On the efficacy of imploding plasma liners for magnetized fusion target compression

A new theoretical model is formulated to study the idea of merging a spherical array of converging plasma jets to form a “plasma liner” that further converges to compress a magnetized plasma target to fusion conditions [Y. C. F. Thio et al., “Magnetized target fusion in a spheroidal geometry with standoff drivers,” Current Trends in International Fusion Research II, edited by E. Panarella (National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 1999)]. For a spherically imploding plasma liner shell with high initial Mach number (M=liner speed/sound speed) the rise in liner density with decreasing radius r goes as ρ∼1∕r2, for any constant adiabatic index γ=dlnp∕dlnρ. Accordingly, spherical convergence amplifies the ram pressure of the liner on target by the factor A∼C2, indicating strong coupling to its radial convergence C=rm∕R, where rm(R)=jet merging radius (compressed target radius), and A=compressed target pressure/initial liner ram pressure. Deuterium-tritium (DT) plasma liners with initial velocity ∼100km∕s and γ=5∕3, need to be hypersonic M∼60 and thus cold in order to realize values of A∼104 necessary for target ignition. For optically thick DT liners, T<2eV, n>1019–1020cm−3, blackbody radiative cooling is appreciable and may counteract compressional heating during the later stages of the implosion. The fluid then behaves as if the adiabatic index were depressed below 5∕3, which in turn means that the same amplification A=1.6×104 can be accomplished with a reduced initial Mach number M≈12.7(γ−0.3)4.86, valid in the range (10