PLX BETHE: Target Formation, Integrated Experiments, and Commercialization Pathways for Plasma-Jet-Driven Magneto-Inertial Fusion

Plasma-jet-driven magneto-inertial fusion (PJMIF) is a promising path toward controlled nuclear fusion that employs a spherically converging, line-replaceable plasma liner to compress a magnetized target. We present the first experimental results on the formation of a spherical argon plasma liner from 36 discrete, pulsed plasma jets on the Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX), with time-resolved measurements of liner morphology, uniformity, density, temperature, and ram pressure. We have also initiated magnetized target formation experiments using the head-on merging of four magnetized supersonic deuterium plasma jets. The turbulent merging process leads to the generation of tangled magnetic fields within the target plasma. These tangled fields produce long magnetic connection lengths between the hot fuel and the cold liner surface, effectively reducing heat losses and enhancing energy confinement. Magnetic field structures are characterized using a 3-axis B-dot probe array, while plasma density and temperature are measured via interferometry and soft X-ray diagnostics. These results provide critical experimental benchmarks for validating computational models and assessing the scaling of PJMIF toward fusion-relevant energy densities.