A Z-pinch, or Z-pinched plasma, is a method used in plasma physics to create and confine a plasma using magnetic fields generated by electric currents. The term "Z-pinch" derives from the arrangement in which the electric current flows along the axial (Z) direction of a cylindrical plasma column, creating a magnetic field that compresses the plasma.
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In a Z-pinch, an axial electric current produces a toroidal magnetic field whose inward magnetic tension confines a plasma. A cylindrical magnetostatic equilibrium balances the resulting Lorentz force density against a pressure gradient.