Microplasma generation in a microscale short vacuum arc

A mechanism of plasma plume generation and plasma jet formation in a microscale vacuum arc (MVA) was proposed. The uniqueness of the subject is the force generated by a common plasma plume extracted from cathode and anode spots in a MVA. A calculating model for microplasma origin was developed taking into account the atom ionization and the phenomena in the nonequilibrium layers near evaporated surface in the cathode and anode regions. The plasma parameters as well as the electrode erosion rate were studied. It was found relatively large anode erosion rate and force at the anode surface in MVA in comparison to the force that usually occurs at the cathode in arcs with large gap. This important result of MVA was proposed to use in an exceptional microthruster concept for spacecraft propulsion and for anode microplasma source. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.