Investigations of nonneutral magnetically confined electron plasmas

An experimental investigation of nonneutral electron clouds confined in magnetic mirrors has been conducted. Two methods of electron injection into the mirror were developed. In both methods a thermionic injector with its filament parallel to the magnetic field is used and electrons are injected across field lines. In the first method the injector is located at the mirror midplane. In the second method the injector is located between the mirrors but close to one of the mirror maxima. Collective effects play an important role in the two cases