Simulated thermonuclear performance of dynamic screw pinch driven MagLIF implosions on the Z accelerator*

Reduction of magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities (MRTI) could greatly benefit Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) by enabling implosions with higher cylindrical uniformity that achieve higher convergence and deliver more cumulative energy to the fusion fuel. Dynamic screw pinches (DSP) leverage an initially helical magnetic drive field that applies magnetic field line tension during the implosion to mitigate MRTI. In DSP-driven MagLIF simulations, the azimuthal and axial magnetic field components both act to radially implode the liner but the axial drive magnetic field component also partially diffuses through the liner material, injecting additional magnetic flux into the fuel region. This additional axial magnetic flux could enhance thermal insulation of the fuel, increasing performance. Three-dimensional radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations indicate that improved performance of DSP-driven MagLIF targets compared to z-pinch driven targets results both from enhanced implosion stability and additional axial magnetic flux in the fusion fuel.