Vacuum arc discharge in anode material vapors with the gas inlet

The vacuum arc discharge in vapors of the anode material, which is capable of generating highly ionized drop-free plasma flows with compensated space charge, is prominent for many practical applications. In this report, the basic characteristics are discussed of the nonself-sustained vacuum arc discharge in vapors of the anode material, under conditions of the gas inlet into the vacuum chamber. The gas inlet is shown to change considerably the regimes of evaporation of the working material on anode, and thus to modify discharge volt-ampere characteristics and others parameters.