Dynamics of vacuum arc spots at a point cathode

Author

Jüttner, Burkhard ; Djakov, Boyan ; Schülke, Thomas ; Siemroth, P.

Author_Institution

Sektion Phys., Humboldt-Univ., Berlin, Germany

Volume

1

fYear

1996

fDate

21-26 Jul 1996

Firstpage

123

Abstract

The dynamics of cathode spots at a point cathode of 0.3 mm diameter in clean vacuum have been studied by a fast streak camera (HAMAMATSU) in tandem with a fast framing camera (HSFC). The cathode material was titanium, the current amounted to 70-150 A, the time range was 5 ns-10 μs. Well pronounced dynamics has been found in the nanosecond range, yielding one-dimensional spot velocities up to 500 m/s with an exponential shape of frequency distribution. These rapid processes are intersected by fluctuations of the spot brightness, associated with more stationary phases lasting 0.2-1 μs. Thus, the spot dynamics is more complicated than a statistically independent random walk

Keywords

cathodes; high-speed optical techniques; streak cameras; streak photography; titanium; vacuum arcs; 0.3 mm; 5 ns to 10 mus; 500 m/s; 70 to 150 A; HAMAMATSU; Ti; fast framing camera; fast streak camera; frequency distribution; one-dimensional spot velocities; point cathode; spot brightness fluctuations; stationary phases; titanium cathode; vacuum arc spots dynamics; Anodes; Breakdown voltage; Brightness; Cameras; Capacitors; Cathodes; Electrodes; Fluctuations; Spatial resolution; Vacuum arcs;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Discharges and Electrical Insulation in Vacuum, 1996. Proceedings. ISDEIV., XVIIth International Symposium on

Conference_Location

Berkeley, CA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-2906-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/DEIV.1996.545333

Filename

545333