Abstract
The distribution of the peak temperature and energy flux on the surface of a steel anode in a pulsed high-current vacuum arc was determined by studying the spatial location of the borderline separating the region of hardened steel produced by the pulse of energy flux to the anode from the region of the anode which did not undergo a phase transition. The effect of an axial magnetic field on the anode surface temperature and energy flux distribution was also studied. The results showed that with no magnetic field the distribution had a pronounced maximum on the axis of the arc, while with the presence of a magnetic field the distribution became annular with a maximum at about midradius. In comparison, the shape of the distribution of the cathode mass deposited by the arc on the anode was uniform without a magnetic field. The peak anode temperature and the energy flux amplitude also decreased and increased almost linearly with the magnetic field. The peak energy flux into the anode as calculated from the temperature distribution is in the range of 70-80 MW/m**2 . The corresponding maximum surface temperature is about 980 degree C.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages | 114-119 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| State | Published - 1986 |