Magnetic field
A magnetic field is a vector field that describes the magnetic influence of electrical currents and magnetized materials. In everyday life, the effects of magnetic fields are often seen in permanent magnets, which pull on magnetic materials (such as iron) and attract or repel other magnets. Magnetic fields surround and are created by magnetized material and by moving electric charges (electric currents) such as those used in electromagnets. Magnetic fields exert forces on nearby moving electrical charges and torques on nearby magnets. In addition, a magnetic field that varies with location exerts a force on magnetic materials. Both the strength and direction of a magnetic field varies with location. As such, it is an example of a vector field.
Magnetic nozzle
If the strength of the applied magnetic field is sufficient, it magnetizes the light electrons in the plasma, which therefore describe a helicoidal motion about the magnetic lines. In practice, this is achieved with magnetic fields in the range of a few hundred Gauss. The guiding center of each electron is forced to travel along one magnetic tube. This magnetic confinement prevents the uncontrolled expansion of the electrons in the radial direction and guides them axially downstream. The heavier ions are typically unmagnetized or only partially magnetized, but are forced to expand with the electrons thanks to the electric field that is set up in the plasma to maintain quasineutrality. 
As a result of the ensuing electric field, the ions are accelerated downstream, while all electrons except the more energetic ones are confined upstream. In this way, the electric field helps convert the electron internal energy into directed ion kinetic energy.