Drift wave excitation in the THETA-pinch high pressure plasma

Excitation of low-frequency (LF) drift waves has been experimentally investigated in a high-pressure plasma in a gas discharge of the direct THETA-pinch type. The electrodeless inductive gas discharge is produced in an alundum tube of 150 cm length and 6.5 cm internal diameter filled with hydrogen at the pressure of (1-20).10-3 mm Hg. The discharge magnetic field (MF) has been investigated by a system of five magnetic probes both oriented along the radius and the length of the discharge chamber. The longitudinal temperature of electrons reaches 4 keV at the 6 kV voltage on the coil. Successive development of two types of instability has been observed: HF ''starting'' and LF ones. The LF oscillations observed have been identified as drift waves in a system with large β. The amplitude of the MF oscillations for the given instability may be compared with the value of the main MF, and the transverse wave lengths for these oscillations are of the order of the plasma filament radius. The longitudinal wave lengths are comparable with the magnetic system length