  This work is devoted to the investigation of the nonstationary problem of the
thermal conductivity of a nanoemitter on the surface of a massive copper
cathode when a field electron emission current passes through it. At the same
time, the dependence of volume resistivity, thermal conductivity on
temperature, and size effects have been taken into account. The influence of
the Nottingham effect has been considered. The dependence of the equilibrium
temperature of the emitter apex on the field enhancement factor for different
values of the electric field strength has been found. Based on the assumption
that the initial stage of the breakdown begins when the emitter apex melts, the
conditions for the occurrence of a vacuum breakdown and the influence of the
Nottingham effect have been analyzed.https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0002474
