Ion temperature and plasma flows in improved confinement mode in the H-1 heliac

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Abstract
Low and improved confinement modes in the H-1 heliac [M. G. Shats et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 4190 (1996)] are studied experimentally in rf-sustained (<100 kW, 7 MHz) argon discharges at low magnetic fields (<0.15 T). Surprisingly high ion temperature, measured using a retarding field energy analyzer, is found which increases across the transition to improved confinement mode from 40 to 80 eV, while the electron density increases by about 50%. Both toroidal and poloidal plasma flow velocities do not change across the transition. The increase in a radial electric field in high mode is balanced on average by a corresponding increase in the ion pressure gradient.