Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Influence of crossed electric and magnetic fields upon the breakdown voltage and prebreakdown current in vacuum

Journal Article · · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.327974· OSTI ID:5314144

An experimental study is presented for the dependence of the breakdown voltage and the prebreakdown current on the crossed electrical and magnetic fields in vacuum. The magnetic field is varied in the range 0--250 G and the gap separation 0.5--3 cm. Bruce profiled copper electrodes which have been prebaked either in vacuum or hydrogen were employed. The breakdown voltage and the prebreakdown current are presented as functions of the magnetic flux density at fixed gap separation as well as at fixed flux density as functions of the gap separation. Comparison is made between these functions and curves calculated from the theory of the magnetic perturbation of the field emission from protrusions covered with semiconducting oxide layers and good agreement is obtained.

Research Organization:
Electrical Engineering Department, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, N9B 3P4
OSTI ID:
5314144
Journal Information:
J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 51:5; ISSN JAPIA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English