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http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20180006825 (link to NASA .pdf) TL;DR: when you wrap your fusion fuel in lithium/beryllium/aluminum and use a pulsed magnetic field to compress the metal wrapper, rather than the fuel directly, so hard that fusion happens, you end up needing to rapidly (10 Hz or so) cycle a very powerful magnet on and off. Even though lighter than straightforward magnetic confinement, it’s a very bad idea from an engineering standpoint. So, instead of pulsing a magnet, the fusion fuel is fired quickly (10 km/s) through a constant field (not dissimilar to a rocket nozzle’s throat, actually) to achieve an identical result. This requires a pretty OP pellet gun, though; railguns and light gas guns aren’t up for the job, but laser ablative propulsion is, and it warms up the pellet as a bonus. Shamelessly stolen from @nyrath. Discuss.
