LO-TEMP THERMIONIC PLASMA STUDY. Final Report

Technical Report · Thu Jan 31 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4168560

Electron temperature, electron concentration and space potential in the plasma region of low temperature thermionic converters were measured by a pulsed Langmuir probe technique. The spatial distributions of these parameters, in parallel plate geometry, were measured with the aid of movable probes within these operating converters. The experimental values are shown to be consistandt with reasonable physical models. Spectroscopic measurements were made in both the visible and infrared regions, and the validity and applicability of the results are discussed. Results obtained from converters, in which small amounts of oxygen were present in the discharge region, are explored. The effects of cesium and patch effects on the surface characteristics of impregnated tungsten emitters are discussed on the basis of a theoretical analysis and experimental results with numerous test cells. (auth)

• Research Organization: Ford Instrument Co., Long Island City, N.Y.
• NSA Number: NSA-18-000816
• OSTI ID: 4168560
• Report Number(s): NP-13257
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CESIUM
CONFIGURATION
CONVERSION
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
ENERGY
IMPREGNATION
INFRARED RADIATION
LANGMUIR PROBE
LIGHT
LOW TEMPERATURE
MEASURED VALUES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
OXYGEN
PHYSICS
PLASMA
PLATES
PULSES
QUANTITY RATIO
SAMPLING
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE
TESTING
THERMIONICS
THERMOELECTRIC CELLS
TUNGSTEN