Spectropolarimetric investigations of nonthermal electron beams in vacuum spark discharge

Nonthermal electron beams formed in plasma of a high-current vacuum spark have been studied by polarization spectroscopy techniques. Experiments showed that the polarization of bremsstrahlung radiation depends on the ratio of its photon energy and the energy of beam electrons. It is established that the electrode configuration influences the efficiency of spark discharge pinching and the energy of nonthermal electron beams formed in the vacuum spark discharge.