screens of thin aluminium foil. The results are expressed in the following table:
Thickness of mica window ·0015 cm.
Thickness of aluminium foil ·00034 cm.
Layers of foil Current
0 100
1 59
2 30
3 10
4 3·2
The greater proportion of the conductivity is thus due to α rays, as in the case of the radio-active elements. The amount of absorption of these α rays by aluminium foil is about the same as that of the rays from the active bodies. No direct comparison can be made, for the α rays from the emanation show the characteristic property of increased rate of absorption with thickness of matter traversed. Before testing, the rays have been largely absorbed by the mica window, and the penetrating power has consequently decreased.
No alteration in the radiation from the emanation was observed on placing an insulated wire inside the emanation vessel, and charging it to a high positive or negative potential. When a stream of air through the vessel carried away the emanation as fast as it was produced, the intensity of the radiation fell to a small fraction of its former value.
No evidence of any β rays in the radiations was found in these experiments, although a very small effect would have been detected. After standing some hours, however, β rays began to appear. These were due to the excited activity deposited on the walls of the vessel from the emanation, and not directly to the emanation itself.
The radium emanation, like that of thorium, only gives rise to α rays. This was tested in the following way[1]:
A large amount of emanation was introduced into a cylinder made of sheet copper ·005 cm. thick, which absorbed all the α rays but allowed the β and γ rays, if present, to pass through with but little loss. The external radiation from the cylinder
- ↑ Rutherford and Soddy, Phil. Mag. April, 1903.
