Experimental investigation of the sheath dynamics in the post-arc period

Langmuir probes operating in the electron saturation current mode were used to fix a time of sheath approaching a probe position. Probe current was traced just before and after current zero followed by escalation of the transient recovery voltage in a gap with copper electrodes. Probe measurements were accompanied with tracing of post-arc currents. Basic plasma parameters such as the electron temperature and density were measured in the vicinity of the arcing gap. The data set mentioned above and collected statistically allowed us to reconstruct experimentally the sheath dynamics after the arc current zero.