Z-pinch
TYPE OF PLASMA CONFINEMENT SYSTEM THAT USES AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT IN THE PLASMA TO GENERATE A MAGNETIC FIELD THAT COMPRESSES IT
Z-Pinch; Z pinch; Zeta pinch
In fusion power research, the Z-pinch (zeta pinch) is a type of plasma confinement system that uses an electric current in the plasma to generate a magnetic field that compresses it (see pinch). These systems were originally referred to simply as pinch or Bennett pinch (after Willard Harrison Bennett), but the introduction of the θ-pinch (theta pinch) concept led to the need for clearer, more precise terminology.