Spatial and temporal distribution of potential in the pseudospark switch

Author

Puchkarev, Victor F. ; Gundersen, Martin A.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Volume

23

Issue

3

fYear

1995

fDate

6/1/1995 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

318

Lastpage

323

Abstract

The understanding of emission and transport in the pseudospark is complex because these are related to a transition between two fundamentally different modes of electron emission. In this paper probe measurements of plasma parameters are presented providing evidence for oscillatory behavior of the current and potential during this transition. It is shown that these fluctuations are related to a glow-to-arc transition wherein smooth current growth is interrupted by cathode spot formation inside of the hollow cathode resulting in very rapid rise in current. These results support a view that quenching observed in the pseudospark is a double-layer phenomenon that occurs when emission cannot exceed secondary emission produced by ion bombardment

Keywords

arcs (electric); glow discharges; plasma devices; plasma diagnostics; plasma oscillations; plasma probes; plasma sheaths; plasma switches; secondary electron emission; sparks; switches; cathode spot formation; double-layer phenomenon; emission; glow-to-arc transition; hollow cathode; ion bombardment; oscillatory behavior; plasma parameters; probe measurements; pseudospark switch; secondary emission; smooth current growth; spatial potential distribution; temporal potential distribution; transport; Cathodes; Electrical resistance measurement; Electron emission; Plasma measurements; Plasma properties; Plasma sheaths; Plasma temperature; Plasma transport processes; Switches; Volume measurement;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0093-3813

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/27.402319

Filename

402319