Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 11, 2026

Plasma confinement

In plasma physics, plasma confinement refers to the restriction of energy and particle transport from a plasma in order to maintain its temperature and density for a finite time. The two principal approaches to confinement are magnetic confinement, in which electromagnetic fields are used to contain and control the plasma, and inertial confinement, in which rapid compression of a fuel target confines the plasma for a brief duration through its own inertia.

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Jun 11, 2026
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In plasma physics, plasma confinement refers to the restriction of energy and particle transport from a plasma in order to maintain its temperature and density for a finite time.1 The two principal approaches to confinement are magnetic confinement, in which electromagnetic fields are used to contain and control the plasma, and inertial confinement, in which rapid compression of a fuel target confines the plasma for a brief duration through its own inertia.

References

References

  1. Morgan, Daniel (24 May 2023). Fusion Energy (In Focus). Congressional Research Service. IF12411. Retrieved 2 May 2026.