Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 March 2009
It is shown that complex variable transformations, suitable for obtaining the solution for the field boundary of a system of line currents confined in one cavity by a perfectly conducting uniform plasma, can be used for obtaining the solution to the inverse problem where a perfectly conducting uniform plasma is confined in one cavity by a system of line currents. It is deduced that the minimum number of line currents for confining (not stably) a plasma is two. The equilibrium configurations for several special but simple cases are investigated and discussed.