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reversed-field pinch

(Science: radiobiology) A toroidal magnetic confinement scheme which could constitute an alternative to the tokamak for building a fusion reactor. It is characterised by a magnetic field mostly generated by the plasma itself, with toroidal and poloidal components of comparable intensities, in contrast with the Tokamak where most of the field is toroidal and externally applied. The name of the configuration is given by the fact that the toroidal component of the magnetic field changes sign in the outer region of the plasma. The main attractivness of the reversed Field Pinch is that, according to presently established scalings, it could reach ignition without the need of auxiliary heating.