Computational model of the cathode attachment zone of constricted high current vacuum arcs

This paper is devoted to the modeling of the cathode attachment zone of constricted high current vacuum arcs. Previously, the authors made a simple model of the cathode attachment zone, which was used for modeling of constricted high current vacuum arcs driven by a transverse magnetic field. Here a new sophisticated computational model of the attachment zone is described. With help of Particle-In-Cell and Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (PIC/DSMC) methods, a 1D model of the attachment zone was developed. The model allows us to calculate in detail the state of the charged particles and atoms in the Knudsen layer, ionization layer, and plasma sheath.