TY - JOUR

T1 - Investigation of Short-Arc High-Pressure Xenon Discharge

T2 - Effect of Electrode Material Evaporation on Discharge Properties and Pulse Operation

AU - Timofeev, Nikolai A.

AU - Sukhomlinov, Vladimir S.

AU - Zissis, Georges

AU - Mukharaeva, Indjira V.

AU - Dupuis, Pascal

PY - 2019/7/1

Y1 - 2019/7/1

N2 - This paper presents and discusses the experimental data obtained in the investigation of a short-arc high-pressure xenon discharge in dc and pulse-periodic operation modes. In the case of the dc discharge, the main focus of attention is the cathode material (thorium) evaporation into the plasma. Spectroscopic measurements show that this process strongly influences the plasma characteristics and first of all the plasma optical emission. Due to low ionization energy, thorium atoms decrease the plasma temperature at the cathode, which is confirmed by experimentally obtained spectra with an unexpectedly low optical emission temperature. The fact cannot be interpreted without the assumption of cathode material evaporation: in a homogeneous short-arc gas discharge with a conical cathode, the emission temperature at the cathode should not be low because the strength of the electric field is obviously maximal near the cathode tip. The findings are important for modeling discharges of such kind. For the pulse-periodic discharge, two effects are described: a decrease in the anode temperature and an increase in the light efficiency of about 35% in some discharge conditions. These can be used for the development of more powerful and effective xenon light sources.

AB - This paper presents and discusses the experimental data obtained in the investigation of a short-arc high-pressure xenon discharge in dc and pulse-periodic operation modes. In the case of the dc discharge, the main focus of attention is the cathode material (thorium) evaporation into the plasma. Spectroscopic measurements show that this process strongly influences the plasma characteristics and first of all the plasma optical emission. Due to low ionization energy, thorium atoms decrease the plasma temperature at the cathode, which is confirmed by experimentally obtained spectra with an unexpectedly low optical emission temperature. The fact cannot be interpreted without the assumption of cathode material evaporation: in a homogeneous short-arc gas discharge with a conical cathode, the emission temperature at the cathode should not be low because the strength of the electric field is obviously maximal near the cathode tip. The findings are important for modeling discharges of such kind. For the pulse-periodic discharge, two effects are described: a decrease in the anode temperature and an increase in the light efficiency of about 35% in some discharge conditions. These can be used for the development of more powerful and effective xenon light sources.

KW - Efficiency

KW - gas discharges

KW - high xenon pressure

KW - light emission

KW - plasma arc devices

KW - pulse-periodic discharge

KW - short-arc discharge

KW - thorium atoms

KW - tungsten-thorium cathode

KW - CATHODE

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068685563&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/investigation-shortarc-highpressure-xenon-discharge-effect-electrode-material-evaporation-discharge

U2 - 10.1109/TPS.2019.2918643

DO - 10.1109/TPS.2019.2918643

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85068685563

VL - 47

SP - 3266

EP - 3270

JO - IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

JF - IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

SN - 0093-3813

IS - 7

M1 - 8734010

ER -