On investigation of the physics of near-cathode layers of the metal vapor arcs

Characteristics of the near-cathode layer are evaluated by means of a conventional macroscopic approach which is based on the concept of quasistationary (non-explosive) emission. An approximate solution is obtained by means of decoupling the equations of electron emission and of balance of the electron energy from a general system of equations describing current transfer across the near-cathode layer of an arc discharge. The obtained data are used for analysis of available experimental data on the near-cathode phenomena in an arc operating in a spotless (diffuse) mode.