[en] A low-β plasma column a few mm in diameter by 22 cm in length is heated by an axially directed CO2 laser to a high-β state in a fast rising solenoidal field. Successful heating depends on proper timing between the laser pulse and rising field. Typical conditions attained are a line energy density of 6 J/cm, T-barapprox. =40 eV, and n/sub e/approx. =3 x 1017e-/cm3, with conditions quite uniform along the length. The heating suppresses instabilities which appear under certain conditions in the non-laser-heated case