Startup of a neutral-beam-sustained plasma in a quasi-dc magnetic field

Warm plasma has been injected along field lines into a quasi-steady-state magnetic mirror in the 2XIIB 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 x 10/sup 13/ cm/sup -3/, the average ion energy increase to 12 keV, and the ..beta.. reached 0.4. A rate equation describing the density buildup is given. (AIP)