Subnanosecond resonance laser diagnostics of the cathode spot region of low-current vacuum discharge

In this paper, the supplying of neutral atoms of the cathode material into the discharge gap at low-current microsecond vacuum arc with liquid Ga cathode was investigated employing the method of subnanosecond resonance laser diagnostics. It has been shown that vapours ejection has an essentially nonstationary character and it occurs both isotropically and in the form of contracted low-ionized plasma jets with atomic concentration of more than 10/sup 17/ cm/sup -3/.