DOW-UAP-D125, AAWSAP DIRD, Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion, March 2010

Department of War · 3/10/10 · Las Vegas, Nevada · Document

DOW-UAP-D125, AAWSAP DIRD, Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion, March 2010 is indexed as a Department of War record with incident date 3/10/10 and location Las Vegas, Nevada. This document is a Defense Intelligence Reference Document (DIRD), a technical reference format used by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to capture baseline knowledge on a specific topic for later analytic use. DIRDs are best understood as reference and synthesis products rather than as original research. It is one of 38 DIRDs produced under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) between 2009 and 2011. Because AAWSAP s scope permitted a broad range of supporting topics, not every DIRD in the series directly concerns aerospace systems or future threat assessment. The following summary reflects the DIRD s scope and framing at the time of writing and should not be read as implying current validation of the concepts discussed. This DIRD surveys inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) fusion, a relatively unconventional fusion concept that uses electric fields rather than the more established magnetic or laser-based approaches to confine ions, and it reviews both the underlying physics and the experimental work associated with the concept. The report emphasizes that IEC may have nearer-term value as a compact neutron, proton, or x-ray source and as a platform for studying experimental fusion approaches, while also presenting more ambitious possibilities such as aneutronic power generation and propulsion applications. At the same time, it makes clear that the concept remained far from practical fusion power, with experimental devices operating several orders of magnitude below breakeven and with major unresolved issues involving confinement, losses, grid damage, and scale-up. Overall, the document treats IEC as a technically interesting but still highly speculative path toward fusion energy, while suggesting that its more limited spin-off applications were more plausible in the near term than its long-range power generation or propulsion applications. Redactions have been made to protect the identity of eyewitnesses, the location of government facilities, or potentially sensitive information about military sites not related to UAP. No redactions have been made to any files released under President Trump's directive concerning information about the nature or existence of any encounter reported as a UAP or related phenomena.

Notable / anomalous element

• The cylindrical geometry offers a unique configuration for security inspection applications. (native PDF text, page 54)
• CYLINDRICAL IECS The prime alternate geometry studied for IECs is cylindrical. (native PDF text, page 28)
• This system will use learning -based rules that evolve from extensive simulation tests to provide training about the simultaneous occurrence of specific elements and embedded object shapes. (native PDF text, page 59)
• In addition the IEC jet offers two added features that increase its potential effectiveness for probing various space objects. (native PDF text, page 30)

Details

• This product is one in a series of advanced technology reports produced in FY 2009 under the Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Warning Office's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. (native PDF text, page 2)
• Comments or questions pertaining to I this document should be addressed to!AAP Person 1 AAWSA Prog ram Manager, Defense Intelligence Agency, ATTN: CLAR/DWO-3, Bldg 6000, Washington, DC 203405100. ii UNCLASSIFIED//liQA QFfilGIAk W&E 8HL?f (native PDF text, page 2)
• 5 Bussard HEPS (or Polywell) Concept. (native PDF text, page 3)
• 21 Electrically-Driven IEC Jet Thruster. (native PDF text, page 3)
• 22 Relation to Other Prior Thrusters. (native PDF text, page 3)
• 23 JET Extraction From a Spherical IEC. (native PDF text, page 3)
• 24 Description of the IEC Jet Thruster. (native PDF text, page 3)
• Study of Virtual Electrode Strudure. (native PDF text, page 4)

Tags: War Department, Nevada, AAWSAP, Technical research, Weapons