Fusion in a Staged <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Z$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-Pinch

Abstract

The implosion of a liner-on-target $Z$ -pinch is simulated for fusion. The simulation code is the 2-1/2-D, MACH2 MHD code and the driver parameters are $\tau _{1/4} \sim 130$ ns, $I_{\text {peak}} \sim 22$ MA, and $E_{\text {stored}} \sim 22$ MJ. Simulations are run for a Staged $Z$ -pinch, configured as an unmagnetized, silver-plasma liner imploding onto a deuterium-tritium plasma target. Magnetosonic-shocks play a decisive role in the attainment of fusion: preheating the target plasma, producing a stagnation-shock front at the liner–target interface, and transporting current and magnetic field that is flux-compressed by liner inertia. The target implosion is magneto-inertial and stable, up to the last of couple of nanoseconds when the interface decelerates and target-hot spots form, leading to ignition, with a 100-MJ yield, ${\sim }5\times E_{\text {stored}}$ . A simulation is also provided for MagLIF, configured as a magnetized Beryllium liner $\rightarrow $ Deuterium target implosion; these results compare favorably with recent measurements.