) were conducted at this weapons facility. Shiva Star's technology was transferred to Atlas for the Stockpile Stewardship Program.
02 Detailed_Analysis
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.
03 Key_Facts
- ▸ Primary mission: nuclear survivability and weapons simulation
- ▸ Hosted MARAUDER (weapons) and FRCHX (fusion)
- ▸ Technology transferred to Atlas for SSP
- ▸ 34,261 sq ft, ~10 MJ at 120 kV and 10 MA
- ▸ Leidos contract 2024-2028 ($11M)
04 Deep_Dive_Intelligence
Overview
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.
Role: Glossary term: Shiva Star
Entity Type: Concept — Shiva Star is a technical concept or theoretical framework.
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
06 Related_Terms (3)
07 Related_Entities (12)
08 Timeline_Mentions (10)
Project Sherwood established
The U.S. AEC's classified controlled-fusion program begins at LANL and partner labs.
historical-contextChristofilos begins Astron experiment at LLNL
Greek engineer starts E-layer field reversal concept. Earliest compact torus conception. Presented at 1958 Geneva.
historical-contextChristofilos Astron experiment at LLNL
The Astron experiment established the field-reversed configuration geometry that prefigured modern FRC research.
historical-contextPulsed Power Technology Growth
Pulsed power technology begins rapid development, supported by the Atomic Energy Commission and Defense Nuclear Agency for radiation source testing.
fusion-physicsFirst Formal Documentation of FRC Topology
H.A.B. Bodin publishes a paper in Nuclear Fusion describing 'reversed field loops' within a theta-pinch, providing physical evidence of the FRC state.
fusion-physicsInertial-Confinement Flux-Trapping Model Proposed
T.S. Green and A.A. Newton propose that magnetic flux is lost via rapid convection at the radial Alfvén speed, a foundational theory for FRC formation.
fusion-physicsDiscovery of FRC Anomalous Stability
Experiments at LANL discover that Field-Reversed Configurations (FRCs) are significantly more stable than predicted by MHD theory.
fusion-physicsAstron experiment funding cancelled at LLNL
16-year project ends without achieving field reversal. Compact torus concept disperses to spheromak and FRC research.
historical-contextChristofilos Astron experiment cancelled at LLNL
17-year Astron project ends. Field reversal concept disperses to LANL (FRC) and LLNL/PPPL (spheromak).
historical-contextFoundational FRC Research at LANL
Los Alamos National Laboratory establishes the scientific bedrock for Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) physics through the FRX experiment series.
fusion-physics09 FAQ
What is Shiva Star? ▾
Why does Shiva Star matter? ▾
How does Shiva Star relate to other concepts? ▾
When did Shiva Star appear in the research timeline? ▾
Which entities are associated with Shiva Star? ▾
Is there a detailed dossier for Shiva Star? ▾
Quick_Facts
- Category
- Organizations
- Aliases
- Shiva Star, shiva-star
- Sources
- 10
- Related Terms
- 3
- Graph Entities
- 12
- Timeline Events
- 10