Magnetized liner inertial fusion

The stages of a MagLIF implosion.
  1. A laser preheats the fuel.
  2. An axial current is driven through the liner.
  3. The current induces an azimuthal magnetic field.
  4. The magnetic force implodes the liner, compressing and further heating the fuel.

Magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) is an ongoing fusion power experiment being carried out on the Z Pulsed Power Facility (Z machine) at Sandia National Laboratories in the US. Is it one example of the broader magneto-inertial fusion approach, which attempts to compress a pre-heated plasma. The goal is to produce fusion conditions without the level of compression needed in the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) approach, where the required densities reach about 100 times that of lead.

The term MagLIF may also be used more broadly to refer to machines that use the same operating principle as the one at the Z machine. This includes the Primary Test Stand (PTS) in Mianyang, China.[1]

  1. ^ Hailong, Zhao; et al. (12 May 2020). "Preliminary exploration of MagLIF concept and feasibility analysis on PTS facility". High Power Laser and Particle Beams. 32 (6): 62002–62010. doi:10.11884/HPLPB202032.190352.