Investigation of the continual component of high-current vacuum arc radiation in the optical spectral range

Measurements of continual radiation of a high-current vacuum arc of the length of 8 mm with copper electrodes of 30 mm in diameter at the currents 5.5 kA and 12 kA were carried out. The induction of the external magnetic field that stabilized the arc was ≤ 0.45 T. Data about relative changes in the distribution of electron concentration in the arc gap with change of current and the external magnetic field were obtained. The results of the work allow to judge about the distribution of current density in the gap and the shapes of the attachment of the arc to the electrodes. The large amount of information that was accumulated owing to use of modern means of radiation recording and methods of computer processing opens wide opportunities for comparison with the calculations.