Collective interactions and plasma heating in a high current gas discharge

The results are presented of an experimental investigation of processes involved in the development of kinetic instabilities and the heating of a dense plasma in a strong electric field. It is shown that in a high current gas discharge effective heating of both the electron and ion components of the plasma occurs, associated with an anomalous plasma resistivity and intense microwave emission from the plasma at frequencies considerably below the plasma frequency due to the development of high frequency instabilities. The results are discussed and an explanation offered for the mechanism responsible for the development of the instabilities.