# Magneto-Inertial Fusion and Powerful Plasma Installations (A Review)
## 1 Introduction
Different drivers are considered, namely, laser beams and supersonic plasma jets for producing high-density plasma, both quasi-stationary and pulsed installations, in which losses are reduced and dangerous micro-instability does not have time to develop, so the problem of plasma interaction with the wall is not so relevant. In comparison with inertial thermonuclear fusion (ITF or ICF--Inertial Confinement Fusion), the pulse duration and energy confinement time are longer in MIF systems. Advantages of such systems:  
* Spherical compression is an effective way of heating plasma to thermonuclear temperatures (compression ratio is more than 1000). * Non-stationarity ensures the impossibility of developing plasma instabilities, which leads to a significant reduction in energy losses. * High degree of burnout of thermonuclear fuel. * Removal of the problem of plasma interaction with the wall. * Simpler system design than stationary tokamaks and stellarators. Magneto-inertial fusion [7; 8; 9; 10; 11] is a relatively new approach for energy production, which combines the features and advantages of well-studied magnetic fusion (MCF--Magnetic Confinement Fusion) and inertial fusion. The relevance and novelty of this task lies in the development of methods for calculating and modeling the compression of a fuel target located in an external magnetic field, and determining promising compression modes and requirements for the technique that provides this compression. The key element in solving this problem is the simulation of particle dynamics, the interaction of fast particles with fuel components in the target and external plasma, neutron fluxes, and the depth of fuel burnout. Among the different types of plasma confinement and thermonuclear systems, there is no serious research of magneto-inertial fusion (MIF); therefore, numerical analysis and complex calculation are needed to assess the prospects of MIF systems and the implementation of various technologies. An effective means of solving this problem is the use of modern numerical methods for solving complex problems of studying plasma dynamics processes. One of the urgent tasks of modern physics and controlled thermonuclear fusion is the search for new areas and the analysis of promising alternative (hybrid) systems when creating a reactor and a particle source, as well as obtaining optimal conditions for solving problems related to the use of thermal and neutron fluxes generated in fusion installations with powerful pulsed sources. Advanced technologies based on the use of plasma, in which the synthesis reaction takes place, and magneto-inertial confinement due to super-strong magnetic fields and powerful heating sources, such as lasers and accelerators, are necessary in industries and in the transition to the energy of the future. Systems with high energy density, namely neutron and proton sources, will be in demand in the near future for materials science, analysis and non-destructive testing, production of medical isotopes, destruction of chemical waste, etc. The prospects for using the magneto-inertial approach, as well as the reasons why the MIF compares favorably with others currently being developed, are mainly in the possibilities of implementing relatively simple methods of confinement and heating the target plasma. Structurally, the review is compiled as follows. The first chapter presents the basic physical principles and the background of MIF. In the second chapter, MIF schemes with a laser driver are provided, and in the third, variants of MIF with plasma jets are given. The fourth chapter outlines the prospects of MIF installations for using them as neutron generators and other fusion applications. The fifth chapter describes the state of affairs on this topic in the Russian Federation. The sixth chapter contains theoretical studies and possible prototypes, as well as the topic of private companies and fusion startups with magneto-inertial plasma retention. The Appendix A contains the list of MIF devices and companies worldwide.