Thermal contraction of arc discharge in mixtures of inert gases: Special features

The effect of the properties of gas medium on the process of contraction (pinching) of an arc discharge in mixtures of inert gases is treated. Calculations are performed, whose results demonstrate that the degree of contraction of arc discharge is defined by the thermal characteristics of the gas medium and by the characteristics of electron-atom collisions. The impact of Ramsauer effect on the pattern of contraction of arc discharge is revealed, and the possibility of neutralizing this impact is demonstrated.