Photographic Observations of a Prebreakdown Discharge Transition between Metal Electrodes in Vacuum
- 1 April 1963
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Journal of Applied Physics
- Vol. 34 (4) , 919-920
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1729561
Abstract
Photomicrographs were made of the electrode gap between a spherical molybdenum anode and a like stainless steel cathode at voltages near the breakdown limit. At a discrete voltage for a particular gap, ionized patches of about 0.05 mm in diameter appeared on the anode surface. These ionized areas increased in luminosity and number with voltage until one or more degenerated into a highly unstable incandescent spot undergoing severe localized heating. Both of these events lead to breakdown at these sites, providing evidence for a complex vacuum breakdown process related to the prebreakdown discharges observed.This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit:
- Phenomena occurring at Electrically Stressed Metallic Surfaces in VacuumNature, 1961
- Pre-breakdown conduction between electrodes in continuously-Pumped Vacuum systemsBritish Journal of Applied Physics, 1957
- Electrical Breakdown in High VacuumJournal of Applied Physics, 1955
- Effect of Total Voltage on Breakdown in VacuumTransactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, 1935
- Effect of the Target on Breakdown in Cold EmissionPhysical Review B, 1932