The following are experiments which prove that one portion of the
radiation of radium, and one portion only, consists of easily deflected
rays (β-rays). These experiments were done according to the electrical
method.
The radio-active body A (Fig. 5) sends forth radiations in the direction
A D between the plates P and P′. The plate P is now at a potential of
500 volts, plate P′ is connected to an electrometer and to a quartz
electric piezometer. The intensity of the current passing through the
air under the influence of the radiations is measured. The magnetic
field can be established at will perpendicular to the plane of the
figure over the whole region E E E E. If the rays are deflected, even
slightly, they no longer pass between the plates, and the current is
suppressed. The region of the passage of the rays is surrounded with
masses of lead, B, B′, B″, and by the armatures of the electro-magnet;
when the rays are deflected, they are absorbed by the masses of lead B
and B′.
[Illustration: FIG. 5.]
The results obtained depend essentially on the distance, A D, of the
radiating substance, A, from the condenser at D. If the distance A D is
great enough (greater than 7 c.m.), most of the radium rays (90 to 100
per cent) arriving at the condenser are deflected and suppressed for a
field of 2500 units. These are the β-rays. If the distance A D is less
than 65 m.m., a smaller part of the rays are deflected by the action of
the field; this portion is also entirely deflected by a field of 2500
units, and the proportion of the rays suppressed is not increased by
increasing the field from 2500 to 7000 units.
The proportion of the rays not suppressed by the field increases with
decrease of the distance, A D, between the radiating body and the
condenser. For small distances, the rays which can be easily deflected
form a very small fraction of the total radiation. The penetrating rays
are therefore, for the most part, deviable rays of the cathode order
(β-rays).
Under the experimental conditions just described, the action of the
magnetic field on the α-rays could not be well observed for the fields
employed. The chief radiation, apparently undergoing no deflection,
observed at a short distance from the radiating source, consisted of
α-rays; the undeflected radiation observed at a greater distance
consisted of γ-rays.
If an absorbing lamina (aluminium or black paper) is placed in the path
of the bundle of rays, those which pass through are nearly all deflected
by the field in such a way that, with the aid of the screen and the
magnetic field, almost all the radiation is suppressed in the condenser,
the remainder being due to the γ-rays, the proportion of which is small.
The α-rays are absorbed by the screen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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