Methods of Obtaining High Vacuum by Ionization. Construction of an ``Electronic Pump''

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Abstract
Calculations on the possibility of obtaining high vacuum in an electrical discharge are given. It is shown that in a simple dc gas discharge practically no real pumping action is possible; in such a discharge only clean‐up, i.e., electrical adsorption, may be observed. A real pumping action only results if it is possible to get within a tube, such a high ion current by special arrangements that the number of ionized gas molecules transported with this current in one direction is greater than the number of gas molecules that will diffuse back in the opposite direction. An electronic high vacuum pump of real pumping action has been built; it starts pumping at about 10−3 mm Hg and gives an ultimate pressure lower than 5×10−6 mm Hg.