Monochromatic imaging of cathodic arc plasma

Monochromatic imaging is presented as a powerful tool for plasma diagnostics, and specifically for the investigation of cathodic vacuum arc plasma. Two-dimensional (2-D) monochromatic images in the visible region of an aluminum cathodic arc burning in helium background gas are presented. Inversion of Abel's integral enables a reconstruction of the spatial distribution of the plasma emission coefficient. The qualitative and sometimes quantitative nature of the interaction between the expanding plasma and the ambient gas can be visualized with this technique.