The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-07-18
SOURCE OF tx" RAYS.
Conclusions Arrived at by an Eminent
English Scientist.


English Scientist.
AS to the source of the rays, /, like
others, have made many experiments,
and the results are definite enough.
When the rays from the cathode, inside
the vacuum, impinge first on a glass
surface, then that surface is the source.
1t is not as If the cathode rays penetrate
ed the glass and proceeded on their
path; it is not as if the glass surface
were a wave front, from every point OF
which a ray penetrates normally; the
glass radiates X rays just as red-hot
surface radiates light. From every
point a cone of rays starts in all direc-
lions, and there is no mutual Interior
ence in the lateral directions, as there
would be between a number OF similar
sources all of the same phase. Every
point of the glass radiates independent
ly, like hot surface, in fact. The best
experiments of this kind were those in
which l used q magnet to defect the
cathode rays on to any chosen spot or
patch of the glass, and then took
shadow photographs through Sits and
holes placed at measured distances.
The shadows of wires placed at a dis
lance from the plates, taken through a
narrow slit at some distance from the
wire, show that If the X radiation con-
sists of waves at all those waves must
be very small. There has been nothing,
as vet, to discriminate between longi-
] tudinal and transverse oscillations.
| Transverse must be considered as the
most probable at present; but then 1t is
not certain that they are waves at all.
II waves, they must be very small ones,
and the question whether they are
transverse or longitudinal is almost
minor consideration II 1t should turn
out that the wave length is comparable
to the size of molecules. The interest
and Importance of such an instrument
of investigation as radiation with that
size of wave whereby indirectly mole
cules themselves would hereafter be
rendered Internationally visible are i'm.
mense.
When the cathode rays do not first
strike the glass, but first strike piece
of metal inclosed in the bulb, then its
behavior depends largely on what 1t Il
connected to. My experiments on thai
point are not complete, but this much
is certain, that if the bombarded piec'
of metal is attached to the cathode, 81
that 1t is unable to receive any electrical
discharges from the cathode stream
then it either declines to act as sourc'
} of rays at all, or else emits radiation
of the most feeble kind, which can with
out difficulty be attributed to second
: ary cause. But, on the other hand, /
the bombarded disk be connected witt
the anode, so as to be able to receive tn
negative charges of the cathode stream
then it acts as a most vigorous source
In a low state of vacuum every part o
the bulb keeps perfectly cool, and tn
whole energy supplied seems to pass OF
, in x rays.
The crop of assertions about the de
lection of X rays from all manner OF at
Surd sources has somewhat dwindle
/ of late, and the loss is a bearable one. !
, serious attempt must be made to OF
, serve if the sun emits them by exposin
: suitable objects, such as bullets embed
ded in cork, in front of protected plates
, on mountain tops, this summer. tn
S atmosphere, being equivalent to owe
j, two feet of mercury, must entirel
!. screen these rays from lower levels
, but Alpine tourists have often reporte
= a strange Jogging of plates, which the
t have been disposed to attribute to tn
l warmth of guides back.-Prof. Olive