Electric Arcs and Seeded Plasmas

Experiments and analyses, emphasizing diagnostics (local temperature distributions), have been applied to cross-flow, axial-flow, and seeded plasma configurations. Application of a unique optical system, which permits radiation from the arc to be observed simultaneously at eleven azimuthal angles about the arc column, has permitted the determination of the local temperature distribution for this non-circular (in cross-section) configuration. High speed data acquisition techniques have been applied to determine the local temperatures during the dynamic response of voltage pulsed axial-flow plasmas. The tests carried out upon the cross-flow arc have also detailed the cross-sectional shape and arc profile.