Numerical Modeling Studies of Plasma Driven Magnetoinertial Fusion

Plasma liner driven magnetoinertial fusion is studied using a new 1D hydro code based on Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and with MACH2, a 2D magnetohydrodynamic code. The effort was undertaken as a step in studying the feasibility of using high-velocity plasma jets to implode a magnetized plasma as a stand-off-driver embodiment of magnetoinertial fusion. The 1D and 2D models were compared with the normal shock relations and results from self-similar analytical solutions of converging shocks in cylindrical and spherical geometries, allowance being made for the simplifying approximations made in the analytical results.