Can magnetized liner inertial fusion reach high gain
In plain words
A different route to inertial fusion uses a huge electric current to crush a metal tube of fuel that has been magnetized and preheated by a laser. Designs predict high gain on a larger machine, but whether instabilities and mixing allow it is unknown.
Precise statement
In magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF: axial seed field of order $1e5\ \mathrm{G}$, laser-preheated D or DT fuel, liner imploded by a current pulse of about $20\ \mathrm{MA}$ on the Z machine), magnetic insulation lowers the required fuel areal density. Determine whether integrated designs reach ignition and gain $G\ \text{above}\ 10$ at drive currents of $40\ \text{to}\ 70\ \mathrm{MA}$, given measured limits from magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor growth, preheat-induced mix and magnetized electron heat transport (Nernst advection). An answer is a radiation-MHD design validated on Z data at $20\ \mathrm{MA}$, or a demonstrated scaling showing it fails.
What would settle it
Validated radiation-MHD scaling from Z experiments to a next-generation pulsed-power driver, then an experiment on such a driver.
Status in the literature
Unverified note
Slutz and Vesey (2012, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.025003) predicted gains well above 10 at about 60 MA; no driver at that current existed as of mid-2026.