Richardson Thermionic Emission
See the exponential thermal barrier behind electron emission and its zero-temperature limit.
Free theory articleSee the exponential thermal barrier behind electron emission and its zero-temperature limit.
Concept & interpretation
Thermionic emission is the thermally induced flow of charge carriers from a surface or over a potential-energy barrier. This occurs because the thermal energy given to the carrier overcomes the binding potential, also known as the work function of the metal.
Experiment with the Module
You can interact with these variables in the Richardson Thermionic Emission module.
- Set the Temperature K to 2000.
- Set the Work function eV to 2.
- Observe the new thermal energy and resulting exponentially larger current density due to the higher temperature.