A more plausible approach to the confinement problem is to recognize that ions are known to be affected by electrostatic fields, so that confinement by such force effects can also be conceived.

One specific and interesting electrostatic approach to confinement involves a spherical metallic anode emitting deuterons towards the centre. These ions then pass through a spherical negatively charged grid designed to be largely transparent to these deuterons. The positive ions converge toward the centre and a positive space charge forms tending to reverse the motion of the ions and thereby establish a positive ion shell inside the hollow cathode. This internal positive ion shell is called a "virtual anode" in order to distinguish it from the "real anode" which produced these ions.

The metallic cathode, situated between the real and virtual anode, also emits electrons towards the centre. After passage through the virtual anode, the electrons similarly form a "virtual cathode" located further towards the centre. It is conceived that several such nested virtual cathodes and virtual anodes will form with the ion density increasing toward the centre. Finally, then, fusion reactions are expected to occur in these inner ion shells of increasing particle density.

However, in general, the electric fields required, the likelihood of discharge breakdown, and problems of geometrical restrictions have generally served to limit consideration of electrostatic confinement in the pursuit of fusion reaction rates suitable for an energetically viable system.