Pre-Ionization Considerations for FRC Formation at High Field and High Density

Recent simulations by Slutz et al. [1] have shown the potential for impressive fusion yield via compression of centimeter-scale field-reversed configurations (FRCs) using solid liners driven by the Z-machine (20+ MA, 100 ns) at Sandia National Labs. A platform is being developed on the MAIZE linear transformer driver (1 MA, 200 ns) at the University of Michigan to study the formation and lifetime of high-density, high-field (10-30+ T) FRCs, which may someday prove suitable for compression at the Z facility.