A more detailed examination of the variation with strength of field of
the amount on the negative electrode was made in a similar manner by F.
Henning[287]. He found that in a strong electric field the amount of
excited activity was practically independent of the diameter of the rod
_B_, although the diameter varied between ·59 mm. and 6·0 mms. With a
small voltage, the amount on the negative electrode varied with its
diameter. The curves showing the relation between the amount of excited
activity and voltage are very similar in character to those obtained for
the variation of the current through an ionized gas with the voltage
applied.
The amount of excited activity reaches a maximum when all the active
matter is removed from the gas as rapidly as it is formed. With weaker
fields, a portion diffuses to the sides of the vessel, and produces
excited activity on the positive electrode.
=189. Effect of pressure on distribution of excited activity.= In a
strong electric field, the amount of excited activity produced on the
cathode is independent of the pressure down to a pressure of about 10
mms. of mercury. In some experiments made by the writer[288], the
emanating thorium compound was placed inside a closed cylinder about 4
cms. in diameter, through which passed an insulated central rod. The
central rod was connected to the negative pole of a battery of 50 volts.
When the pressure was reduced below 10 mms. of mercury, the amount of
excited activity produced on the negative electrode diminished, and was
a very small fraction of its original value at a pressure of ⅒ mm.
Some excited activity was in this case found to be distributed over the
interior surface of the cylinder. It may thus be concluded that at low
pressures the excited activity appears on both anode and cathode, even
in a strong electric field. The probable explanation of this effect is
given in the next section.
Curie and Debierne[289] observed that when a vessel containing an
emanating radium compound was kept pumped down to a low pressure, the
amount of excited activity produced on the vessel was much reduced. In
this case the emanation given off by the radium was removed by the pump
with the other gases continuously evolved from the radium compound. On
account of the very slow decay of activity of the emanation, the amount
of excited activity produced on the walls of the vessel, in the passage
of the emanation through it, was only a minute fraction of the amount
produced when none of the emanation given off was allowed to escape.
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