Q Machines presents the significant aspects of the Q machine - a device in which highly ionized, magnetically confined plasma is created by contact ionization of atoms and thermionic emission of electrons. The book covers a broad range of topics regarding the physics and engineering of Q machines; the research limitations and possibilities afforded by different types of Q machines; the methods by which the basic plasma parameters can be measured; the effects of plasma in homogeneities on plasma stability; the numerous factors affecting plasma confinement; and the possibilities for research on plasma waves.Plasma physicists, Q-machine specialists, students, and scientists in other fields of interest will find the book highly useful.