Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to analyze instability phenomena in vacuum arc for silver cathode,
characterized by noise on the current trace prior to the actual current chopping. The analyzed
instability phenomena was derived from cathode spot model, cathode spot region is recognized as
the collisionless space charge sheath connected with singly ionized collisional plasma. A cathode
input voltage VetI has been obtained by calorimetric method. For current I arc, temperature rises of
cathode and anode: triangle Tc, triangle Ta, and voltage arc Va are measured. VetI is given by Veff=Va*
(triangle Tc/ triangle Ta+ triangle Ta ). The 8 dependent variables, cathode spot radius, current density, cathode
electric field, electron current fraction, sheath voltage, plasma density, electron temperature of
plasma and cathode surface temperature are solved by using 8 equations with two unknown
parameters. Two unknown parameters, cathode input power and ion current fraction on anode
surface, are eliminated by using experimental data. The instability phenomena is proposed that a
current level below that no real solution exists is unstable current and this current corresponds to the
point at which a vacuum arc turns into unstable. Minimum arc current having real solutions is
restricted by cathode electric field equation. It was found that when the arc current is lower than
16.2 A there is no real solution and that is defined the instability. The physical explanation of
instability is considered that the electrons returning to the sheath region from the plasma one
dominate over positive ions. Consequently, the stable ion sheath criterion does not satisfied.