Plasma production and heating in the central cell of the Tara tandem mirror [Nucl. Fusion22, 549 (1982);PlasmaPhysicsandControlledNuclearFusionResearch,1986,Proceedings of the 11th International Conference, Kyoto, Japan (IAEA, Vienna, 1987), Vol. 2, p. 251] have been studied. Using radio‐frequency excitation by a slot antenna in the ion cyclotron frequency range (ICRF), plasmas with a peak &bgr;⊥of 3%, density of 4×1012cm−3, ion temperature of 800 eV, and electron temperature of 75–100 eV were routinely produced. The plasma radius decreased with increasing ICRF power, causing reduced ICRF coupling and saturation of the plasma beta. About 70% of the applied ICRF power can be accounted for in direct heating of both ions and electrons. Wave field measurements have identified the applied ICRF to be the slow, ion cyclotron wave. In operation without end plugging, the plasma parameters were limited by poor axial confinement and the requirements for maintenance of magnetohydrodynamic stability and microstability.