Since the power of diffusing rapidly through porous substances, and acting on a photographic plate, is also possessed by a chemical substance like hydrogen peroxide, some experiments were made to see if the emanation could be an agent of that character. It was found, however, that hydrogen peroxide is not radio-active, and that its action on the plate is a purely chemical one, while it is the radiation from the emanation and not the emanation itself that produces ionizing and photographic effects.
140. Experimental arrangements. The emanation from
thorium is given off in minute quantity. No appreciable lowering
of the vacuum is observed when an emanating compound is placed
in a vacuum tube and no new spectrum lines are observed.
For an examination of the emanation, an apparatus similar in principle to that shown in Fig. 51 is convenient.
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Fig. 51.
The thorium compound, either bare or enclosed in a paper envelope, was placed in a glass tube C. A current of air from a gasometer, after passing through a tube containing cotton-wool to remove dust particles, bubbled through sulphuric acid in the vessel A. It then passed through a bulb containing tightly packed cotton-wool to prevent any spray being carried over. The emanation, mixed with air, was carried from the vessel C through a plug of cotton-wool D, which removed completely all the ions carried with the emanation. The latter then passed into a long brass cylinder, 75 cm. in length and 6 cm. in diameter. The insulated cylinder was connected with a battery in the usual way. Three insulated electrodes, E, F, H, of equal lengths, were placed along the axis of the cylinder, supported by brass rods passing through ebonite corks in the side of the cylinder. The current through the gas, due to the presence of the emanation, was measured by means of
