Filament

In a light bulb the filament is a thin wire that glows

when a current flows throgh it. The first light bulbs used a carbon thread as a filament. Today tungsten

filaments is the most used due to its high melting point.

Most light bulbs contain some inert gas since

the tungsten filament vaporizes quickly in vaccum.

the most used gas is argon and nitrogen. But in some lamps
the argon is replaced with another gas
, like in the halogen lamps and krypton bulbs.

Filament also refers to a wire structure found in tubes. When the it is heated by the proper voltage and current, the filament emits electrons. These electrons are attracted to the positive element of the tube, the plate (or anode). In multi-element tubes, the electron stream may pass through grids or beam-forming elements on its way to the plate. In this type of tube, the filament forms part of the circuit and is considered to be negative.

In tubes that have a separate cathode, the filament is placed inside the heater (a metal cylinder) and is used to bring the heater to operating temperature. The filament does not usually form part of the circuit in this type of tube.

filament,

I already fell for every word
on every fortune
every drawn number from God’s bingo wheel

                ferocious summoning
                lines and billiard tables
                with names of men in hiding
                scratched among scratches--

they were all anagrams,
slouching at a round table
wondering how long they’d been awaiting confusion

                                                               (and I fared no better against your saliva
                                                               with hushes crossing and settling over
                                                               every letter of your wettened spills and
                                                               strangers extending perforated fingers
                                                               through my liver overreaching their
                                                               handshakes without smiling a single word

we sprinkled mirror shavings across
                          reclining war zones grassy tar and
                 empty channels, holding chains
                     mistaken for piano keys and
            when I back into you we
               would say “I’m sorry and I do
               not remember your name”
                                    (“I’m sorry and I do not
                                              remember a name”)

Filaments flicker slow, yes they do in-
    debted desperation, hey if words
  are good enough to be untrusted
   then they deserve no better  than our

     utterly       blameless       disarray     )




   but I am thankful for your name,       anyway

February/May, 2014

Fil"a*ment (?), n. [F. filament, fr. L. filum thread. See File a row.]

A thread or threadlike object or appendage; a fiber; esp. Bot., the threadlike part of the stamen supporting the anther.

© Webster 1913.