Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages – November 2010

THE MAGNETRON
Determination of the electron specific charge by means of the
magnetron method

Work purpose
The work purpose is to determine the ratio between the absolute value of the
electron charge and its mass, e/m, using a device called magnetron. In this
device, the trajectories of the electrons emitted by a heated filament are
modified by an externally applied magnetic field.

Project Theory
The method to determine the electron specific charge e/m is based on the
study of the electron movement in electric and magnetic fields. The force
acting upon a particle of charge q = – e under these fields is called Lorentz
force and is given by the formula:

(1
)

where v is the electron velocity, E is the electric field intensity, and B is the
magnetic field induction. According to Newton’s second law:

(2
)

the equation of the electron movement is of the form:

(3)

To determine the electron specific charge, we will use

the magnetron method. The magnetron is a cylindrically
symmetric vacuum diode, placed inside a concentric
solenoid coil. Its section is presented in Figure 1. The

Team: Coman Monica; Margarit Alina; Matu Octavian; Nutu Nicoleta;

 Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages – November 2010

cathode C, formed by a wire that also serves as filament, is coaxial with the
cylindrical anode A and with the coil S,

so that the magnetic field induction vector B is parallel with the magnetron
symmetry axis.

When B =0, the electrons emitted by the cathode through thermo electronic
emission, will move radial towards the anode under the influence of the
electric field E produced by the bias U applied to the tube.

When B ≠0, the electrons suffer a deviation orthogonal to v, due to the

magnetic field. Their trajectories, starting from the cathode and ending on
the anode, curve themselves. If the magnetic field becomes great enough,
then it is possible that the electrons can never reach the anode. This happens
when their trajectories become circular, with the radius r = R/2. In this
situation the electrons form a space charge region around the cathode,
screening it, and the anodic current practically drops to zero. We will try to
find out a relation that will give us the expression of the electron specific
charge e/m, starting from this experimental situation. Therefore, the stability
condition of the electron moving on the circular trajectory of radius r=R/2,
will give us the necessary result for the magnetic field B0.

(4
)

In addition, we know that the speed of the electrons, v, is obtained by

accelerating the potential difference U, applied to the tube:

(5
)

Eliminating v, we obtain:

(6
)

which is the relation we are looking for.

We know that in the case of a solenoid, the magnetic induction B has the
expression:
Team: Coman Monica; Margarit Alina; Matu Octavian; Nutu Nicoleta;
 Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages – November 2010

(7
)

where μ0 is the vacuum permeability, n-the number of spirals per unit length
of the solenoid and I is the current intensity through the solenoid. We obtain:

(8
)

The value of constant K is well defined in every experimental case (R and n

are known variables) and has to be expressed in I.S. units, so by replacing
the tension U in Volts and the current intensity in Amperes, we get in C/Kg.
9
For our experiment, the value of K = 2,25x10 (I.S.).

Experimental set-up

The draft of the experimental set-up, presented in Figure 4, is composed of

two circuits: in the left part is the circuit of the tube and in the right part the
one of the solenoid. This includes:

- The magnetron tube, T.

- The solenoid, S.

- The voltmeter V, to measure the voltage applied to the tube.

- The ammeter mA, to measure the anodic current; we will use the scale of
0.006 A.
Team: Coman Monica; Margarit Alina; Matu Octavian; Nutu Nicoleta;
 Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages – November 2010

- The ammeter A, to measure the solenoid current; we will use the scale of
0.600 A.

- The rheostats R1 and R2 , used as potentiometers.

- The switches K1 and K2.

Working Procedure
The above set-up is entirely assembled on a work
bed and is supplied from the network through a
d.c. rectifier. By turning on the switches K1 and
K2, both circuits will have a voltage such that
with the potentiometer R1 we can vary the
voltage U applied to the tube and with the
potentiometer R2 we can vary the current I that
flows through the solenoid. The measurement of
the anodic current i in order to obtain the value I0
is made by keeping the bias U constant. The variation steps for the current I
are chosen such that the readings on the ammeter scale could be made with
the highest possible accuracy (i.e. 25 mA).The measurements must be
performed for three different values of the bias, U1 <U2 <U3 , conveniently
chosen (usually U=30,40,respectively 50V are used). For each tension the
measurements will be taken twice. The results will be written down in Table
1.

Experimental data processing

For the three different values of the voltage, U1, U2, U3, plot the graphs
i = f (I ) (see Figure 3).

Team: Coman Monica; Margarit Alina; Matu Octavian; Nutu Nicoleta;

 Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages – November 2010

Three distinct values will be obtained in this way for I0, corresponding to the
three values of the bias U, for which e/m is to be computed according to the
relation (8). The average of the three obtained values e/m is considered to be
the closest result to the real value.

During the experiment we obtained the following data:

I(m
U1=30 0 20 40 60 68 80 100 120 140 160 164
A)
V
i(m 2.7 2.2 1.7
3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.1 1.5 1 1
A) 5 5 5

I(m
U2=40 0 20 40 60 68 80 100 120 140 160 180
A)
V
i(mA
5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.1 4.75 3.75 3.25 2.75 2.25 2.25
)

I(m
U3=50 0 20 40 60 68 80 100 120 140 160 180
A)
V
i(mA
8 8 8 8 7.5 7 6 4.5 4.25 3.5 3.5
)

With the data from the table above the following graphs were plotted:

U1=30V

Team: Coman Monica; Margarit Alina; Matu Octavian; Nutu Nicoleta;

 Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages – November 2010

U2=40V

U3=50V

Team: Coman Monica; Margarit Alina; Matu Octavian; Nutu Nicoleta;

 Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages – November 2010

Team: Coman Monica; Margarit Alina; Matu Octavian; Nutu Nicoleta;