Optical studies of plasma inhomogeneities in a high-current pulsed magnetron discharge

Results are presented for experimental studies of the plasma glow in a high-current pulsed magnetron discharge by using a high-speed optical frame camera. It is found that the discharge plasma is inhomogeneous in the azimuthal direction. The plasma bunches rotate with a linear velocity of ∼1 cm/μs in the direction of electron Hall drift, and their number is proportional to the discharge current. Plasma inhomogeneities in the form of plasma jets propagate in the form of plasma jets from the cathode region toward the anode. It is shown analytically that the formation of inhomogeneities is caused by the necessity to transfer high-density electron current across the magnetic field.