A model of a near-cathode region in high-pressure arc discharges is developed in the framework of the hydrodynamic (diffusion) approximation. Governing equations are solved numerically in 1D without any further simplifications, in particular, without explicitly dividing the near-cathode region into a space-charge sheath and a quasi-neutral plasma. Results of numerical simulation are reported for a very high-pressure mercury arc and an atmospheric-pressure argon arc. Physical mechanisms dominating different sections of the near-cathode region are identified. It is shown that the near-cathode space-charge sheath is of primary importance under conditions of practical interest. Physical bases of simplified models of the near-cathode region in high-pressure arc discharges are analysed. A comparison of results given by the present model with those given by a simplified model has revealed qualitative agreement; the agreement is not only qualitative but also quantitative in the case of an atmospheric-pressure argon plasma at moderate values of the near-cathode voltage drop. The modelling data are compared with results of spectroscopic measurements of the electron temperature and density in the near-cathode region.
Three approaches to description of separation of charges in near-cathode regions of high-pressure arc discharges are compared. The …rst approach employs a single set of equations, including the Poisson equation, in the whole interelectrode gap. The second approach employs a fully non-equilibrium description of the quasi-neutral bulk plasma, complemented with a newly developed description of the space-charge sheaths. The third, and the simplest, approach exploits the fact that a signi…cant power is deposited by the arc power supply into the near-cathode plasma layer, which allows one to simulate the plasma-cathode interaction in the …rst approximation independently of processes in the bulk plasma. It is found that results given by the di¤erent models are in a generally good agreement, and in some cases the agreement is even surprisingly good. It follows that the predicted integral characteristics of the plasma-cathode interaction are not strongly a¤ected by details of the model provided that the basic physics is right.
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