Circuit modeling of a vacuum gap during breakdown

Abstract

In this paper several aspects of circuit modeling of a vacuum gap during breakdown are improved or introduced for the first time. More accurate perveance formulas are derived by the method of tracing electron trajectories in the self-consistent electric field calculated by the finite element method. The formula for maximum anode current density is also derived by the same method. A practical model of anode heating is proposed, by which transient anode temperature is calculated coupled with gap voltage and current, providing more accurate modeling of anode plasma initiation. The circuit model of a vacuum gap during breakdown incorporating all these features is implemented as a subcircuit element in the PSPICE.