Laser heating and magnetic compression of plasma in a fast solenoid

Abstract
A low‐β plasma column a few mm in diameter by 22 cm in length is heated by an axially directed CO2 laser to a high‐β state in a fast rising solenoidal field. Successful heating depends on proper timing between the laser pulse and rising field. Typical conditions attained are a line energy density of 6 J/cm, T̄≈40 eV, and ne≈3×1017e/cm3, with conditions quite uniform along the length. The heating suppresses instabilities which appear under certain conditions in the non‐laser‐heated case.