An argon cascade-arc plasma pulsed with 2200 amperes

In the past several authors have reported on experiments with wall stabilized arcs, to study transport coefficients, deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and optical properties of these thermal plasmas. Most of these experiments have been performed with continuous arcs in a pressure range of atmospheric to a few 100 atm. In order to get high electron densities, temperatures and to reach higher ionization stages, a current pulse of approximately=2200 A is superimposed on a stationary argon cascade-arc with filling pressures of 1-3 atm. In this way high power densities can be reached, without the need of extensive cooling and power requirements. The rise time of the current pulse approximately=60 mu s and duration time approximately=1.5 m