Arc discharges with gas-impregnated cathodes in vacuum

Abstract

The paper reflects the condition of research into the vacuum arc with such an impregnation of a cathode with hydrogen that the average share of each atom of metal is roughly one H atom. The introductory sections discuss in brief the basic characteristics of the Me-H system and techniques of impregnation of different metals with H. The subsequent sections present the results of investigations of cathode spot parameters and arc characteristics at various Ti cathode impregnation degree. A comparison with characteristics of degassed cathodes demonstrated marked differences: at impregnation of a cathode with H, the velocity of cathode spot motion grows, the current per spot falls off, erosion diminishes; the high-current arc burns steadily and at a lower voltage; the current, critical for anode spot formation, grows significantly. The results given show that the use of H-impregnated cathodes can prove promising for various applications.