Magneto-inertial fusion research in the united states: A promising prospect

Abstract

Most fusion research has focused on magnetic confinement fusion with densities of ∼1014 ions/cm3 and confinement times of >10 s, or pulsed inertial confinement fusion (ICF) with densities ∼1025 ion/cm3 with confinement times <1 ns. Some concepts have been proposed to achieve thermonuclear fusion in between these two extremes, typically through the addition of strong magnetic fields in a pulsed confinement system. One such approach being studied in the United States is Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) [1]. MagLIF targets may be capable of large, pulsed fusion yields at densities roughly two orders of magnitude lower than traditional ICF, which could be easier to achieve than the typical radial fuel convergence required of ICF implosions.