The basis of magnetized target fusion - A fusion primer

A growing number of researchers worldwide are recognizing that the technology of the Megagauss Conferences has opened the possibility of achieving controlled thermonuclear fusion in a relatively unexplored fusion fuel density regime. Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) operates at a density intermediate between the fuel density of the two conventional fusion approaches, magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) and inertial confinement fusion (ICF). In this paper, we review the fuel conditions (e.g., confinement time, density, temperature) that must be met to achieve significant fusion energy release. We show that the constraint of steady-state operation forces MCF to operate at the low end of the density spectrum and that the constraint of unmagnetized fuel forces ICF to operate at the high end. Our analysis shows that operation at an intermediate density (10(18)-10(22)/cm(3)) has many attractive features and potentially overcomes some of the obstacles, particularly cost, faced by the more conventional approaches.