Anisotropic instability in a hot electron plasma, contained in an adiabatic trap

An investigation is made of the behaviour of a plasma with hot electrons (Te ? 30 keV, ne ? 3 ? 1010 cm-3), obtained by electron cyclotron resonance heating in an adiabatic trap. An instability is observed which leads to rapid loss of the energy of transverse plasma motion in a time ~ 1 ?sec. The instability is accompanied by radiation near the electron cyclotron frequency and its second harmonic. Simultaneously the ejection of hot electrons is observed, both along and perpendicular to the magnetic lines of force. A possible theoretical explanation of the observed phenomena is considered.