Translation and Capture of High-Density Field Reversed Configurations for Magnetized Target Fusion

A physics demonstration of Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) is being pursued by a collaborative team from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Air Force Research Laboratory. The LANL facility, known as the Field Reversed eXperiment --- Liner (FRX-L), focuses on the physics of producing high-density Field Reversed Configurations (FRCs), translating them, and capturing them in a static flux conserver. Observations of FRCs in translation and capture will be presented. The data suggest FRCs are formed at density above 10$^{22}$/m$^3$, translate over the one meter chamber at 97~km/s, and a captured portion having radius 4~cm lives for 10$\mu$s. The repeatability of FRC capture will be discussed in context of that necessary for MTF. This work is supported by the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, and DOE/LANL contract DE-AC52-06NA25396.