Determination of the Specific Charge of the Electron

1. Purpose
Study Cathode rays. Study Lorentz force. Study of the deflection of electrons in a magnetic field into a circular orbit. Determination of the magnetic field B as a function of the acceleration potential U of the electrons at a constant radius r. Determination of the specific charge of the electron.

2. Historical and theoretical background

J. J. Thomson first determined the specific charge e/me of the electron in 1897. In his experiment (Fig. 1), J.J. Thomson had found a charged particle that had a specific charge two thousand times greater than that of the hydrogen ion, the lightest particle known in 1897. Once the charge on the particles was measured Fig 1 he could say with certainty that they were two thousand times lighter than hydrogen. This explained how they could pass through thin sheets of gold. Particles this small could pass between atoms in a solid. J.J. used aluminum to make most of his electrodes. He repeated his experiments using cathodes made from different metals, including iron and platinum, and found that the specific charge did not change. He argued that the cathode ray consisted of small charged particles, and by using different types of cathodes realized that the particles existed in many types of atoms. He concluded that the particles, which he called 'corpuscles', were a universal constituent of matter - they form part of all the atoms in the universe. We now know these particles as electrons. For his work he received The Nobel Prize in Physics in 1906 in recognition of the great merits of his theoretical and experimental investigations on the conduction of electricity by gases. (http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1906/thomson-bio.html ) The mass me of the electron is hard to come by experimentally. It is easier to determine the specific charge of the electron e/m from which the mass m can be calculated if the elementary charge e is known: An electron moving at velocity v perpendicularly to a homogenous magnetic field B, is subject to the Lorentz force F: F = e (v xB ) (1) which is perpendicular to the velocity and to the magnetic field. As a centripetal force v 2 (2) F =m
e

Fig. 2

it forces the electron into an orbit of radius r (see Fig. 2), thus

e v = (3) me r B

In the experiment, the electrons are accelerated in a fine beam tube by the potential U. The me v 2 resulting kinetic energy is e U = (4) The specific charge of the electron thus is 2 1

e 2 U = (5) The magnetic field B is generated in a pair of Helmholtz coils and is me ( r B ) 2 proportional to the current I in the Helmholtz coils: B = k I (6) e 2 U = (7) me ( r k I ) 2

The dependence on the accelerating potential U of the current I, in the magnetic field of which the orbiting radius of the electrons is kept to a constant value r, follows after recasting equations (VI) 3 e 1 2 2 2 4 2 n U = r k I and (8) The proportionality factor is k = 0 ( ) (9) where me 2 5 R 0 = 4 10 7 Vs / Am (10) can be calculated either from the coil radius R = 150 mm and the winding factor n = 130 per coil, or be determined by recording a calibration curve B = f(I). All determining factors for the specific electron charge are now known.

3. Setup
3.1. Introduction Electrons are accelerated in an electric field and enter a magnetic field at right angles to the direction of motion. The specific charge of the electron is determined from the accelerating voltage, the magnetic field strength and the radius of the electron orbit. The fine beam tube contains hydrogen molecules at low pressure, which through collisions with electrons are caused to emit light. This makes the orbit of the electrons indirectly visible, and their orbiting radius r can be directly measured with a ruler.
Fig. 3

3.2. Description of Equipment Technical data 1 Fine beam tube (Fig. 3) 1 Helmholtz coils with holder and measuring device 1 DC power supply 0 500 V 1 DC power supply 0 20 V 1 Voltmeter, DC, <= 300 V 1 Ammeter, DC, <= 3 A 1 Steel tape measure, 2 m 3 Safety connecting leads, 25 cm 3 Safety connecting leads, 50 cm 7 Safety connecting leads, 100 cm additionally recommended: 1 Teslameter, 1 Axial B-probe (Fig. 4), 1 Multicore cable, 6-pole, 1,5 m long Fine beam tube specifications:

