Experimental progress toward magnetized liner inertial fusion on Z*

Yields exceeding 100 kJ may be possible on the 25 MA Z facility at Sandia using the implosion of cylindrical metal liners onto magnetized ($>$10 T) and preheated (100-500 eV) deuterium-tritium fuel [S.A. Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)]. The fusion fuel in such targets absorbs about 100 kJ, so a 100 kJ yield would be `scientific breakeven.' Suitable liner targets (Al and Be) have been fabricated and used in experiments on the magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Magnetic field coil prototypes for $>$10 T axial fields are being tested. Preheat experiments using the multi-kJ Z-Beamlet laser are planned. Cryogenic deuterium fuel systems have been developed. Integrated magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) tests using deuterium fuel are expected in 2013.