On the other hand, the thorium emanation required a range of over 30° C.
after condensation had started in order to ensure complete condensation.
Fig. 60 is an example of the results obtained with a steady gas stream
of 1·38 c.c. per sec. of oxygen. The ordinates represent the percentage
proportion of the emanation uncondensed at different temperatures. It
will be observed that condensation commences about −120°, and that very
little of the emanation escapes condensation at −155° C.
To investigate this difference of behaviour in the two emanations, a
static method was employed, which allowed an examination of the two
emanations to be made under comparable conditions. The emanation, mixed
with a small amount of the gas to be used, was introduced into the cool
spiral, which had been exhausted previously by means of a mercury pump.
The amount of emanation remaining uncondensed after definite intervals
was rapidly removed by means of the pump, and was carried with a
constant auxiliary stream of gas into the testing vessel.
Tested in this way, it was found that the volatilization point of the
radium emanation was very nearly the same as that obtained by the
blowing method, viz. −150° C. With thorium, on the other hand, the
condensation started at about −120° C., and, as in the blowing method,
continued over a range of about 30° C. The proportion of the emanation
condensed at any temperature was found to depend on a variety of
conditions, although the point at which condensation commenced, viz.
−120° C., was about the same in each case. It depended on the pressure
and nature of the gas, on the concentration of the emanation, and on the
time for which it was left in the spiral. For a given temperature a
greater proportion of the emanation was condensed, the lower the
pressure and the longer the time it was left in the spiral. Under the
same conditions, the emanation was condensed more rapidly in hydrogen
than in oxygen.
=168.= Thus there is no doubt that the thorium emanation begins to
condense at a temperature higher than that at which the radium emanation
condenses. The explanation of the peculiar behaviour of the thorium
emanation is clear when the small number of emanation particles present
in the gas are taken into consideration. It has been shown that both
emanations give out only α rays. It is probable that the α particles
from the two emanations are similar in character and produce about the
same number of ions in their passage through the gas. The number of ions
produced by each α particle before its energy is dissipated is probably
about 70,000. (See section 252.)
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