Experimental progress toward magnetized liner inertial fusion on Z

ORAL

Abstract

Yields exceeding 100 kJ may be possible on the 25 MA Z facility at Sandia using the implosion of cylindrical metal liners onto magnetized ($>$10 T) and preheated (100-500 eV) deuterium-tritium fuel [S.A. Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)]. The fusion fuel in such targets absorbs about 100 kJ, so a 100 kJ yield would be `scientific breakeven.' Suitable liner targets (Al and Be) have been fabricated and used in experiments on the magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Magnetic field coil prototypes for $>$10 T axial fields are being tested. Preheat experiments using the multi-kJ Z-Beamlet laser are planned. Cryogenic deuterium fuel systems have been developed. Integrated magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) tests using deuterium fuel are expected in 2013.

*Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Authors

  • D.B. Sinars

    • Sandia National Laboratories
    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
  • M.C. Herrmann

    • Sandia National Laboratories
    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
  • M.E. Cuneo

    • Sandia National Labs
    • Sandia National Laboratories
    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
  • Derek Lamppa

    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
  • Andrew Lopez

    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
  • Ryan McBride

    • Sandia National Laboratories
    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
  • Dean Rovang

    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
  • David Hanson

    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
  • E.C. Harding

    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
    • Sandia National Labs
  • Charles Nakhleh

    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
  • S.A. Slutz

    • Sandia National Laboratories
    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
  • R.A. Vesey

    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
    • Sandia National Laboratories
  • A.B. Sefkow

    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
    • Sandia National Laboratories
    • SNL
  • K. Peterson

    • Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
    • Sandia National Labs
    • Sandia National Laboratories