Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

A Characteristic of Electron Emission Curves

Abstract

DURING an investigation of the breakdown mechanism in vacuum, the pre-breakdown currents arising from copper and steel electrodes under alternating voltages were measured. The general form of the apparatus has already been described1. The total current, capacitive plus emission current, was measured by noting the voltage across a resistor of known value in the earth connexion of the low-voltage electrode. Once emission started, certain peaks of the voltage across the resistor increased in magnitude. The value of the emission current was found by subtracting the estimated capacitive current from the total current obtained from these peaks.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hawley, R., and Walley, C. A., Nature, 190, 252 (1961).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Morant, M. J., Proc. Phys. Soc., 68, B, 513 (1955).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Llewellyn-Jones, F., Ionization and Breakdown in Gases (Methuen Monograph, 1957).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Llewellyn-Jones, F., and Morgan, C. G., Proc. Phys. Soc., 218, A, 88 (1953).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Lewis, T. J., J. App. Phys., 26, 12, 1405 (1955).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Nicholas, D. J., Ph.D. thesis, Univ. Wales (1959).

  7. Watts, C., Ph.D. thesis, Univ. Wales (1961).

  8. Llewellyn-Jones, F., and Nicholas, D. J., Proc. Fifth Intern. Conf. Ionization Phenomena in Gases, Munich, 1179 (1961).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

HAWLEY, R. A Characteristic of Electron Emission Curves. Nature 196, 56–57 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1038/196056a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/196056a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing