1929/07/01 by Tomer Stern, B.S. Gossling, Ralph Howard Fowler · 6 citations
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · Materials Science · #Advanced Physical and Chemical Molecular Interactions #Nuclear Physics and Applications #Chemical and Physical Properties of Materials #Electron #Thermionic emission #Work function #Atomic physics #Field electron emission #Fermi energy #Cathode #Physics #Current density #Formula unit #Charge density #Condensed matter physics #Chemistry #Electrode #Quantum mechanics #Crystallography
paper · doi:10.1098/rspa.1929.0147
openalex publication_date 1929/07/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/26
Abstract Fowler and Nordheimj- and Oppenheimerj have already independently studied the theory of the emission of electrons from cold metals under the effect of an intense electric field, and have obtained results in good qualitative agreement with experiment. The formula for this “ auto-electronic ” current density, —I, obtained by the former authors is I = ε/2πhμ1/2 / (X + μ) X1/2 F2e-4/3kX3/2 / F (1) at ordinary temperatures. In this formula k2 = 8π2m/h2; μ is the parameter of the metallic electron distribution in the Fermi-Dirac statistics; X is the thermionic work function for the metal; — ε is the charge on the electron; h is Planck’s constant and — F is the derivative of the potential energy of the electron along the outward normal at the cathode surface; I, F and ε are then all positive. When the unit of energy is the electron-volt and the unit of current density is amperes per square centimetre this reduces to I = 6.2 x 10-6μ1/2 / (X + μ) X1/2 F2e-6.8 x 107X3/2 / F (2)