T−FEmission: Experimental Measurement of the Average Electron Current Density from Tungsten

Abstract

An experimental study of temperature-and-field emission is described in which the average electron current density from the tungsten monocrystal was measured at several fields and temperatures in the ranges $2.5\times {10}^7<F<\mathrm{}7\mathrm{}\times {10}^7$ v/cm and $300°<T<\mathrm{}2000\mathrm{}°$K, respectively. The observed agreement between measured and calculated values supports the wave mechanical theory over larger combined ranges of the variables than previously reported, and further confirms that a high cathode temperature is an arc-initiating factor.