Poloidal beta measurements for the Reversatron reversed-field pinch plasma

Summary form only given, as follows. The reversed-field pinch (RFP) configuration is a toroidally confined plasma with a high ratio of particle pressure to magnetic pressure (/spl beta/). Electron temperature measurements, combined with Doppler broadening ion temperatures and CO/sub 2/ interferometer densities, give the first pressure measurements for the Reversatron RFP. A lithium-drifted Si(Li) soft X-ray detector has been used to make line-of-sight and time-averaged electron temperature measurements of the Reversatron plasma. The detector is calibrated with a Fe55 source. The effective energy range of the detector is 600 eV to 10 keV with a 7 /spl mu/m Be entrance window. Bulk electron temperatures are found to be 200-400 eV and there is a fast electron tail of order 1 key. The ion temperature is not significantly lower than the electron temperature, an observation consistent with other RFP machines and the presence of a unique mechanism of ion heating. Electron temperature scales with current. Electron and ion temperatures scale inversely with fill pressure. The density falls from 10/sup 20/ m/sup -3/ to 2/spl times/10/sup 19/ m/sup -3/ during the sustained part of the discharge. The poloidal beta, defined as /spl beta//sub /spl theta///spl equiv/2 /spl mu//sub 0/