Auger Ejection of Electrons from Barium Oxide by Inert Gas Ions and the Cathode Fall in the Normal Glow Discharges

Abstract

1. Total yield, γ, and energy distribution were calculated for electrons ejected from BaO by inert gas ions, on the basis of the theory of Auger neutralization. The method used here was similar to Hagstrum’s one for tungsten. Total electron yield, γ, are found to be 0.481, 0.480, 0.476, 0.474, and 0.471 for He⁺, Ne⁺, Ar⁺, Kr⁺, and Xe⁺ ions of several electron volts (ev), respectively. The electrons ejected from BaO have unexpectedly high energy and narrow distribution in comparison with those from tungsten observed by Hagstrum. In the case of Ar⁺ ion, the calculated value of total electron yield, γ, is in good agreement with the Varney’s measurements, and the high energy of ejected electrons is just as he expected.
2. The cathodic phenomena (cathode fall, width of Crookes dark space, and current density) in the normal glow discharges were observed for He, Ne, Ar, and Xe gases with BaO-coated cathode and tungsten, and were interpreted by the von Engel and Steenbeck’s theory using the calculated values of γ for BaO and the observed one by Hagstrum for tungsten.