Controlled Fusion Experiments at the Naval Research Laboratory

Plasma physics experiments oriented towards controlled thermonuclear fusion which have existed and are developing at NRL are summarized, with particular emphasis on recent technological experiences with the hard-core adaptation of the ¿-pinch device. New experiments include a ¿-pinch with rapidly tailored magnetic fields and an extended z-pinch initiated with a laser-triggered high voltage streamer. Other active experiments of related interest to CTR are briefly described.