Mechanism of cathode spot splitting in vacuum arcs in an oblique magnetic field

Experiments in the last decade showed that for cathode spots in a magnetic field that obliquely intercepts the cathode surface, the current per spot increased with the transverse component of the magnetic field and decreased with the normal component. The present work analyzes the nature of cathode spot splitting in an oblique magnetic field. A physical model for cathode spot current splitting was developed, which considered the relation between the plasma kinetic pressure, self-magnetic pressure, and applied magnetic pressure in a current carrying cathode plasma jet. The current per spot was calculated, and it was found to increase with the tangential component of the magnetic field and to decrease with the normal component, which agrees well with the experimental dependence. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.