Cathode Spot at an Ecton Process

摘要

The present paper offers a new mechanism of vacuum arc cathode spot operation, based upon the ecton processes. An ecton is produced through the explosion at the tip of liquid metal stream, when the stream is interacting with plasma. The time of ecton operation is supposed to be limited by the thermal conductivity of liquid metal. For copper electrodes the theoretical correlations have been obtained for the specific mass removal, ion erosion characteristics, current density, and diameters of craters. The results obtained are in good agreement with the experimental data available.