Model of non-equilibrium near-cathode plasma layers for simulation of ignition of high-pressure arcs on cold refractory cathodes

The introduction of secondary ion-electron emission into an approximate model of non-equilibrium plasma layers on hot (thermionic) cathodes of high-pressure arc discharges allows extending the model to low cathode surface temperatures. Analysis of evaluation results shows that the extended model describes glow-like discharges on cold cathodes and thermionic arc discharges on hot cathodes, as it should. In the course of glow-to-arc transitions on cold cathodes, a transient regime occurs where a hot arc spot has just formed and a significant fraction of the current still flows to the cold surface outside the spot, so that the near-cathode voltage continues to be high. The power input in the near-cathode layer is very high in this regime, and so is the electron temperature in the near-cathode region. The mean free path for collisions between the atoms and the ions in these conditions exceeds the thickness of the layer where the ion current to the cathode is generated. A new method for evaluation of the ion current under such conditions is implemented. The developed model is applicable for cathode surface temperatures below the boiling point of the cathode material and may be used for multidimensional simulations of ignition of high-current arcs on refractory cathodes.