The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-19
SOURCE OF K RAYS.
Conclusions Arrived at by an Eminent
English Scientist.

Prof. Oliver Lodge, in the London
Electrician: AS to the source of the rays,
I, like Others, have made many expert
msnts. and the results are definite
enough. When the rays from the
cathode, inside the vacuum, impinge
first on glass surface, then that surface
is the source. 1t is not as il the cathode
rays penetrated the glass and proceeded
on their path; 1t is not as if the glass
surface were wave front. from every
point Of which ray penetrates normally !;
the glass radiates x rays just as red
hot surface rndiates light. From every
point cone Of rays starts in all diree-
lions, and there is no mutual Interference
in the lateral directions, as there would
be between q number of similar sources
of all the same phase. Every point of the
glass radiates Independently, like hot
surface, in fact. The best experiments of
this kind were those in which I used a
magnet to def1eot the cathode rays on
to any chosen spot or patch of the glass
and than took shadow photographs
through Sits and holes placed.at measured
distances. The shadows of wires at a dis
tance 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 yet. to discriminate between longitu-
dlnal and transverse oscillations. Trans
verse 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 trsns-
verse or longitudinal is almost q minor
consideration If it should turn out that
the wave length is comparable to the size
of molecules. The interest and impor-
tanoe of such an instrument Of investiga-
ton as radiation with that size OF wave
whereby indirectly molecules them selves
would hereafter be rendered diffraotion.
ally visible are immense.
When the cathode rays do not first
strike the glass, but fret strike piece OF
metal inclosed in the bulb. then its be-
havior depends largely OH what 1t is con-
nected to. My experiments ON this point
are not complete, but this much is Ger.
tain, that If the bonsbarded piece Of metal
is attached TO the cathode, SO that 1t is
unable to receive any electrical discharges
from the cathode stream, then 1t either
declines to act rs a source OF rays at all,
or else emits radiation Of the most
feeble kind, which can without difficulty
Ee attrit uted to secondary cause. But,
on the other hand, if the bonn barded disk
be connected with the anodes, SO as 70 be
able to receive the negative charges of the
cathode stream, then IL acts as most
vigorous source. In low state of vacuum
every part Of the bulb keeps perfectly
cool, and the whole energy supplied Seems
to pass off in K rays.
The crop Of assertions about the detoc.
ton of < rays from all manner of absurd
sources has somewhat dwindled Of late,
and the loss is bearable enc. A serious
attempt must be made to observe ii the
sun enlits them by exposing suitable OBJ
jects, such as bullets embedded in cork,
in front of protected plates, on mountain
tops, this summer. The atmosphere, be.
ing equivalent to over two feet Of mer-
curry must entirely screen these rays from
lower levels; but Alpine tourists have
often reported q strange Jogging Of plates
which they havo been disposed to attri-
butte to the warmth of a guides back.