Measurements of Electronic Thermal Conductivity in Magnetoplasmas

Electronic thermal conduction in a magnetoplasma with electron number densities of the order of ${10}^{11}$ to ${10}^{12}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{-3\mathrm{}}$, where Coulomb interactions predominate, has been studied experimentally in neon discharges at a pressure of the order of 5 mm Hg, and magnetic fields up to 1200 Oe. The temperature distribution resulting from a very localized heating of the electron gas by an electromagnetic wave of frequency 7500 Mc/sec has been measured in a plane perpendicular to the magnetic field and at variable distances from the heated volume. The experimental results are compared with the predictions of Landshoff.