Evening star., 1930-12-14
ARTIFICIAL RAD|UM
RAYS ARE CREATED
Unlimited Voltage FurtherS
Atomic Research Into
Field of Nuclei.

Artificial production of rays" hitherto
secured only from radium has been ac-
complished at the terrestrial magnetism
laboratory of the Carnegie Institution
of Washington with a specially con-
Srructed vacuum tube on which can be
impressed as much as two million volts
of electricity.
BY this means it is possible to shoot,
almost at the speed of light, heavy
atomic projectiles" under controlled
conditions against other atoms.
At the same time method has been
worked out by which, using series of
concentric metallic cages, it is theo-
retically possible to obtain unlimited
voltageS. Ultimately by its use it may
be practical to obtain potentialS of
many millions of volts above ground.
Furthers Atomic Research.
1sle immediate practical purpose of
this piece of heavy artillery shooting |
bullets at the speed of thousands of |
miles second is to study the properties |
Of the nuclei of atoms At present |
Knowledge of this fundamental unit of |
nature is largely confined to the be- |
havior Of the light electronS which re- |
volve about the heavy central mass of |
protons like planets around the sun.
Radium. it is explained, enlits three |
kinds of rays-alpha rays, which are |
the nuclei of helium atoms; beta rays, |
which are simply high-Speed electrons, |
and gamma rays which are extremely |
short light waves similar to X-rays. |
The alpha and beta rays have energies, |
as represented by their velocitieS az |
great as they would acquire if they |
had been accelerated from a state of |
rest by electric potentials ranging from |
100000 to several million volts. The |
velocity of the gamma rays is identical |
with that of light.
Mystery Particle Produced.
When the alpha rays of radium |
strike hydrogen atoms a fourth type of /
ray" is produced as a secondary eff |
fect-the so-called H-particle. This is |
proton from the nucleus of the atom,
more than 1000 times heavier than an
electron, but far simpler in composition |
than the helium nucleus or alpha par
ticle 1t Is ideal ammunition for the
heavy artillery of the atomic world, but
hitherto has been obtained only with
radium bombardmentS. In the new
vacuum tube these H-particles are pro-
duced directly and have a penetrating
power of about four centimeterS in air
when accelerated by approximately a
million volts.
BY penetrating the atom with the
heavy H-particle and noting its defiec-
tions and other behavior when it strikes
the heavier proton much information
can be secured on the forces encoun-
tered in the interior Of the atom, which
now are practically unknown to sci
ence No effort has been made to pro-
duce the alpha rays. So far there las
been no speculation on the biological
possibilities of the big gun. beyond
providing safety for the workers.
Unlimited Voltage Possible.
1t was by bombardment of nitrogen
gas with alpha particles that Sir Ernest |
Rutherford in England has produced
the only actual transmutation of ele-
ments, securing hydrogen atoms. But
the alpha particle is complex ammuni-
ton TO handle
The new high-voltage apparatus which
was placed on display at the Carnegie
Institution today may have even greater |
significance, it is pointed out In op-
GRAFTON each alternate cage in a series |
Is charged to a relatively low voltage |
Spark gaps make connection between |
alternate pairs of cages and, when spark
over occurs, all the electric fields in one |
direction are wiped out, while all those |
In the opposite direction remain. The |
remaining fields are cumulative toward
the innermost cage, the latter thus be-
ing raised to high voltage.
Methods at present in use for the
production of high voltages," says the
report on this mechanism ARE limited |
over at the point of highest voltage.
This new method removes this limita-
tion and theoretically makes possible !
unlimited voltages."
CrystalizatiOn Is Traced.
The so-called tin pest" a phenon-
enon which has puzzled science since |
tin first was introduced to commerce by |
Phoenician traders, has been explained |
by recent researches at the GeophySical !
q hOV uyoc
Ordinary white tin is only stable above !
65 degrees Fahrenheit. Below this tenn !
perature it is likely to invert into a gray |
powder. This same behavior occurs in |
all articles containing tin when exposed |
IN cold places for a long time. BY |
studying the behavior of substances un- |
der high temperatures the Carnegie |
scientists have made clearer the subject |
of polymorphism of materials at differ !
ent temperature ranges
The material remains the same chem I
ically, but the form of the crystals |
changes, each form having distinct phys
ical properties, such as density and |
melting point. 1t has been found that !
there are few solids which do not exist |
in more than one form at different tenn
peratures and pressures. Silica, the best |
known form of quartz, assumes at least |
six different forms between room tenn
perature and white heat Thus the tin |
pest" is seen to be a purely physical |
reaction due to the changing crystalline |
form of the metal
BY developing knowledge of polymor-
phiSm, 1t is pointed out, an important
tool is placed in the hands of scien-
fists studying the past history of the
earth. At different temperatures the
constituents of the earth's crust have
undergone various crystalline changes
which have left traces behind. Some of
these can be detected and thus the
greatest heat TO which the substance