Cathodic Arcs : From Fractal Spots to Energetic Condensation

Cathodic arcs are among the longest studied yet least understood objects in science. Plasma-generating, tiny spots appear on the cathode; they are highly dynamic and hard to control. With an approach emphasizing the fractal character of cathode spots, strongly fluctuating plasma properties are described such as the presence of multiply charged ions that move with supersonic velocity. Richly illustrated, the book also deals with practical issues, such as arc source construction, macroparticle removal, and the synthesis of dense, well adherent coatings. The book spans a bridge from plasma physics to coatings technology based on energetic condensation, appealing to scientists, practitioners and graduate students alike.

André Anders is a Senior Scientist and the Leader of the Plasma Applications Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California. He published his first paper on discharges in vacuum in 1984 and has worked in related fields ever since, first with his mentors Burkhard Jüttner and Erhard Hantzsche in East Berlin, Germany, and since 1992 in Berkeley, California. With over 200 publications in refereed journals, he contributed to the field of cathodic arcs and arc-based coatings by extensive measurements of arc plasma properties and the development of miniaturized filtered arc systems for diamond-like carbon, which are today used by the magnetic storage industry. He currently serves in many committees, most notably as the Chairman of the Permanent International Scientific Committee of the Symposia on Electrical Insulation and Discharges in Vacuum.