The electron distribution function in anisotropic plasma has been studied by probe method and Hanle magnetic polarization method. Moments of the anisotropic electron distribution function were measured in helium plasma - beam discharge, the rate constant of alignment decay for helium atoms in the 41D2 state as a result of collisions with charged particles was determined. A new method for diagnosing the anisotropic properties of inaccessible plasma objects has been experimentally tested; electron distribution functions, the degree of electron pressure anisotropy, and the alignment cross section of the total angular momentum of excited helium atoms in electron collisions have been measured. The advantage of the new method is the direct measurement of anisotropic parameters of inaccessible plasmas, the estimation of which was previously carried out only theoretically.
