An extended study of the ignition design space of magnetized target fusion

The survey by Lindemuth [Phys. Plasmas 22, 122712 (2015)] of the parameter space in which magnetized targets can achieve ignition and high gain has been extended and broadened with the intent of determining, for a specified initial density and β (ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure), the initial temperature and minimum initial size required to achieve ignition at reasonable convergence and to determine what are the implosion velocity and energy required to maximize gain. For three basic types of magnetized targets—spherical with azimuthal magnetic field, cylindrical with azimuthal magnetic field, and cylindrical with axial magnetic field—we find that high gain is possible only for high-β (e.g., β > 1) initial plasmas in a density range for which very little research on plasma formation has been conducted.