SPECTRAL AND ELECTRICAL DIAGNOSTICS OF GLIDING ARC

Using spectroscopic and electric measurements, vibrational and rotatio nal molecular gas temperatures as well as free electron temperature an d concentration were determined in different regions of a time-periodi cal type, atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium low current gliding are . It was shown that this discharge includes an initial quasi-equilibri um zone, with the quasi-equilibrium temperature of 4 to 6 kK, and the non-equilibrium zone with the electron temperature about 10 kK, the vi brational temperature about 3 kK, rotational and translational tempera tures from 1 to 1.5 kK. The transition between two mentioned zones coi ncides with the phenomenon of the are ''length explosion'' already obs erved in moderate-current gliding are.