Spots of light have been observed on the surface of OFHC copper cathodes following the application of high electric fields. The spectrum of the radiation shows a sharp peak at about 640 nm and its intensity obeys the Alfrey-Taylor relationship for electroluminescence. Within the light-emitting regions, discharges have been seen which it is believed are caused by the breakdown of dielectric inclusions trapped at defects in the crystal structure. Observations are consistent with the inclusions having semiconducting properties and emitting light by recombination of conduction electrons with holes produced by impact ionization within their crystal lattice structure.
The motion of a charged metal particle which is itself a source of field emission has been investigated. It will be shown that the effect of electron emission from a particle may significantly affect its behaviour and may even reverse its direction of motion in the electric field within a vacuum gap. Cathode-directed particles have their energies increased by this process, while the reverse is true for anode-directed particles. These findings are in accord with the results of other investigators who have suggested that particle impact on the cathode of a vacuum gap is most likely to initiate vacuum breakdown.
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