The Photoelectric Properties of Silver

Abstract

Silver is carefully outgassed and its photoelectric properties studied during outgassing and after stable conditions are reached. An outgassing curve is plotted for the 1200 hours of heat treatment given the silver before final readings were taken. For thoroughly outgassed silver curves are plotted showing photoemission as a function of temperature for fixed wave-lengths of incident light. These curves show that for wave-lengths near the long wave limit there is a marked increase in emission with temperature, for wave-lengths farther away there is no change with temperature, and for wave-lengths still farther away there is a slight decrease in emission with increased temperature. Curves for emission per unit of incident light intensity as a function of wave-length show that the long wave limit at 600°C is 2700±20A while at room temperature it is 2610±30A.