On a certain method for considering statistical inhomogeneities of a cathode

Abstract

The paper investigates the effect of the inhomogeneity of the emitting surface of thermionic cathodes on the magnitude of the average value and dispersion of the emission current. A statistical model of an inhomogeneous cathode, according to which the emission of electrons takes place from circular overlapping “grains” whose centers are distributed along the cathode surface according to the Poisson law, is proposed for performing the corresponding calculations. The parameter d of this distribution has the meaning of the density with which the cathode area is filled with “grain” centers. There is no emission at all from the cathode sectors that are not covered with “grains.” The calculations were carried out for the case of an arbitrary low governing the distribution of the emitting “grains” with respect to the magnitude of their radii.