Intense Electron and Ion Beams

Material characteristics versus the number of electrons in the valence atom shell not used in the previously published papers are presented here. The electric field interaction with the collective electrons and the ion skeletons of the electrode material result in the initiation of the plasma formation (ecton) on the surface of one of the electrodes and the breakdown of the interelectrode gap. Material characteristics versus the number of electrons in valence atom shells not used in the papers published earlier are presented here. The result of the electric field interaction with collective electrons and ion frames of electrode material atoms in vacuum is appearance of a plasma formation (ecton) on the surface of one of the electrodes and breakdown of an interelectrode gap. Connections of thermophysical characteristics of metals, arc discharge characteristics in vacuum, characteristics of discharge cathode plasma with the number of electrons in valence shells of the cathode metal atoms NVE are presented in [1, 2]. In [1, 2] there were used the data for polycrystalline metals. Results from different sources are presented widely. Hence, we present a possibility for specialists to be convinced if necessary in the objectivity of the data stated in [1, 2], to exclude possible misrepresentations of information. In this paper, we adhere to the analogous approach. Connection of a static breakdown voltage UBR with NVE for different electrode materials is shown in Fig. 1. Values of UBR were obtained in a uniform field created by polycrystalline material electrodes [3]. Materials with the crystals consisting of sheet structures (С) or primitive three-dimensional arrays (Sn, In, Bi) have low UBR. Spread in values of UBR in materials with the same NVE is stipulated by not only the difference of the crystalline structures but also by electron configuration of valence atom shells forming a crystal. Hence, C and Ti, Sn and Pb differ simultaneously both in a crystalline structure and electron configuration of valence atom shells. But Ta and Nb, W and Mo have a body-centered cubic lattice while Zn and Cd have face-centered close-packed crystalline lattices and differ only by electron configurations of valence atom shells. The significance of configuration of valence atom shells of a cathode material in a bimetallic effect is demonstrated in [4]. Figure 2 presents the work function of cathode matter atoms φa versus NVE for more than 50 metals. UBR, kV 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80