This paper summarizes the results of experiments on electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) of plasma obtained at the axially symmetric magnetic mirror device gas dynamic trap (GDT) (Budker Institute, Novosibirsk). The main achievement is the demonstration of plasma discharges with extremely high temperatures of bulk electrons. According to the Thomson scattering measurements, the on-axis electron temperature averaged over several sequential shots is 660 ± 50 eV with peak values exceeding 900 eV in a few shots. This corresponds to an at least threefold increase as compared to previous experiments both at the GDT and at other comparable machines, thus demonstrating the maximum quasi-stationary (∼0.6 ms) electron temperature achieved in open traps. The breakthrough is made possible with the successful implementation of a sophisticated ECRH scheme in addition to standard heating by neutral beams (NBs). Another important result is the demonstration of the significantly increased lifetime of NB-driven fast particles with the application of ECRH, leading to a 30% higher plasma energy content at the end of the discharge. All available data including the previously demonstrated possibility of plasma confinement with β as high as 60%, allows us to consider fusion applications of axially symmetric magnetic mirror machines on a realistic basis.

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Studies of the relaxation and confinement of hot anisotropic ions are considered to be the key elements of the gas dynamic trap (GDT) experimental research programme. The method of confinement study described consists essentially in the comparison of measured ion parameters with those predicted by computer simulations. To realize this approach a set of diagnostics for the measurements of local and global parameters of the fast ions has been developed. In particular, this set includes diagnostics to measure the local energy and the angular distribution functions. For numerical studies of the fast ion dynamics a Monte Carlo code based on the theory of two body Coulomb collisions has been elaborated. Comparison of the experimental data with the results of the simulation clearly demonstrates that the fast ion characteristic relaxation times in the warm target plasma are close to those determined by binary Coulomb collisions. Significant anomalous energy losses or scattering of fast ions have not been observed as yet. The measurements provide a maximum density of the fast ions with mean energy of about 8 keV up to 1013 cm-3, in good agreement with computer simulations. The increase of the neutral beam power and improved vacuum conditions of GDT made possible the access to plasma β of as high as 30%.