Evolution of Cathodic Arc Roots in a Large-Scale Magnetically Rotating Arc Plasma

The behavior of the cathode arc root is one of the most fundamental phenomena associated with arc discharges. The formation of isolated multiple cathodic roots and the transition from discrete spots to a diffuse cathodic attachment in an argon arc plasma at 1 atm have been observed with short exposure time ICCD imaging in our attempt to generate a uniform large-area plasma, using magnetically rotating arc plasma.