The Electrodynamic Mechanism of Collisionless Multicomponent Plasma Expansion in Vacuum Discharges: From Estimates to Kinetic Theory

Vasily Kozhevnikov, Andrey Kozyrev, Aleksandr Kokovin and Natalia Semeniuk
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Vasily Kozhevnikov: Institute of High Current Electronics, The Department of Theoretical Physics, 2/3 Akademichesky Ave., 634055 Tomsk, Russia
Andrey Kozyrev: Institute of High Current Electronics, The Department of Theoretical Physics, 2/3 Akademichesky Ave., 634055 Tomsk, Russia
Aleksandr Kokovin: Institute of High Current Electronics, The Department of Theoretical Physics, 2/3 Akademichesky Ave., 634055 Tomsk, Russia
Natalia Semeniuk: Institute of High Current Electronics, The Department of Theoretical Physics, 2/3 Akademichesky Ave., 634055 Tomsk, Russia

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-13

Abstract: This paper is devoted to the study of collisionless multicomponent plasma expansion in vacuum discharges. Based on the fundamental principles of physical kinetics formulated for vacuum discharge plasma, an answer is given to the following question: What is the main mechanism of cathode plasma transport from cathode to anode, which ensures non-thermal metallic positive ion movement? Theoretical modeling is provided based on the Vlasov–Poisson system of equations for a current flow in a planar vacuum discharge gap. It was shown that the non-thermal plasma expansion is of a purely electrodynamic nature, caused by the formation of a “potential hump” in the interelectrode space and its subsequent movement under certain conditions consistent with plasma electrodynamic transportation. The presented results reveal two cases of the described phenomenon: (1) the dynamics of single-component cathode plasma and (2) multicomponent plasma (consisting of multiple charged ions) expansion.

Keywords: vacuum electronics; vacuum arc; vacuum breakdown; computational physical kinetics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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