ABSTRACT
Why is it necessary to talk so much about fusion plasmas? Why not simply explain how a fusion machine works? The reason is that the plasma is an integral part of a fusion machine, the part where the crucial things happen, where improvements are focussed and where benefits of operation are expected. The plasma contains the energy-producing elements, tritium and deuterium nuclei, for a reactor. It has to be confined in the interior of the vessel and suspended by 'invisible strings', preventing it from coming into contact with the walls. What happens in the bottle? How can the genie be prevented from leaking out? Since gravitational forces like those which keep the Sun together cannot be used, the plasma has to be controlled by magnetic forces.
