Ion heating and fine structure of the potential in the interaction of a magnetic piston with a plasma
Koshilev N.A. , Strokin N.A. , Shishko A.A.
We investigated experimentally ion heating and the structure of the potential following compression of a plasma (η0~0.7χ 1012-5χ 1012 cm-3) by a magnetic piston (H = 1200 Oe, T74 = 400 nsec) in а θ pinch without an initial magnetic field. We demonstrate the existence of broad spectra of ions moving in a radial direction and scattered through 45°. A potential discontinuity of width —50-100 Debye lengths is formed ahead of the magnetic piston. The results do not contradict the assumption that a turbulent electrostatic shock wave exists under the conditions in question.