Startup of a Neutral-Beam-Sustained Plasma in a Quasi-dc Magnetic Field

Abstract

Warm plasma has been injected along field lines into a quasi-steady-state magnetic mirror in the $2X\mathrm{IIB}$ experiment. This has provided a suitable target plasma for density buildup and heating with neutral-beam injection. With the injection of 310 A equivalent of 14-keV deuterium atoms, the density exponentiated to 3.7 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{13}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, the average ion energy increased to 12 keV, and the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ reached 0.4. A rate equation describing the density buildup is given.