Fig. 4

2
Fig. 5

Gas filling: hydrogen, approx. 1 Pa Electron beam system: indirectly heated oxide cathode, Wehnelt cylinder, conical anode with semicylindrical screen Heating voltage and current: 6.3 V, approx. 1 A Anode voltage U :150 V DC to 300 V DC Wehnelt voltage UW :max. 10 V Pair of plates for electrostatic deflection (directly behind anode) Plate voltage UP :50 V DC to 100 V DC Helmholtz coils Number of turns n: 130 per coil maximum permissible coil current IS :2 A (briefly 3 A) Resistance R:approx. 2 per coil Coil radius r:150 mm Coil spacing: a:150 mm Legend (Fig. 6): 1. Fine beam tube 2. Holder for supporting the fine beam tube and the coils in a defined position 3. Pair of Helmholtz coils 4. Measuring device ), consisting of support with two slides and support with mirror, for determining the diameter of the circular electron beam. 5. 2 clamps, 4 screws, 4 washers Socket connected with 7 Helmholtz coils 8 Deflection plates 9 Anode 10 Wehnelt cylinder 11 Heating 12 Cathode Fig. 6 13 Anode Operating voltages connected to safety sockets 7 to 13, which are connected internally to sockets E (coil connections) and to the tube via a permanently attached lead 6 with 6-pin plug 3.3. Assembling the experiment The experimental setup to determine the specific electron charge is shown in Fig. 3, the electric connections in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Disconnect power supply and turn all rotary potentiometers to left catch position. Connect the 6.3-V input end of the fine beam tube to the 6.3-V outlet of the DC power supply. Short-circuit the positive pole of the 50-V outlet of the DC power supply with the negative pole of the 500-V outlet and connect with the socket - of the fine beam tube (cathode).

Fig. 7

 Connect the socket + of the fine beam tube (anode) with the positive pole of the 500-V outlet, the socket W (Wehneltcylinder) with the negative pole of the 50V outlet. In order to measure the acceleration potential U connect the voltmeter (measuring range 300 V) to the 500-V outlet. Fig. 8 Short the deflection plates of the fine beam tube to the anode. Connect the DC power supply and ammeter (measuring range 3 A) in series with the Helmholtz coils. Power up the DC power supply and set acceleration potential U = 300 V. Thermionic emission starts after warming up for a few minutes. Optimize focusing of the electron beam by varying the voltage at the Wehnelt-cylinder from 0 10 V until it leads to a narrow, well defined beam with clear edge definition. Connect the DC power supply of the Helmholtz coils and look for current I, at which the electron beam is deflected into a closed orbit. If the electron beams after leaving the anode is deflected to the wrong (left) side: disconnect both power supplies. exchange the connections at the DC power supply in order to change the polarization of the magnetic field. If the electrons do not move on a closed orbit but on a helical curve line: Loosen the mounting bolts of both holding brackets (read the information manual for the fine beam tube). Carefully rotate the fine beam tube around its longitudinal axis, until the electron beam runs on a closed circular orbit. Fasten mounting bolts.

4. Safety precautions
Attention: The fine beam tube requires dangerous contact voltages up to 300 V for accelerating the electrons. Other voltages that are connected with this dangerous contact voltage also present a contact hazard. Dangerous contact voltages are thus present at the connection panel of the holder and at the Helmholtz coils when the fine beam tube is in operation. Connect the connection panel only via safety connecting leads. Always be sure to switch off all power supplies before connecting and altering the experiment setup. Do not switch on the power supplies until you have finished assembling the circuit. Do not touch the experiment setup, particularly the Helmholtz coils, during operation. Danger of implosions: The fine beam tube is a evacuated glass vessel with thin walls. to left catch position. Do not subject the fine beam tube to mechanical stresses. Operate the fine beam tube only in the holder (555 581). Connect the 6-pole plug of the holder carefully to the glass base. Read the instruction sheet supplied with the fine beam

