MIFEDS

MIFEDS (magneto-inertial fusion electrical discharge system) is used to apply an external magnetic field to experiments on OMEGA and OMEGA EP. Housed in a standard TIM (ten-inch manipulator) diagnostic payload, MIFEDS is a pulsed-power device capable of delivering up to 50 kA to a custom coil payload. Applied fields in experiments have reached over 50 T in the region of interest, depending on configuration. There are three units, allowing use on both OMEGA and OMEGA EP, and use of dual MIFEDS on a single experiment. MIFEDS has been used to study magneto-inertial fusion [magnetized ICF and MagLIF pages], magnetic reconnection, magnetized shocks, magnetized plasma jets, collimation and trapping of positrons, magnetized plasma transport, optimization of laser plasma hard x-ray sources, and magnetized laser–plasma interaction physics.
MIFEDS gen 2 with the cover removed.

Photograph of MIFEDS gen 2 with the cover removed. The current system (gen 2.5) uses a straight transmission line and has custom-made capacitors that have increased stored energy.
A nextgeneration system (gen 3) is nearly ready for deployment. MIFEDS gen 3 increases the stored energy from 250 J to 2.25 kJ and has produced magnetic fields of 80 T in laboratory tests. The MIFEDS lab provides calibration, repair, and maintenance support. The lab houses a vacuum chamber where MIFEDS can be fired, along with additional measurement capabilities such as high-speed video to measure coil disassembly and Faraday rotation to measure magnetic field.
MIFEDS gen 3 on a lab table.

MIFEDS gen 3 being assembled in the lab.
A set of MIFEDS gen 2.5 coils.

MIFEDS gen 2.5 coils, which use the design developed for gen 3. The metal base attaches to the end of the straight transmission line.
Green lasers reflecting of lenses.

Picture of a Faraday rotation measurement being made in the MIFEDS lab vacuum chamber.
Animation of coil being fired.

High-speed video of a coil being fired in the MIFEDS lab vacuum chamber.