Kinetic theory for energy exchange processes in high-current electron emission

The influence of the finite velocity of energy relaxation of nonequilibrium holes on the heat instability development leading to a vacuum breakdown has been investigated. For this purpose, a new more complete self-consistent approach has been proposed and developed which allows a description of field electron emission and energy exchange processes in high-current electron emission. It has been shown that taking into account the spatial distribution of the energy dissipation due to Nottingham's effect and the vacant states induced by the emission process leads to the effectiveness of the Nottingham heating decreasing at the early stages of a cathode initiation of a vacuum breakdown.