Radiation of a Short High-Current Vacuum Arc with Copper Electrodes

The radiation power of a high-current vacuum arc burning on copper electrodes has been measured. The radiation measurement range has been 100 nm ≤ λ ≤ 1100 nm. The developed measurement technique has made it possible to analyze the change in the radiation power depending on the arc current in the visible and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum, as well as in the vacuum ultraviolet region. The analysis of the obtained results indicates that the radiation power spectrum is redistributed in a vacuum arc with a strong anodic activity. The obtained results make it possible to estimate the fraction of radiation in the arc energy balance.