A modified split-anode detector for the study of the anode region of atmospheric pressure arc plasmas

The split-anode technique developed in the 1960s for the study of the anode region of atmospheric pressure arcs has been modified in order to reduce (and subsequently eliminate) the need for double Abel inversion to reconstruct the local physical information. A first version of a detector based on a conductive sheet is presented and the performances of the new set-up are compared under varying arc conditions. Good stability against erratic arcing was obtained using relatively high arc travel speed (60 mm s −1 ). The signal shape shows a good degree of symmetry in forward and backward motion of the arc through the anode interface, although the disturbance of the latter cannot be avoided completely. The voltage readings obtained at several arc currents fall in between two sets of previously published data. Preliminary results on current density are also given.