Overview of Pacific Fusion's Pulser-Driven Inertial Fusion Energy System

Pacific Fusion is developing pulser-driven inertial fusion energy (IFE) systems, using the impedance-matched Marx generator (IMG)[W.A. Stygar, K.R. LeChien, M.G. Mazarakis et al. "Impedance-matched Marx generators," Physical Review Accelerators and Beams 20, 040402 (2017)] pulsed power architecture to efficiently deliver fast-rising, high magnitude electric currents to magnetically implode cylindrical targets filled with deuterium and tritium. The initial approach being studied is based on the Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF)[S. A. Slutz, M. C. Herrmann, R. A. Vesey, et al., "Pulsed-power-driven cylindrical liner implosions of laser preheated fuel magnetized with an axial field," Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)] target platform that has achieved the second highest P-tau product behind NIF implosions and has the potential to achieve facility gain on the Pacific Fusion Demonstration System (DS) currently under construction and slated for operation by the end of the decade. The Demonstration System is a 156 module IMG accelerator with 80 MJ of stored energy that will be delivered at a power approaching 1 TW and efficiency to the load exceeding 10%. With this capability Pacific Fusion will embark on a program of research to execute experiments that achieve facility gain (Qf) greater than 1. This presentation will provide an overview of Pacific Fusion's approach to achieving Qf > 1, covering the accelerator architecture, target platform, diagnostics, and the current schedule for achieving experimental operations.