Plasma confinement within a solenoidal magnetic field using nested electric potential wells

Summary form only given. Confinement of ions and electrons in two regions of space which overlap has recently been achieved using a solenoidal magnetic field for radial confinement and externally produced electric fields for axial confinement. Two methods were used. One method relied on using time-dependent (Paul-type) fields for axial confinement of electrons and static (Penning-type) fields for axial confinement of ions. The other method relied on using a Penning/Malmberg type plasma trap to produce a nested pair of oppositely-signed electric potential wells. A third method is presented which relies on a time dependent nested-well potential profile.