5. Experimental procedures
1. Move the left slide of the measuring device so that its inner edge, mirror image and escape aperture of the electron beam come to lay on one line of sight. 2. Set the right slide for both inside edges to have a distance of 8 cm. (Fig. 9) 3. Sight the inside edge of the right slide, align it with its mirror image and adjust the coil current I until the electron beam runs tangentially along the slide edge covering the mirror Fig. 9 image (see Fig. 9). 4. Reduce the acceleration potential U in steps of 10 V to 200 V and choose the coil current I so that the orbit of the electron beam has a diameter of 8 cm. 5. Record acceleration potential U and coil current I 6. Plot on a graph U=f(I2). From the plot determine the slope (). 7. Calculate the specific charge of the electron using formula:
e 2 = 2 2 me r k

The proportionality factor k can be calculated: - either from the coil radius R = 150 mm and the winding factor n = 130 per coil, using formula: 3 4 n 7 k = 0 ( ) 2 where 0 = 4 10 Vs / Am 5 R - or be determined by recording a calibration curve B = f(I). Calibration of the Helmholtz magnetic field (optional): The setup for calibrating the magnetic field is shown in Fig. 10. The additionally recommended devices mentioned above are required for making measurements. 1. If applicable disconnect all power supply units. 2. Remove the measuring device and the Helmholtz coil at the front side, loosen the connection to the fine beam tube and the mounting bolts of the two holding brackets (read the instructions for the fine beam tube). 3. Carefully remove the fine beam tube and place it e.g. in its original case. 4. Re-assemble the Helmholtz at the front side coil and connect. Fig. 10 5. Connect the axial B-probe to the Teslameter (measuring range 20 mT) and calibrate the zero-point (see Instruction Manual for Teslameter). 6. Move the axial B-probe parallel to the magnetic field of the Helmholtz coils into the center of the pair of coils. 7. Raise the coil current I from 0 to 3 A in steps of 0.5 A, measure the magnetic field B, and record the measured values.

8. After conclusion of the calibration: Re-assemble the fine beam tube according to the instructions. Measuring example: Table 1
U 290.1 280.7 269.8 260.1 250 240 230 220 210 200 I 1.67 1.66 1.65 1.64 1.62 1.6 1.57 1.52 1.5 1.48 I*I 2.7889 2.7556 2.7225 2.6896 2.6244 2.56 2.4649 2.3104 2.25 2.1904 Average U/I*I Graph slope U/I*I 104.0195 101.8653 99.10009 96.70583 95.25987 93.75 93.31007 95.22161 93.33333 91.30752 96.38731 96.906

The coil current I (A) as a function of the accelerating U(V) potential, the square of the current and the fraction U/I*I are presented in the table 1.

The data set from the table are made for a ratio r=4 cm of the electron orbit. The graph in the Fig. 11 presents the measuring result from Table 1. The theoretic accepted value for the electronic charge of the electron is
31 e = 1.6 10 19 A s ; me = 9.1 10 kg )

e As = 1.76 10 11 ( me kg

Using the value from the table 1 and the formula 7 the
e As = 1.99 10 11 me kg

e As = 1.98 10 11 and me kg

The value for k was calculated according to formula (9) and (10).

Fig. 11

6. Final considerations

Electronic gun

6
Fig. 12

If the velocity v of electrons is not perpendicularly to a homogenous magnetic field B, the trajectory of the electrons will be a helix. Further application of the moving of the charge in a magnetic field: Mass spectrometer: The mass spectrometer is an instrument which can measure the masses and relative concentrations of atoms and molecules, Helix Cyclotron: The cyclotron was one of the earliest types of particle accelerators, and is still used as the first stage of some large multi-stage particle accelerators. It makes use of the magnetic force on a moving charge to bend moving charges into a semicircular path between accelerations by an applied electric field. The applied electric field accelerates electrons between the "dees" of the magnetic field region. The field is reversed at the cyclotron frequency to accelerate the electrons back across the gap. Magnetic confinement: a charged particle will be bent into a circular path by the component of magnetic field which is perpendicular to the velocity. This confines the charge in a orbit in a localized region of space so that it doesn't interact with container walls.