electron multiplier

noun Electronics.

a vacuum tube containing a number of dynodes that serve to amplify the flow of electrons from the cathode by means of secondary emission.

Origin of electron multiplier

First recorded in 1935–40

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British Dictionary definitions for electron multiplier

electron multiplier

noun

physics a device for amplifying and measuring a flux of electrons. Each electron hits an anode surface and releases secondary electrons that are accelerated to a second surface; after several such stages a measurable pulse of current is obtained

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

electron multiplier in Science

electron multiplier

An electrical component in which a single electron can create a large current flow. Electron multipliers are used in photomultipliers, particle detectors, and electron microscopes.♦ In tube electron multipliers, electrons released from a cathode collide with a dynode or anode, causing release of more electrons through secondary emission; this process is generally repeated through a number of stages to achieve great amplification of current. Electron multipliers are also called electron amplifiers.