Value chain · CLM-0087
In plain terms
The biggest thing deciding this threshold is a human choice about which plasma structure size matters. The choice of radio frequency matters least. The two atmospheric terms are upper bounds, not clean figures, because they were varied independently when they are actually linked.
The claim as recorded
In the 1978 underdense self-focusing relation the choice of which perpendicular striation scale counts dominates every physical input, spanning a factor of about 1.0e4 between 5 km and 0.5 km criteria against about 5.6 for the wave frequency; the plasma frequency and electron temperature contributions of about 4,096 and 243 are upper bounds rather than independent estimates, because those two are correlated ionospheric state variables and the budget swept them independently.
Scope and limits
A sensitivity analysis of a published relation, not a physical threshold. It may NOT be cited as establishing a permitted beam intensity nor as showing any design exceeds a limit. The 4,096 and 243 figures are upper bounds and must not be quoted as independent contributions. CLM-0083 still stands: nobody has bounded the relation's validity at a frequency ratio of about 200, and no experiment has verified underdense self-focusing.
What it assumes
the stated input ranges, of which electron temperature remains least well sourced
Where it comes from
This is the project's own working, shown in full:
Full budget in CALC-010 with its 2026-09-02 addendum. Independent verification confirmed the transcription against a 300 dpi render, re-derived the units with three alternative conventions failing by factors of 1e6, 1e9 and 1.78, reproduced the solved striation scales exactly, and checked them against a read of Figure 3.2 itself. Table 3.1 on p3-11 shows the document treats lambda_perp as an engineering cutoff.
Related records
- Answers question
- QST-009 not published in this release
- Contradicts
- CLM-0090 not published in this release
- Supersedes
- CLM-0086 not published in this release
Cite this
energyaperture.com/c/clm-0087
CLM-0087, Energy Aperture, as of 2026-09.