Turbulent heating of plasma in a TBS-Field

Turbulent heating of a plasma by the strong field fluctuations induced by the electric field across the mirror axis of the TBS-field which drives the relative motions of electrons and ions by the ExB drift has been investigated. The dependence of the ion and the electron thermal energy on the applied electric field is studied by means of a multi-grid energy analyser and the absorption method of the soft X-ray radiated from the plasma. By frequency spectrum analysis of the electric field fluctuations, an instability of a long wave-length is observed (Ωsub(i)<<ω approximately ωsub(LH)<<PIsub(e), where Ωsub(i), PIsub(e) are the ion cyclotron frequency and the electron plasma frequency respectively, ωsub(LH) approximately 1.7 x 107 rad/sec the lower hybrid frequency, and ω the frequency of the observed instability). The ions and the electrons are thermalized till the final state gets into √Tsub(i)/msub(i) approximately √Tsub(e)/msub(i) =Vsub(E)/2, where Vsub(E) is the initial relative drift velocity at the center of the TBS-field. (author)