For over fifty years, the electron tube was the dominant component in electronic devices used in communications, industry, and science. By the 1960s, however, the transistor and solid-state technology appeared to render the quaint glowing tubes obsolete.

However, the electron tube has continued as the component of choice in a wide range of important devices and applications where semiconductors simply will not do: televisions, electron microscopes, spectrometers, X-ray equipment, accelerators, devices using freely charged particles, and microwave devices, to name a few.

This introduction to electron physics of free particles illuminates the present-day diversity of applications as well as likely future developments in electron tube technology. Miroslav Sedlacek employs hundreds of illustrations to support his text, describes the specifics of devices and techniques, and examines the role of electron tubes in many fields - not the least of which, ironically, is the production of integrated circuits.

The physics that govern the workings of vacuum tubes and gaseous devices are covered in broad, yet thorough terms. Fundamental principles, theories, and mathematical treatments are presented at every stage. These range from electromagnetic fields and particle orbits; through statistical mechanics, electron emission, and charged particle dynamics; to the theory and practicalities of electron optics, microwave tubes, and applications of gas discharges.

Extensive appendices contain additional theories, historical notes, comprehensive bibliography, and more.