Dynamics of Ions of a Beam-Heated Plasma in a Cell of Multimirror Open Trap

Experiments on plasma heating by a high power electron beam at the GOL-3 facility have shown, that ion temperature with a multiple mirror configuration of the magnetic field is much higher than for plasma heating in a simple solenoid. A new mechanism of fast collective heating of a plasma ions is suggested. The efficiency of the heating depends on local density of the beam electrons. In the corrugated magnetic field this creates a periodical longitudinal variation of plasma pressure during the beam injection. Then the pressure gradients result in plasma motion towards the midplane of each magnetic cell. Numerical simulations and special experiments demonstrate that fast thermalization of the energy of the directed plasma motion occurs. This mechanism requires about one ion-ion collision time that is much faster than usual electron-to-ion energy transfer time.