Some Experiments with Arcs Between Metal Electrodes

The paper describes experiments on the arc between metal electrodes in argon and other gases, in which the current was controlled by means of a kenotron. By varying the temperature of the cathode in the kenotron, it was found possible to obtain volt-ampere characteristics of the discharge for the transition from glow to arc or the reverse. It was also observed that in the arc stage, for at least smaller currents, the spectrum of the discharge is characteristic of the cathode material.