Retrograde motion of cathode spots of the first type in a tangential magnetic field

Abstract

We consider the dynamics of dense plasma of an explosive-electron-emission center—a cell of cathode spot of a vacuum arc in an applied magnetic field. It is established that the explosive expansion of plasma in a transverse magnetic field induces an electric field and an associated current. It is shown that this current initiates the cells of cathode spots of the first type in the direction opposite to the Ampere force action. In this case, the ignition time of a new spot does not exceed a few nanoseconds at a magnetic field of a few kilogauss.