Field enhancement factor and field emission from a hemi-ellipsoidal metallic needle

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. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.