Open AccessThe action of strong electric fields on the current from a thermionic cathode
Author(s) -
N. A. de Bruyne
Publication year - 1928
Publication title -
proceedings of the royal society of london. series a, containing papers of a mathematical and physical character
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9150
pISSN - 0950-1207
DOI - 10.1098/rspa.1928.0157
Subject(s) - thermionic emission , saturation (graph theory) , saturation current , electron , schottky effect , electric field , current (fluid) , schottky diode , cathode , magnetic field , physics , mechanics , condensed matter physics , atomic physics , voltage , electrical engineering , mathematics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics , engineering , diode , combinatorics
It is well known that the “Saturation Current” from a thermionic source rises continuously as the applied voltage is raised and in reality never reaches a saturation value. W. Schottky predicted this rise in the saturation current on theoretical grounds and obtained a rough experimental confirmation of his theoretical formula. The present investigation was undertaken to find what connection it has with the emission of electrons from cold metals under the action of intense electric fields. If the truth of Schottky’s theory be assumed it is possible to deduce the value of the electronic chargee from observations of the rise of the saturation current with the applied field. It was not the primary intention of the author to determine the value ofe in this way, nevertheless the results obtained show that the method might be developed into one of some accuracy, and thus to give a value of this important constant in a way differing completely from that of Millikan (oil drop method), Perrin (Brownian movement) or of Hull and Williams (shot effect).