Positioning of the arc discharge channel in vacuum arc facilities

The behavior of an electric arc in a magnetic field is studied theoreticall y and experimentally. It is found that the arc behavior can be governed by the ponderomotive interaction of the arc with current-carrying elements. In a nonuniform magnetic field, the behavior of the arc depends on the Hall c urrents and the diamagnetic properties of its plasma. It is shown that the position of the arc channel between the end faces of cylindrical electrodes can be controlled by nonuniform magnetic fields. The methods and devices c onsidered in this paper allow one, in particular, to control arc heat sourc es used in the heat treatment of metals. (C) 2001 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodic a".