Field-emission processes from a liquid–metal surface

Abstract

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 field–ion, field–electron, and explosive–emission modes in direct-current, nanosecond-pulse, and microsecond-pulse regimes.