Paper, 'On electric discharge between electrodes at different temperatures in air and in high vacua' by J A [John Ambrose] Fleming

Description

Fleming writes: 'It has been known for some time that if a platinum plate or wire is sealed through the glass bulb of an ordinary carbon filament incandescent lamp, this metallic plate being quite out of contact with the carbon conductor, a sensitive galvanometer connected between this insulated metal plate enclosed in the vacuum and the external positive electrode of the lamp indicates a current of some milli-ampéres passing through it when the lamp is set in action, but the same instrument when connected between the negative electrode of the lamp and the insulated metal plate indicates no sensible current. This phenomenon in carbon incandescence lamps was first observed by Mr Edison, in 1884, and further examined by Mr W H Preece, in 1885. The primary object of the experiments described in this paper was the further examination of this effect, but the inquiry has extended itself beyond this range and embraced some general phenomena of electric discharge between electrodes at unequal temperatures, and in particular has revealed some curious effects in the behaviour of an electric arc taken between carbon poles towards a third insulated carbon on metal poles.'

Annotations in pencil and ink throughout.

Subject: Electricity

Received 16 December 1889. Read 9 January 1890. Communicated by George Carey Foster.

A version of this paper was published in volume 47 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'On electric discharge between electrodes at different temperatures in air and in high vacua'.

Reference number

PP/15/10

Earliest possible date

1889

Physical description

Ink and graphite pencil on paper

Page extent

11 pages

Format

Typescript