A Stationary Vacuum Arc with a Diffuse Spot on a Nonemitting Chrome Cathode

The results are given of experimental investigations of a stationary vacuum arc with a diffuse spot on a hot cathode of solid chrome in the current range from 20 to 220 A. The characteristics of the discharge are compared to those of a similar discharge on a thermionic gadolinium cathode. It is demonstrated that, in the case of a chrome cathode, mechanisms such as the thermionic emission, ion-electron emission, and photoemission are incapable of ensuring the charge transport on the cathode surface. Our results complement the experimental data obtained by other authors in investigations of arcs of this type and thereby contribute to clarifying the mechanism of charge transport on the surface of a chrome cathode.