An electrodynamic vacuum arc ion acceleration mechanism based on Ampere's force law

It is known that the motion of cathode spots is of electromagnetic origin, thus leading to methods of steering the spots by controlling the direction of the self and applied magnetic fields. The author discusses the ion flux from the cathode spot, focusing on two well-recognized features of this flux that are difficult to explain. These are the anomalously high energies of the ions, and their highly anisotropic spatial distribution. An electrodynamic acceleration mechanism, based on Ampere's force law, is proposed as an explanation of these phenomena. The theory is shown to be consistent with existing particle production models, and also provides a consistent solution to macroparticle emission and retrograde motion