A Mechanism for Inducing Ion Current in a Theta-Pinch

It is demonstrated that net ion current may be induced in the implosion phase of a θ-pinch if the hydrgen plasma were contaminated with impurities. The force appears to induce a hydrogen flow in the direction of the electric field accompanied by an opposite flow of impurities both of which are further accelerated by the plasma implosion keeping the null total angular momentum. These counter flows of hydrogen and impurity ions generate a net ion current since the former carries a larger ion current than the latter due to the fact that impurities are not fully ionized in a θ-pinch.