Transformation of waves and electron heating in a radially inhomogeneous plasma

The propagation and the linear transformation of high-frequency electrostatic waves in a hot magnetoactive plasma with a radially decreasing density is investigated. It is shown that in the region of the hybrid resonance cold plasma waves with a long wavelength are transformed into the Bernstein modes with a short wavelength. By this shortening of the wavelength the absorption of the waves increases, particularly for the frequencies near the electron cyclotron harmonics. It might be the cause of the electron heating in plasma—beam experiments.