Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, Vol.15, No.2, 410-421, 1997
Field-Emission Processes from a Liquid-Metal Surface
This work presents the generalization of experimental and theoretical investigations of different field-emission phenomena from liquid metal. The dynamics, emission ability, and stability of the processes are described for specific regimes of electric field. A description of the stability is possible if one considers the character of the conducting-fluid surface instabilities that always precede every type of field emission from liquid in a strong electric field. We investigated the electrohydrodynamic effects in liquid-metal emitters operating in the held-ion, field-electron, and explosive-emission modes in direct-current, nanosecond-pulse, and microsecond-pulse regimes.