ELECTRIC CONDUCTION IN AN OIL-PUMPED VACUUM SYSTEM (thesis)

Technical Report · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1956

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4305587· OSTI ID:4305587

Bryant, E A

The leakage of electricity aoross a vacuum space in an electrostatic generator which employs a mixture of Sr/sup 90/ and Y/sup 90/ as the source of charging current was investigated. The vacuum is obtained by means of an oil pump. The leakage was shown to consist of a flow of positive and negative particles between the anode and the cathode. The positive particles were found to be primarily organic ions produced in a layer of oil on the surface of the anode. The negative particles were shown to be mostly electrons. Yields of secondary negative particles and secondary positive particles produced by average positive particles in the energy range from 50 to 200 kev were measured. Yields were found to be dependent on the nature of the target material as well as on the energy of the incident ion. A mass spectrometer was employed to study the nature of the positive ions. Most of these were charged fragments of organic molecules. Neutral particles were attributed to dissociation of a portion of positive ions during their flight from the anode to cathode. Electrons, most of which originate at the beta source, are presumed to be the agent for positive ion production. It is believed that the leakage current at a limiting voltage is primarily due to a positive ion-negative ion exchange mechanism. (A.C.)

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., St. Louis
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-13-003934
• OSTI ID: 4305587
• Report Number(s): AECU-3917; M-5952
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANODES
BETA PARTICLES
CATHODES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CURRENTS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC CHARGES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRONS
ELECTROSTATIC GENERATORS
ENERGY
ENERGY RANGE
INTERACTIONS
IONIZATION
IONS
LAYERS
MASS SPECTROMETERS
MEASURED VALUES
MOLECULES
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS
PUMPS
RADIATION SOURCES
STRONTIUM 90
SURFACES
TARGETS
VACUUM
YTTRIUM 90