Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Cathodoluminescence of Air, Quartz and Metal Films

Nature volume 174, pages 82–83 (1954)Cite this article

Abstract

THE luminescence of air and fused quartz under α-particle irradiation has been observed previously using a photomultiplier1. The luminescence spectra of these and other materials excited by 100-keV. electrons have now been studied with a quartz spectrograph. The electron beam was obtained from a discharge tube, fitted with a metal Lenard window, the specimens being placed in external contact with the window. This method of exciting ‘scintillation’ spectra is advantageous since the specimens can be readily inserted, the luminescence is much more intense than that excited by the α-particle sources used by other observers2,3 and the self-luminosity of such sources1,4 is eliminated.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Birks, J. B., and King, J. W., Proc. Phys. Soc., B, 64, 81 (1953).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ortner, G., and Salim, S., Nature, 169, 1060 (1952).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Norman, A., Greenfield, M. A., and Kratz, P. M., Nature, 171, 487 (1953).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Huggins, Sir W., and Huggins, Lady, Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 72, 196, 409 (1903); 76, 488 (1905); 77, 130 (1906).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bailey, A. C., and Woodrow, J. W., Phil. Mag., 6, 1104 (1928).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Webb, W. A., and Messenger, H. A., Phys. Rev., 34, 1463 (1929).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Richards, E. W. T., and Cole, J. F. I., Nature, 167, 286 (1951).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. J. B. BIRKS

    Present address: British Dielectric Research, London, W.12.

  2. W. A. LITTLE

    Present address: Dept. of Natural Philosophy, University of Glasgow,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

    J. B. BIRKS & W. A. LITTLE

Authors
  1. J. B. BIRKS
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. W. A. LITTLE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BIRKS, J., LITTLE, W. Cathodoluminescence of Air, Quartz and Metal Films. Nature 174, 82–83 (1954). https://doi.org/10.1038/174082a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/174082a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing