Thermal Positive Ion Emission and the Anomalous Flicker Effect

Abstract

The correlation between the anomalous flicker effect in space charge limited diodes and the positive ion pulses which generate it is studied in the light of recent measurements of the size and shape of thermal positive ion pulses from tungsten filaments. It is shown that the positive ion pulses, although smaller than the electron pulses, have similar duration times, and that the periodic structure of the electron pulses may be quantitatively explained by reflection of the positive ion bursts back and forth through the region of maximum space charge.