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Physics Criteria for a Subscale Plasma Liner Experiment

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Abstract

Spherically imploding plasma liners, formed by merging hypersonic plasma jets, are a proposed standoff driver to compress magnetized target plasmas to fusion conditions (Hsu et al. in IEEE Trans Plasma Sci 40:1287, 2012). In this paper, the parameter space and physics criteria are identified for a subscale, plasma-liner-formation experiment to provide data, e.g., on liner ram-pressure scaling and uniformity, that are relevant for addressing scientific issues of full-scale plasma liners required to achieve fusion conditions. Based on these criteria, we quantitatively estimate the minimum liner kinetic energy and mass needed, which informed the design of a subscale plasma liner experiment now under development.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, P. O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA

    Scott C. Hsu

  2. HyperJet Fusion Corporation, 13935 Willard Rd., Chantilly, VA, 20151, USA

    Y. C. Francis Thio

Authors
  1. Scott C. Hsu
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  2. Y. C. Francis Thio
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Correspondence to Scott C. Hsu.

Additional information

This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC52-06NA25396.

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Hsu, S.C., Thio, Y.C.F. Physics Criteria for a Subscale Plasma Liner Experiment. J Fusion Energ 37, 103–110 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10894-018-0154-5

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