title: Field enhancement factor and field emission from a hemi-ellipsoidal metallic needle.
abstract: We present an exact solution for the electrostatic field between a metallic hemi-ellipsoidal needle on a plate (as a cathode) and a flat anode. The basic idea is to replace the cathode by a linearly charged thread in a uniform electric field and to use a set of "image" charges to reproduce the anode. We calculate the field enhancement factor on the needle surface and ponderomotive force acting on the needle. Using the Fowler-Nordheim theory we obtain an exact analytical formula for the total current.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, 128, Section 2, Academia Road Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Evgeny G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Pogorelov
authors.forename: Alexander I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Zhbanov
authors.forename: Yia-Chung
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang