Project Sherwood
The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's classified controlled-fusion program (1950s) at LANL and other labs. Sherwood explored theta-pinch and z-pinch magnetic confinement, founding the U.S. FRC research lineage.
Verified Primary Sources
- → LANL SNL ZMachine PuICE Waste 2012 (p. 2) — 2012 — Los Alamos National Laboratory
- → LANL SNL ZMachine PuICE Waste 2012 (p. 3) — 2012 — Los Alamos National Laboratory
- → LANL SNL ZMachine PuICE Waste 2012 (p. 4) — 2012 — Los Alamos National Laboratory
- → LANL SNL ZMachine PuICE Waste 2012 (p. 6) — 2012 — Los Alamos National Laboratory
- → LANL SNL ZMachine PuICE Waste 2012 (p. 7) — 2012 — Los Alamos National Laboratory
Related Terms
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Timeline Mentions (8)
Project Sherwood established
The U.S. AEC's classified controlled-fusion program begins at LANL and partner labs.
Astron E-Layer Concept Proposed
Nicholas C. Christofilos presents the 'Astron' concept at a secret Project Sherwood meeting, proposing a closed magnetic topology created by a relativistic electron E-layer.
Christofilos begins Astron experiment at LLNL
Greek engineer starts E-layer field reversal concept. Earliest compact torus conception. Presented at 1958 Geneva.
Project Sherwood declassified at Geneva Conference
Fusion research declassified at 2nd Atoms for Peace conference. Sherwood becomes CTR program.
Christofilos Astron experiment at LLNL
The Astron experiment established the field-reversed configuration geometry that prefigured modern FRC research.
First 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.
Inertial-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.
LDRD Funding Established at LANL
The Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program is established to fund forefront science relevant to NNSA and DOE missions.