Bibliography

T. Jones, Thermionic Emission, 1936. Methuen Co., London, 3 s net, p. 108, Figs. 17.
T. Jones, Thermionic Emission.

The small book by Jones under review is, according to the author’s design, “an attempt to give a brief but complete and modern survey of the fundamental principles of thermionic emission.” In the first chapter the author gives a brief historical survey of the state of the question of thermionic emission. The second is devoted to emission formulae, constants, the distribution of initial velocities, the Schottky effect, and so on. In the third, questions of spatial charges and experimental technique are touched upon very briefly. In the fourth, the emission of cathodes with atomic films (Th—W and Cs—W) is considered, including an analysis of certain new data connected with them, obtained in the work of Brattain—Becker and Taylor—Langmuir; then the question of the anomalous Schottky effect is touched upon very briefly. In the fifth, oxide cathodes are considered, with principal emphasis on Becker’s work; and finally, in the sixth chapter, questions connected with the emission of positive ions in surface ionization, from salts, and so forth, are briefly considered. At the end of each chapter there is appended a list of the original literature, approximately up to the beginning of 1935.

Despite the small size of this book (108 pages, small format), the author has on the whole successfully accomplished his task, having written a book that can serve as an interesting and sufficiently modern introduction to the field of thermionic emission, although it is written somewhat in synopsis form. Some of its shortcomings, consisting chiefly in the disproportionate abridgment of a number of interesting questions (the anomalous Schottky effect, the general properties of atomic films, etc.), and, on the other hand, in the overly superficial exposition of some others, which could have been omitted altogether without appreciable loss, nevertheless do not diminish the noted merits of this book.

N. D. Morgulis, Kiev