Mass and charge composition of polytetrafluoroethylene insulator erosion outputs in vacuum arc discharge plasma

The elemental and charge composition of the plasma of a pulsed vacuum arc discharge with a molybdenium cathode initiated by fluoroplastic surface flashover has been studied. It has been shown that the content of atomic carbon and fluorine ions in the total particle flow is comparable to the fraction of molybdenum ions. The results indicate that the source of fluorine and carbon was not only the fluoroplastic insulator, but also cathode surface onto which fluorocarbon components were deposited in the intervals between pulses vacuum arc current.