Dense Plasmas with Highly Tangled Magnetic Field as a Novel Target for Magneto-Inertial Fusion

Tangled magnetic fields are prevalent in astrophysical scenarios, including molecular clouds and the solar corona, and can play an important role in the thermal energy transport and pressure balance of such systems. In 2009, Ryutov [1] proposed the use of such a tangled magnetic field for insulation of a plasma target for magneto-inertial fusion. Such a target has the advantage that it could preserve its insulating role in spherical compression geometry, as opposed to more regular magnetic field structures that are best suited to cylindrical compression. Results in the literature find differing results on the effective thermal transport in such plasmas, dependent on the magnetic spectrum. We are currently investigating this concept for use with the plasma-jet-driven magneto-inertial fusion architecture [2], due to its suitability for spherical compression, and will present updates on our investigations to date, and outlook for future development.\\ 1 Ryutov, D. D., Fusion Sci. Tech. 56.4 (2009): 1489-1494.\\ 2 Hsu, Scott C., et al., IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 40.5 (2012): 1287-1298.