The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-27
THE ROYAL SOCIETY.
from the London Times, Dec. H.

FROM the lOuuou LINES, LEO. II.
There was an unusually full meeting at the Royal
Society last week to hear Mr.. Crookes announce his
discoveries and to witness repetition of
of the experiments which have led to them. In
perimenting with electric discharges in vacuum
tubes he has especially examined the dark space
which appears round the negative pole Of an ordi
nary vacuum tube when the spark OF an induction
coil passed through it. He has used different kinds
of poles. varying intensity OF spark. and different
gases and has from time to time devised fresh
rangements for giving greater gertrude and
actness to particular observations. The very
remarkable conclusion to which he has been
led is that the phenomena he has Witnessed
which are not accidental but are such that he can
under like conditions reproduce them-reveal to
physical science new world where matter exists in
fourth acknowledgements. he has termed it
where the corpuscular theory of light holds good and
where light does not always move III straight line.
discovery which all at adds to our knowledge
OF three states of matter he solid the liquid and
the gaseous) a fourth state. ultra-gaseous. which
shows that under certain conditions the rejected New
tonan emissive theory OF light is true and which
furnishes plain optical illustration of the fact that
light may travel i'll curves-curves too, which may
be made to continually vary-instead Of moving in
straight lines has been believed it always does is
discovery which deserves to be called epoch mark
ing.
conception as to what he meant by emissive Eight"
His paper will not be ready tor publication for some
time but in the notes he read he said that IN speak
by desire for conciseness of expression than
by u wish to advance novel theory. He considered,
however, that the comparison in these special crcum
stances is strictly correct and that he is well
titled to speak of q ray OF molecular or emissiye
light when It's presence is only detected by the light
evolved it's falling q suitable screen as
he is to speak of sunbeam in a darkened room
as a ray of Migratory ordinary light when its
presence is only be by interposng
opaque body in its path. In both the invisible
line of force is spoken OF "a ray OF light, and
il custom has made this correct as applied to the un
Inla far ~ a q x
preston to emissive light 1t is not easy i'll mere
words without diagrams OF the apparatus for refer
ence, to make Mr. Crookes recent experiments gener-
ally ineligible. Those acquainted with the phe-
nomena OF the passage OF induction sparks in
vacuum tubes and with Mr.. Crookes various forms,
of radiometer will be- perhaps able to gather some idea
OF the processes from the following explanation:-
He has arranged vessels capable OF high exhaustion.
such he has used for his radiometers, and through
these has passed induction discharges, sealing i'll
terminals at either end. In this way he has studied
the identity of the illuminated lines of molecular
pressure with the invisible molecular strain he has
been for many years observing. BY introducing
q cup-shapcd fixed disk which is made the negative
POLE he has been able show the focus Of the lines
of force. At very high exhaustions the whole bulb
becomes illuminated with greenish yellow or.
cording to the glass; other colored phosphorescent
light. This commences at different exhaustions with
different gases. 1t will not turn a corner in the
slightest degree but radiates from the negative pole
in straight lines. casting sharply defined shadows"
Of any thing placed IN its path On the other hand,
the ordinary luminous phenomena of vacuum tubes
viii pass along any amount OF curves and angles.
From study OF these shadows Mr.. Crookes advances
the theory that the induction spark actually nlumi-
mates the lines Of molecular pressure caused by
the electrical excitement of the negative pole.
He considers that the greenish yellow light
is caused by the direct impact OF the molecules
on the surface OF the glass. The shadows" not
optical, but molecular shadows, only they
vealed by ordinary illuminating effect. The
chanical action OF projected molecules has been
studied, and will be described in the paper. The
focus of heat of molecular impact was shown by an
experiment allowing the focus from nearly hemi-
spherical aluminium cup to fall on strip OF platinum
foil when the heat to the melting point Of plat
mum. The detection of the stream Of molecules
by a magnet also shown. The conclusions
to the existence OF 'utra-gaseous" state OF
matter from theoretical speculaons as to the
state in which IL exists III these highly
hausted vessels The modern idea OF the gaseous
state is based upon the suppostion that
given space contains millions of millions of molecules
in rapid motion in all directions. each having millions
OF encounters with others in q second III such u
the length OF the mean free path OF the molecules
* excessively small as compared with the dimensions
of the vessel containing II and the properties which
constitute the ordinary gaseous state OF matter aud
which depend upon constant COLLISIONS are observed.
by the great rarcfaction which AIR. Crookes has, by
free path the molecules may be made long that
with the misses. and the average moecue IL allowed
obey its ownnotions laws without interfercnce
and il the free path is comparable To the d
mansions of the vessel the properties which const-
tute gaseity are reduced to a minimum and the
ter becomes exalted to "ultragascous" state.
Then aud very decided properties come into
n