field emission

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Word: Field Emission

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Field emission is the process where electrons (tiny particles that carry electricity) are released from atoms (the building blocks of matter) when they are exposed to a very strong electric field. This means that the electric field is strong enough to pull electrons away from their parent atoms.

Usage Instructions:

• Field emission is often used in scientific contexts, especially in physics and electronics.
• You might encounter this term in discussions about vacuum tubes, electron microscopes, or other technologies that involve electron movement.

Example:

• "In the electron microscope, field emission is used to produce a very focused beam of electrons for imaging tiny structures."

Advanced Usage:

• In advanced discussions, you might hear about "field emission displays," which use this principle to create images on screens.

Word Variants:

• Field Emission (the process)
• Field Emission Electron Source (the device that produces electrons using field emission)

Different Meanings:

• While "field emission" specifically refers to the emission of electrons due to an electric field, the individual words "field" and "emission" can have other meanings in different contexts:
  • Field: Can refer to an area of study (like "field of science") or a physical area (like a soccer field).
  • Emission: Can refer to the release of substances, such as gases or light, in various scientific contexts.

Synonyms:

• There aren't direct synonyms for "field emission," but you might come across related terms like "electron emission," "photoemission" (which is related to light), or "thermionic emission" (which is related to heat).

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs that use "field emission," as it is a technical term.

Summary:

Field emission is a specialized term used in science to describe how electrons are pulled away from atoms by a strong electric field. It is important in various technologies that manipulate electrons, such as microscopes and certain types of displays.

Academic

Noun

1. the emission of electrons that are stripped from parent atoms by a high electric field