Dependence of surface charge density on curvature of surface of conductive body with complicated shape.

In the paper, a surface curvature of an odd-shaped solid conductor is under investigation. The correlation between the surface charge density and the surface curvature along the surface is analysed theoretically. The key result is that the surface charge density reaches a maximum at a location that is different from where the surface curvature is maximum. This new result has implications for scanning tunnel microscopy development and field-ion microscopy. • The specific features of the charge distribution on the surface and the mean curvature of the surface are investigated. • The analytical expressions for the principal curvatures of the odd-shaped surface of revolution are obtained. • Maximum curvature values are not obtained in the same points where the surface charge density peaks are obtained [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]