Spectroscopy of electric arc plasma between composite electrodes Ag—CuO

Abstract

Spatial profiles of temperature and electron density in electric arc plasma between composite electrodes Ag—CuO were obtained by optical emission spectroscopy techniques. For this purpose preliminarily selection of spectral lines CuI and AgI and their spectroscopic data values was realized. The concentration of metal vapour in plasma was calculated on a base of experimentally obtained results in assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium. To verify values of this concentration, spatial profiles of population of ²D_5/2 level and copper atom concentration were obtained by linear laser absorption spectroscopy technique. Surface topography changes and structural changes in electrodes working layer were found by metallographic investigations due to the changes of electric erosion mechanism of composite material with increasing of discharge current.