Plasma confinement is the process of containing and controlling plasma, a state of matter composed of highly ionized gas, using magnetic fields or other methods to prevent it from touching the walls of a container.
The purpose of plasma confinement is to create and maintain the conditions necessary for nuclear fusion, a process that has the potential to provide clean and nearly limitless energy. It is also used in other applications such as plasma processing and plasma propulsion.
Plasma can be confined using magnetic fields, such as in a tokamak or stellarator, or through inertial confinement, where lasers or particle beams are used to compress and heat the plasma. In some cases, a combination of these methods is used.
One of the main challenges of plasma confinement is preventing the plasma from coming into contact with the walls of the container, as this can lead to energy losses and damage to the walls. Additionally, maintaining the necessary temperature and density for fusion reactions to occur is also a major challenge.
Current research efforts in plasma confinement are focused on improving the efficiency and stability of confinement methods, as well as developing new technologies for creating and controlling plasma. There is also ongoing research in advanced materials and designs for containing and handling the extreme conditions of plasma.