Target development for magnetized target fusion at LANL

Summary form only given. Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) is an approach to fusion where a preheated and magnetized plasma is adiabatically compressed to fusion conditions. Compared to traditional inertial confinement fusion (ICF), the magnetic field substantially reduces electron thermal conduction losses, and lower initial density (of order 10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/) reduces radiation losses. This allows the larger targets (cm scale) to be imploded at much reduced speed (/spl sim/1 cm//spl mu/S). Successful MTF requires a suitable initial target plasma with a magnetic field of at least 5 T in a closed-field-line topology, a density of roughly 10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/, a temperature of at least 50 eV, and must be free of impurities which would raise radiation losses. The required compression ratio needed to reach fusion conditions is directly dependent on the initial plasma temperature, and thus, an initial temperature of 100-300 eV would be desirable. Target plasma generation experiments are beginning at Los Alamos National Laboratory using the Colt facility; a 0.25 MJ, /spl ap/3 /spl mu/s rise-time capacitor bank. The goal of these experiments is to demonstrate plasma conditions meeting the minimum requirements for a MTF initial target plasma. The first experiments will examine Z-pinches produced in a 2 cm radius by 2 cm high conducting wall, using either a gas-fill (with possible laser-initiated channel along the geometric axis), or a frozen deuterium fiber along the axis. The experimental design and any preliminary data will be presented.