# Magneto-Inertial Fusion and Powerful Plasma Installations (A Review)
## 1 Introduction  
Thermonuclear research is currently developing at an impressive rate. A great example of this is the development and construction of the international thermonuclear experimental reactor, ITER. The leader among magnetic traps is a tokamak for plasma confinement. Alternative magnetic configurations are several years behind in terms of the level of research, but their potential capabilities do not exclude future applications. In this regard, issues related to the development of the concept of both a fusion reactor for industrial energy production and fusion installations for the production of medical isotopes, neutron generation, and the creation of rocket engines are becoming relevant. This review relates specifically to this range of problems and is aimed at justifying the potential application of magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) systems [1; 2; 3; 4; 5]; such studies are important, as they expand the range of possible ways to develop future fusion energy. The main problem of MIF is related to the presence of impurities; however, the use of converging spherical plasma jets to create a plasma liner allows us to solve the problem of the need to destroy the solid liner material after each shot. Therefore, liner systems and a laser driver are of interest. The research was started and is currently being conducted in Russia, the USA and Japan, but many developments were carried out for the first time in the USSR and the Russian Federation, in particular, the quasi-spherical \"double-liner\" system was proposed at the I.V. Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy (NRC \"Kurchatov Institute\"), and TRINITI is rightfully considered a pioneer in compact torus research [6]. The main difference between the domestic direction of research is that in the USA and Japan, circuit solutions (conceptual designs) of a thermonuclear reactor have been implemented, whereas in Russia, plasma physical analysis that determines the conditions of ignition of the reaction, and the most basic problem of MIF, is associated with the presence of impurities; however, the use of converging spherical plasma jets to create a plasma liner allows us to solve the problem of the need to destroy the solid liner material after each shot. Therefore, liner systems and a laser driver, while considering both economical and efficient modes, are of interest. The necessity of the submitted work is related to the following circumstances. Fusion parameters have been obtained on the most famous and advanced tokamak system. A lot has been done on plasma physics, there are many experimental machines, but the project of the international fusion experimental reactor (ITER), which started in 1988, is still far from being completed; the first plasma is planned to be produced in 2026. Compared to the proposed installations at tokamak: (i) a small product of the plasma density by the confinement time; (ii) small beta (the plasma pressure to magnetic field pressure ratio) and energy release; and (iii) impurities. MIF systems have a small size, but contain high densities. A decrease in thermal conductivity can be achieved by using a seed-magnetic field, which increases with increasing compression. The density of total energy release (power per unit volume) from a fusion reaction-b\({}^{2}\)B\({}^{4}\)/T. In comparison with a tokamak, pellets, particle injectors for plasma heating, and other additional systems (ICRN, ECRN) are not needed. This greatly simplifies the solution of applied problems for medicine, space exploration, and materials science. MIF-class installations can operate in different modes and use magnetic configurations with high-pressure compressed plasma, which means it will be possible to create particle sources, and installations for medical use and power reactors.