Electrical Conduction and Breakdown in High-Pressure (0.25–300 mm) Rare Gases

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1961 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1728413· OSTI ID:4840453

Forman, R.

The current-voltage characteristics of high-pressure were taken on diodes conthining xenon, argon, and helium as the ambient gas and tungsten, tantalum, rhenium, thoriated tungsten, and an oxide cathode as filamentary cathodes. Some unexpected phenomena were observed and some of these general results can be summarized as: The current vs voltage characteristics of argon- and xenon-filled diodes, at gas pressure above 1 mm, do not obey any space-charge law if the cathode temperature is above 2400 deg K; the above violation of space- charge relations in argon and xenonfilled diodes is found with tungsten, tantalum, or rhenium filaments, which can be operated above 2400 deg K. When thoriated tungsten or the oxide cathode, which operate below 2400 deg K, are used as filaments, the current-voltage characteristics of the diode follow a space- charge relation (current-voltage characteristics independent of temperature); the current vs voltage characteristics of helium-filled diodes, however, do obey the space-charge relations at all filament temperatures available with the present cathode materials; some very unusual early breakdown phenomena (breakdown at potentials below ionization potential) were observed in these high-pressure rare- gas diodes employing a hot cathode. These data can be explained qualitatively by postulating the existence of thermally generated xenon or argon gas ions at temperatures in the range of 2400 deg K. An attempt will be made to justify this assumption by a semiquantitative theoretical treatment based on Saha's thermal ionization theory rather than the surface ionization theory of Langmuir and Kingdon.

• Research Organization: Union Carbide Corp., Parma, Ohio
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-15-031379
• OSTI ID: 4840453
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 32; ISSN 0021-8979
• Publisher: American Institute of Physics (AIP)
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ARGON
BREAKDOWN
CATHODES
CURRENTS
DIODES
ELECTRIC CHARGES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRON TUBES
HELIUM
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IONIZATION
MEASURED VALUES
OXIDES
PHYSICS
PRESSURE
RARE GASES
RHENIUM
TANTALUM
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
TUNGSTEN
XENON