SECONDARY ELECTRON EMISSION FROM LIQUID INSULATORS,

The secondary electron emission properties of some liquid insulators are investigated. The secondary emission ratio, or yield, is measured for three silicon fluids. A secondary electron emission model for liquid insulators was developed so that the mechanism could be compared to that of metals. The model was based on the energy loss of the primary electrons and the probability that an excited electron would escape from deep within the material. The model used as its basis the free electron theory of metals, and was much better for liquid metals than for solid metals. The model can be used to qualitatively explain the secondary emission from liquid insulators and shows that with the insulators lower stopping power and greater escape depth, the yield curve should be very similar to that of the metals this result was verified experimentally. Author