Plasma Liner Compression of Merged FRCs

Creation of high energy density (HED) plasmas in the laboratory is a topic of ongoing interest in the area of magneto-inertial fusion. One innovative approach to HED plasma creation, and the one being explored in the Plasma Liner Compression (PLC) experiment, is through the compression of a field reversed configuration (FRC) plasma by an imploding plasma liner. Unlike other forms of liner compression, the plasma liner is driven inductively by theta-pinch solenoid coils rather than by an axial z-pinch current. This removes many of the design limitations that a direct electrical connection imposes. Liner masses of 3 mg have been formed in Xenon and have been accelerated to a velocity of 50 km/s. The experiment has been modified to include two theta-pinch FRC formation chambers at opposite ends of the plasma liner chamber. The two remotely formed FRCs are injected into the plasma liner chamber where they merge. Past experiments have shown this to be a reliable method of forming a hot, stable, and stationary FRC target suitable for plasma liner compression. Details of the liner dynamics and initial results of FRC merging in the plasma liner chamber will be discussed.