Photoemission from Polymers

An experimental study has been made of photoemission from several polymers, including polyethylene, kapton, teflon, and polyvinyl chloride, under irradiation by 15-25 keV photons. The emission intensities from these plastics were compared to those from several conductors, ranging from carbon to tantalum, and from other insulators, such as glass and mica. For all these materials, the relative magnitude of photoemission was found to be mainly proportional to the photoelectric absorption coefficient. Under this pulsed irradiation, the insulators emitted as conductors when backed by conducting sheets but exhibited reduced emission associated with trapped charges when isolated.