FIELD EMISSION IN VACUUM VOLTAGE BREAKDOWN

Abstract

Field intensification and emitting area are determined for a spheroid and a whisker-shaped protrusion. The effects of an inhomogeneous field around a protrusion on the transmission coefficient for field emission are computed, and examples are given. The resistive heating of an emitter is analyzed for a case in which both the resistivity and the emission are temperature dependent. An instability is pointed out, and the external resistance which stabilizes the emission of a whisker is given. The spreading of the emitted beam due to field distortion at the protrusion and to spacecharge repulsion is computed separately and given in general form. It is concluded that the beam spreads faster than previous hypotheses assume. The formation of small craters at the anode byssingle electron beams is questioned.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 08, 1964
Accession Number
AD0602844

Entities

People

  • G. E. Vibrans

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Coefficients
  • Current Density
  • Electron Beams
  • Emission
  • Emitters
  • Equations
  • Field Emission
  • Grids
  • Images
  • Materials
  • Resistance
  • Space Charge
  • Spark Gaps
  • Standards
  • Steady State
  • Surface Temperature
  • Work Functions

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electromagnetic Wave Scattering and Antenna Radiation Engineering
  • Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics