A beam of electrons generated by thermionic emission from a heated cathode inside a vacuum environment. The electrons are accelerated toward a positive anode by a high-voltage electric field. These beams can be deflected by magnetic or electric fields and are the fundamental operating mechanism behind older television tubes, oscilloscopes, and electron microscopes.
Heard on the job
The deflection coils steer the cathode ray across the phosphor screen to draw the waveform.
Also heard as
- electron beam