Z-pinch

Etymology
Z refers to the direction of the current in the devices, the z-axis on a normal three-dimensional graph.

Noun

 * 1) A kind of plasma confinement system that uses an electrical current in the plasma to generate a magnetic field that compresses it.

Usage notes

 * These systems were originally referred to simply as or  (after Willard Harrison Bennett), but the introduction of the θ-pinch (theta pinch) concept led to the need for increased clarity.