The results of measurements made in a 40-eV plasma contained by a 500-Oe HF magnetic field travelling along a plasma column are compared with computed values for the penetration of such a field into a homogeneous solid cylinder with conductivity σ and free-electron concentration n. Very satisfactory agreement with theory is observed. In particular, the predicted dependence of the relative strength of the field due to the drift current on the parameter is confirmed. With increasing f the relative strength of this field reaches a maximum of 0.8 and then decreases, the skin layer remaining substantially less than the radius of the plasma column.To obtain satisfactory agreement with theory, it was sufficient in the conductivity calculations to take into account the cross-section for Coulomb collisions and the total cross-section for electron-atom collisions.It is shown, in addition, that for ionization coefficients higher than 5% the magnetic-field and plasma pressures balance.
Quasi-linear theory of cherenkov heating of electrons in an inhomogeneous plasma