Photoelectric method for determination of the moment of formation of an anodic spot

In studying the problem of the effect of the amplitude and form of discharge current pulses on the time for transition from a diffuse discharge form to a contracted one and on the value of the threshold current I /SUB As/ for formation of an anodic spot, the authors used a photoelectric method for determination of the moment of appearance of the anodic spot based on determination of the spectral composition of the plasma at different moments of time after the beginning of discharge initiation. The photoelectric method can be used in studying emission processes on a cathode and also in those cases where both electrodes are made of the same material. An example shows synchronous oscillograms of I /SUB p/ (tau) and J /SUB i/ (tau) for copper electrodes. It is evident that during transition of the discharge to a contracted form with an anodic spot there was a sharp increase of the intensity of deexcitation of the ionic copper line. At the moment of extinction of the anodic spot, the amplitude values of J /SUB i/ (tau) corresponded to a level characteristic of the diffuse form of arc burning.