Abstract
AbstractPlasma generated by cathode spots in vacuum arcs expands towards the anode and the walls. In spite of a high degree of ionization (mostly), this plasma contains also a small but noticeable constituent of neutral atoms. Starting from the known analytical solution of a hydrodynamic model describing the plasma ions and electrons, the corresponding motion of neutrals is treated in a similar way. The results show: 1) The neutrals take part in the general plasma expansion; however, their final kinetic energy is lower (by about 50%) than the final energy of the ions. 2) The temperature of the neutrals also is lower than the ion temperature and decreases during expansion. 3) The acceleration of neutrals is caused partly by the pressure gradient, partly by interaction with the ions (friction); the forces diminish rapidly with increasing distance. Finally, the limitations of this approximate solution are discussed.
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