Experimental investigation of axial plasma injection into a magnetic dipole field

A high-density helium plasma, accelerated from a conical pinch, is injected axially into a magnetic dipole field. Magnetic probe measurements show that, near the axis, a compression of the field is super-imposed on the standard diamagnetic depression. The compression starts downstream and moves towards the injector.

Simultaneously with the compression, an increase in the electron temperature and reflection of a small amount of plasma are seen. The amount of plasma transmitted through the dipole field is found to be nearly independent of the field strength.