MARAUDER (Magnetically Accelerated Ring to Achieve Ultra-high Directed Energy and Radiation) — USAF Compact Toroid Weapon, Shiva Star, 100 Billion g, Went Dark Mid-1990s ASSESSMENT MARAUDER (Magnetically Accelerated Ring to Achieve Ultra-high Directed Energy and Radiation) USAF Compact Toroid Weapon, Shiva Star, 100 Billion g, Went Dark Mid-1990s ASSESSMENT // MARAUDER COMPACT TOROID WEAPON Also: MARAUDER, Magnetically Accelerated Ring, compact toroid weapon, Shiva Star MARAUDER, Phillips Lab plasma railgun, coaxial plasma gun weapon, MARAUDER 100 billion g, compact torus acceleration Executive Summary ASSESSMENT: MARAUDER (Magnetically Accelerated Ring to Achieve Ultra-high Directed Energy and Radiation) was a USAF Research Laboratory / Phillips Laboratory project concerning the development of a coaxial plasma railgun for compact toroid weapons. First computer simulations: 1990. First published experiment: August 1, 1993. Motivated by RACE (Ring Accelerator Experiment) at LLNL, 1991. Facility: Shiva Star capacitor bank (9.5 MJ) at Kirtland AFB. SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION: Goal: 'Accelerate highly dense toroids containing plasma to high speeds.' Toroid parameters: 0.5 to 2 milligrams of plasma. Energy target: megajoules of kinetic energy. 1993 ACHIEVEMENT: Phillips Lab developed coaxial plasma gun accelerating 1-2 mg plasma by up to 100 BILLION g (9.8×10^11 m/s²) in a toroid of 1 meter diameter. Toroid type: 'Similar to spheromaks, but differ in that an inner conductor is used to accelerate the plasma and that confinement behavior results from interactions of the toroid with its surrounding atmosphere.' APPLICATIONS: 'Hypervelocity projectiles, x-ray production, electrical power amplification, fast opening switches, RF compression, charge-neutral ion beam, inertial confinement fusion studies.' CRITICAL: OSTI abstract explicitly states 'NOT a magnetic confinement fusion program' MARAUDER was a WEAPONS program. But physics is identical to FRC fusion: compact toroid = FRC, formation = coaxial plasma gun, compression = magnetic field, acceleration = J×B forces. WENT DARK in mid-1990s — disappeared from public literature. Coincides with Ogonek article (1995) and Doverie experiment proposal (1993). Transition from weapons to 'fusion energy' (FRCHX started 2007). SHIVA STAR LINEAGE: SHIVA I (1971-1974, nuclear weapons effects) → SHIVA II (1975-1979, nuclear survivability) → Shiva Star upgrade (1980-1982, SDI) → MARAUDER (1988-1993, compact toroid weapons) → RACE collaboration (1993-1994) → solid liner implosion (1990s) → FRCHX (2007-2016, 'fusion energy') → present HEDP. 'The physics is identical. The only difference is the stated goal (weapons vs. energy). Overview ASSESSMENT: MARAUDER (Magnetically Accelerated Ring to Achieve Ultra-high Directed Energy and Radiation) was a USAF Research Laboratory / Phillips Laboratory project concerning the development of a coaxial plasma railgun for compact toroid weapons. First computer simulations: 1990. First published experiment: August 1, 1993. Motivated by RACE (Ring Accelerator Experiment) at LLNL, 1991. Facility: Shiva Star capacitor bank (9.5 MJ) at Kirtland AFB. SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION: Goal: 'Accelerate highly dense toroids containing plasma to high speeds.' Toroid parameters: 0.5 to 2 milligrams of plasma. Energy target: megajoules of kinetic energy. 1993