Measurement of neutral copper vapor density after a high-current vacuum arc in an axial magnetic field by the laser absorption method

The neutral copper vapor density of a high-current vacuum arc around current zero was measured by the laser absorption method. At arc current zero having a half period of 0.66 ms, a peak of 3 kA and a DC magnetic field of 0.1 T, the neutral copper density was on the order of 10/sup 18/ m/sup -3/ and the decay time constant of the neutral vapor density after current zero was 360 /spl mu/s. The neutral copper density is lineally dependent on the current zero gradient. The AMF-type electrode was used to examine the Zeeman effect on hyperfine splitting and residual copper vapor density.