Formation of accelerated electron flows in a low-current pulsed vacuum discharge

Time-resolved investigations of the accelerated electron flow from the cathode region of a vacuum arc

“…It can be seen that the electron current spikes precisely corresponds to the drops in arc current, while there is no one-to-one correspondence between them and the voltage overshoots. The same behavior was revealed in [2] and [3]. In fact, the first electron burst occurs at the instant the discharge current starts decreasing.…”

“…Previous research [1], [2] has revealed a flow of electrons accelerated to energies, which are much greater than those corresponding to the fall voltage across the arc gap. In [2], intense short-term electron flows formed under the conditions of a low-current vacuum discharge have been detected in the circuit of a collector placed aside from the discharge axis and being at a significant (up to 1 kV) electron-decelerating potential with respect to the cathode. Interesting results were obtained in experiment, where a discharge with a liquid mercury cathode occurs in a combined environment of mercury vapor and neon [3].…”

Experimental investigation of plasma cloud scattering initiated by an accelerated electron beam

“…High-energy hot electrons were observed in a vacuum arc [7], [8] and a vacuum spark discharges [1]. The energies of the hot electrons range from tens of electronvolts in a vacuum ark to hundreds of electronvolts in a spark.…”

Experimental study of the behavior of liquid metal under the plasma of a cathode spot

“…10 that at current zero, the voltage across the discharge gap becomes again comparable with . (This is attested to by the high amplitude of the discharge current burst when the arc is reignited as well as by the presence of the intensive high-energy electron flux [14] measured in the collector circuit.) The lower estimate of the average electric field strength at the protrusion tip when the cathode spot reoccurs is 4 10 V/cm.…”