# An Investigation into the Behavior of Cathode and Anode Spots in a Welding Discharge
## 4 Discussion
In the above arguments, we see that most authors consider the molten bath as a whole as an anode spot or use the concept of a heating spot in general, considering that this is the anode spot. These are not entirely correct representations. In fact, as our experiments have shown, the anode spots do not belong to the melt bath, and even more so to the heating spot (Figures 9-13 and 15). We see that anode spots form on the surface of the molten bath (Figure 13). They bind the arc column (Figures 9 and 10), emitting the anode torch towards the cathode rather than the entire melt surface. The experimental results presented by us indicate that the anode spots in the welding arc are functional in nature,associated with electrical processes in the arc, and are a new property of electric current. The electric current at the solid-gas-solid interface is capable of forming functional spatial and temporal structures for the flow of electric charge; this is especially clearly seen in Figure 9a--d. The welding arc column (in the form of a cylinder) rests on an anode spot, which, having high thermal power, melts under it as a metal, and a melt bath is formed. The situation with cathode spots is similar. We have always believed that cathode spots are a continuation of the aggregate state of the cathode material and tried to theoretically describe the state of the material in it by successive transitions: solid, liquid, vapor, and plasma. Perhaps this is not the right way, because we have exhausted all known physical effects of the cathode spot and have not yet been able to understand its nature. If we move in a different direction with our research and think of cathode spots as a functional element, their main job is to make sure that there is a lot of electric current and electron emission into the arc gap. This means that cathode spots are a new (unknown) property of electric current. It is not a solid that needs to maintain current in a broken cathode-anode circuit. They act as ordinary conductors of electric current because they have electrons that ensure the flow of current. When a current passes through a solid, the number of electrons does not decrease or increase. There are always electrons in a solid, with or without current. On the contrary, an electric current that encounters an obstacle in the form of an air gap (dielectric) on its way through must \"create\" such temporary functional structures at the solid-gas-solid boundary (metal-dielectric-metal), allowing the circuit to be closed to compensate for losses from a break in the circuit. And it (electric current) \"creates\" such temporary functional structures in the form of cathode and anode spots, which create a medium temporarily conducting electricity from (or in) a dielectric (e). Then everything falls into place: the initial stage of the formation of cathode spots of the first type, the transition of spots of the first type to the second, third, and fourth, according to the classification [7; 8; 9; 10; 11], the current density in the cathode spots, the reverse movement of the cathode spot, the cathode potential drop, the threshold current, etc. All of this is due to a change in the fundamental properties of the surface electric current. These changes are mostly \"controlled\" by the current strength (the amount of electricity flowing through the whole dS cathode surface), the electric current density in the area of the cathode spot, and the thermal and physical properties of the cathode surface. Both of these factors affect the changes that happen. The amount of electricity (dI) is determined by the volumetric density and velocity of the charges. This determines in space and time the mechanism of electron emission from the surface of a solid (liquid or mixed state), the dominance of one mechanism over another, the sequential change or simultaneous existence of several emission mechanisms, etc.