Abstract
IF electrons move through a gas in an electric field, their number can increase if they ionize gas molecules by collision—the well-known Townsend avalanche. Recently, it has been shown1 that in high-frequency electric fields at very low pressures the number of electrons increases, due to the impinging of electrons on the walls of the vessel and the release of secondary electrons. This is a ‘wall multiplication’ process which can lead to breakdown.
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HARRIES, W., VON ENGEL, A. A New Electron Multiplication Process. Nature 171, 517 (1953). https://doi.org/10.1038/171517a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/171517a0
