ELECTRON

BALLISTICS
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.Work Function
2.Electron Emission
3.Thermionic Emission-Richardson Dushman Equation
4.Thermionic Emission Materials
5.Thermionic Cathode
6.Directly & Indirectly Heated Electrodes
7.Photo Electric Emission
8.Electron Ballistics: Electric Field
9.Motion Of Electron In Uniform Electric Field
10.Electron Volt
BASIC FACTS ON ELECTRONS
➔ Discovered by Joseph
John Thomson.
➔ Subatomic particle.
➔ Revolves around
nucleus.
➔ Negatively charged.
➔ Exhibit both wave and
particle nature.
➔ Mass of an electron is
9.11*10 ^-31 Kg.
WORK FUNCTION
➔ Electron concentration in
metal is 1*10^29 /cubic
meter.
➔ Potential energy of
electrons is a function of
distance in the metal.
➔ The potential energy is
represented by a simple
potential well.
➔ At normal
temperature,electrons
occupy upto the fermi
energy level -EF schematic representation of
energy level of a metal
VALUE OF WORK FUNCTION(W)
➔ Minimum energy
required to for an
electron to remove
itself from the metal
surface.
➔ Unit is electron volt.
➔ Work function depends
on fermi level(EF )and
height and shape of the
energy barrier.
W=EO-EF
➔ Work function is a
characteristic of a metal.
ELECTRON EMISSION

The liberation of electron from

a metal surface is known
as Electron Emission.
 Surface barrier was
discovered by PJ Jennings
in 1988.
 There are four different process
for electron emission.
TYPES OF ELECTRON EMISSION
 Thermionic Emission

 Photoelectric Emission
 Field Emission

 Secondary Emission
THERMIONIC EMISSION
Thermionic emission is the liberation of electrons from an
electrode by virtue of its temperature
RICHARDSON DUSHMAN EQUATION
The Richardson-Dushman equation relates the current
density of a thermionic emission to the work function (W)
and temperature (T) of the emitting material:
Js =AT^2e^11600/T phi

Experimental value of A =120A/cm^2 k^2

The higher the temperature the larger is the satutration

current .Further, the smaller the work function
the higher will be the electron emission
THERMIONIC EMISSION MATERIALS

Thermionic emitters are operated at high temperature. They

are expected to have a reasonable vice life. Therefore,
they have to fulfill a number of requirements.
The metal or metallic substances used to construct a
thermionic emitter should have three main features:

1)Low work function: The material should have as low a

work function as possible. Then the electron emission
takes place at reasonably low temperatures.
 
2) High melting point: The electron emission occurs at high temperatures
(>1500° C) Therefore, the material should have a high melting point.

3)Mechanical strength: The emitter is held normally at zero potential or at a

negative potential with respect to an anode. The material used as cathode
must be durable and the emission must be stable. Further, it should have
high mechanical strength to withstand ion bombardment. Even in a high
vacuum, there will be gas molecules present. The gas molecules get
ionised due to the collisions with energetic electrons. The resulting
positive ions will g accelerated towards the cathode. As a result, the
cathode will be subjected to bombardment. Unless the cathode is
mechanically stronger it will get damaged.
CATHODE

 The cathode is the negatively charged electrode.

 The cathode attracts cations or positive charge.
 The cathode is the source of electrons or an electron donor. It may accept
positive charge.
 There are two main types of Thermionic cathodes .
 They are

 Directly heated cathodes and

 Indirectly heated cathodes.
DIRECTLY HEATED CATHODES
• In this type, the filament itself is the cathode and emits the electrons directly.

• Directly heated cathodes were used in the first vacuum tubes.

• The filament is usually bent in zig zag fashion .

ADVANTAGE
• Efficiency of conversion of electric power into thermionic emission is
more.

DISADVANTAGE
• Variation in heater voltage affect the electron emission and thus produce
hum in the circuit .
INDIRECTLY HEATED CATHODES
• An indirectly heated cathode consists of a nickel tungsten coated with barium
and strontium oxides.
• A filament heater is enclosed within the tube and insulated by an aluminium
oxide coating.
• The heating current is passed through the heat from the filament.

ADVANTAGE
• The cathode is completely isolated from the heating circuit.Therefore it
can be directly connected to any potential .
• Because the cathode has a larger temperature variations are practically
non-existent.
• Finally,AC voltage can be used to heat the filament.
DIAGRAMS