TopSecretWriters.com
Dennis Dufrene
In 1956, Winston Bostick discovered an entity consisting of plasma and magnetic field, which he named the Plasmoid(1).
Plasmoids have a series of cosmic implications and is used to explain various phenomenon, such as the magnetic plasma structures found in comet tails, solar wind, and solar atmosphere.
However, barely four years after the discovery of the Plasmoid, the U.S. government conducted research into the possibility of using Plasmoids as a weapon. TheBlackVault.com acquired a Defense Technical Information Center report through an FOIA request on the matter.
The 1961 report, titled Investigation of Pulsed-Train Plasmoid Weapons, describes the experimental programs, and provides insight into the research and the lab results.
According to the document, the primary objective of the program was to explore the generation, projection, and the overall effect of a plasmoid weapon. The goal was to create a weapon that could be used against “enemy targets in the exosphere.”
The exosphere is the outer layer of the Earth’s atmosphere. It lies between the thermosphere and outer space. These enemy targets that would have been found in the exosphere during the 1960s would have been primarily satellites. Although any object, including missles, in the exosphere could have been considered a target.
Using Plasma as a Weapon
Though the researchers knew that plasmoids could be created, they had to research if they could maintain enough direct kinetic energy to cause sufficient damage to a target. The goal was to achieve 10 kilojoules/cm2 at six to 18 miles.
This number is derived from the fact that it was believed for some time that it would take 10 kilojoules/cm2 to effectively stop an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile(3). Therefore, without coming out and stating it explicitly, the report implied that the U.S. government was exploring the idea of a missile defense system based on plasmoids.
However, achieving the desired amount of direct kinetic energy was posing a problem for the program. So much so, that one solution to the problem was not to use the plasma as the weapon. Instead it was proposed that the plasma could be used as a propellant for missiles that could provide the destructive power needed to destroy an enemy target.
The report states:
“This would provide an energy source perhaps adequate for very long range directed energy systems, but would not require such a large yield as to make its tactical use impractical.”
The conclusion was to use plasmoids as a short range weapon (.5 – 6 mile range) and as a propellant for long range weapons (6 – 60 miles) (2).
Plasma as Long Range Weapon
To use a plasmoid as a short range option, the researchers were also attempting to develop a magnetic nozzle to effectively “fire” the plasma.
The report stated that the compressed plasma was heated in a thetatron, and then forced into the nozzle. Once in the nozzle, the gas expanded into a plasmoid. As a long range option, the researchers were theorizing about a shotgun-style spray of smaller projectiles. These projectiles would be propelled by plasma using the same nozzle configuration as the short range option.
Researchers believed this shotgun-styled configuration would be a lot more useful than a “single solid projectile.”
A prototype plasmoid gun was built. The report describes a “concentrated blob” hitting the target (in that case a piece of foil) and rapidly spreading across its surface; resulting in the vaporizing of the foil. Though scientists appeared to be pleased with the result, these were clearly carefully-designed lab experiments taking place in a vacuum.
The report ends with a list of experiments planned for the future. Even though small scale lab test seemed promising, the report did not allude to any sort of real-world experiments of a plasmoid weapon. However, that was in 1961. Currently, NASA uses Pulsed Plasma Thrusters in the Earth Observing 1 spacecraft(4), and is currently experimenting with Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters(5).
As far as a plasmoid weapon, the USAFs Phillips Laboratory was studying the possibility of using ball lightening, a type of plasmoid, as a weapon. It was in experimental stages in 1993, known as Magnetically Accelerated Ring to Achieve Ultra-high Directed Energy and Radiation (or MARAUDER), but the project went classified, and nothing has been heard about it since (6).
References & Image Credits:
(1) Absolute Astronomy
(2) The Black Vault
(3) Missile Threat
(4)(5) NASA.gov
(6) Wired
(7) UAH Plasma Research
Source: Top Secret Writers
