Abstract
A detailed analysis of current and voltage 'noise' in a low-current vacuum arc is presented. The occurrence of typical instabilities in arc current is shown to be correlated to the DC arc lifetime. Influence of the parameters of the feeding circuit on the instability behaviour is investigated and explained qualitatively. A model of the interaction between circuit and arc is proposed on the basis of which arc extinction seems to be a result of an accumulation of instabilities at low currents (I<20 A).

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