The Snowflake herald., 1922-02-10
| IN, Of Scientists for a Thou
'p'' aond Years Achieved by
DR.. Rutherford.
o REACHING POSSIBILITIES
Liable Result of Bombarding Nj
E'''' Gas With the Alpha Rays of
wv May Supply Unlimited
power

sac YOrk.-Ths transmutation of
N" the dream of both charla-
'D'r, nd scientists for nearly a thou
rDs a ~oors has actually been accom-
Snu bv the recent work of Sir
sue rutherford, and his results are
D'Dss, civ accepted by scientists and
s iaists according to DR.. James
,oIl s,o associate professor of chem
Aepua ~ columbia, who said, on the
Sl! hand that there was not the
que a.,.t reason to believe that the
slsn'. .ns had accomplished their re-
C'el !.5 ~ feat of making synthetic gold.
O,g, ,g.rocen. sodium, aluminium, chlor-
~" ,rvcpn and carbon have been
W. IuS'.,rrted. or broken up by Ruther-
a a.I INTO hydrogen and helium. ac-
~ .s,r 10 DR.. Kendall.
a. 49, vas first accomplished, accord
"a tbe claims of Rutherford, by
= harding nitrogen gas with the al
:, % nvs of radium. These so-called
y, ere helium atoms which are flung
- n tbe exploding radium atom with
], energy incomparably greater than
!, projectile produced artificially.
:, Velocity of this atom would take
! ,-ound the world in slightly less
n, q second, aud the power of the
,rrloding atom, in proportion to size,
!. sOnething like a million times
rsstpr than that Of trinitrotOluol.
Result of a Chemical Collision.
The radium was placed so as to
sdye the alpha particles into nitrogen
cs When the alpha particle had a
Spsi0n collision with a nitrogen atom
|, tore Il to pieces, so it is asserted.
Tbe atom supposedly has a structure
smevhat resembling the solar sys-
,sn It's center is a nucleus of posi-
typ eIectricity, resembling the sun of
he glsr system, and this is surround
s h electrons, or charges of mega
rv electricity, presumably whirling
about the nucleus, as the planets whirl
about the sun.
The alpha particle is believed to
IrOdtce such a disruption in the atom
IS might occur, for instance, If an
theF star Of the dimensions of the
rn tore through our system, hit the
IN directly and drove it off into
PACE, causing the planets to shoot off
all directions.
This occurs on a scale in the neigh
llhOOd Of the billiOnth part of
Month Of an inch, but 1t can be
lrtly measured. The alpha particles
rOwn off by radium produce scin-
IatiOnS when they strike a screen of
nc Sulphide within a certain distance.
hen they were used to lombard nj
Ogen Scintillations took place at
eater distances from the radium
Ian the alpha particle could alone
fOduce.
By his study Of these scintillations
D. rutherford was able to prove to
De 1tidactiOn Of men of science gen
sA-y that new products were devel-
NA by the shattering of the nitro
Ea stOmS and that these products
Ess hydrogen and helium atoms. His
aIe1nentS have all been in the way
q dSOrganizing the more complex
i"nS into simpler ones. The trans
naiadOn Of atoms with simple struc-
aS INTO those with more complex
.lS has not been achieved.
Or. Kendall on Rutherford.
rutherford has reduced nitrogen.
l-1llum. chlorine and sodium to hy-
.sA and helium," said DR.. Ken
~ He has also produced helium
l~-s BY tearing oxygen and carbon
I" Pieces, but hydrogen has not re-