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Initiation and Sustainment of Unipolar Arc Discharges by a Microsecond Pulse Plasma
Author(s) -
Ivanov V. A.,
Jüttner B.,
Pursch H.,
Siemroth P.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
beiträge aus der plasmaphysik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.531
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1521-3986
pISSN - 0005-8025
DOI - 10.1002/ctpp.19830230602
Subject(s) - microsecond , amplitude , plasma , limiting , pulse (music) , ignition system , atomic physics , arc (geometry) , materials science , current density , current (fluid) , physics , optics , thermodynamics , mechanical engineering , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , detector , engineering
Unipolar arcs have been produced by contacting metal surfaces with microsecond pulse plasmas. Plasma temperature T e , density n e and potential (with respect to ground) were controlled in the limits 7–12 eV, 10 18 –10 19 m −3 , 20–40 V, respectively, and the influence of these parameters on arc current amplitude (50–500 A) and ignition probability has been investigated. It was found that the ignition is the most limiting process requiring surface contaminations as well as the transport of net currents to the surface. The amplitude of the current was proportional to n e T e 1/2 .