Plasma confining device

Claim 1

A plasma confining device comprising: a plurality of cusp magnetic field means each for generating a cusp magnetic field confining a charged particle plasma, said cusp magnetic field having a line cusp portion, and some of said charged particles escaping through said line cusp portion forming a sheet-shaped charged particle flow substantially within a two-dimensional plane along said line cusp portion, and a deflection magnetic field means for generating a deflection magnetic field having a magnetic flux perpendicular to said plane, an edge of the deflection magnetic field being perpendicular to the direction of advancement of the escaping charged particles so that each of the escaping particles enters the deflection magnetic field, is deflected, leaves the magnetic field, and returns substantially within said plane, toward and through the line cusp portion into the inside of the plasma, wherein said deflection magnetic field means further includes neutralizing coils which generate a neutralizing field which will weaken said cusp magnetic field at said deflection magnetic field means, thereby reducing the radius of said deflection field means.