Electrode Reactions in the Glow Discharge

Abstract

The reactions which occur at silver electrodes in a normal glow discharge in air have been determined. These are: (1) formation of AgNO₂ and some Ag₂O at the anode at the rate of 3.4 μg/coulomb; (2) loss of metal from the cathode by chemical action at the rate of 3.5 μg/coulomb (probably the same reaction as (1) with subsequent loss of the reaction products by the greater heating of the cathode, but this hypothesis has not been established); and (3) normal sputtering loss at the cathode at the rate of 0.4 μg/coulomb. These processes result in building a conducting layer on the anode. If the electrode separation is so small that the anode extends into the region of the cathode fall, then the high electric field pulls the newly formed and not very coherent growth upon the anode across into a bridge between the electrodes.