where λ₁ and λ₂ are two constants, and _I{_T_} the maximum activity
reached after an interval _T_. After 20 minutes the activity decreased
exponentially with the time, falling to half value in 35·7 minutes. This
gives the value λ₁ = ·0194 (min.)⁻¹. By comparison with the curve, the
value of λ₂ was found to be ·317 (min.)⁻¹. This corresponds to a change
in which half the matter is transformed in 2·15 minutes. Exactly as in
the analogous curve for thorium, it can be shown that the matter
initially deposited undergoes two changes, the first of which is a
rayless one. The same difficulty arises in fixing which of the values of
λ refers to the first change. An experiment made by Miss Brooks (_loc.
cit._) shows that the rayless product has the slower period of
transformation. The active deposit of actinium was dissolved off a
platinum wire and then electrolysed. The anode was found to be active,
and the activity fell off exponentially with the time, decreasing to
half value in about 1·5 minutes. Allowing for the difficulty of
accurately measuring such a rapid rate of decay, this result indicates
that the product which gives out rays has the rapid period of 2·15
minutes. The analysis of the active deposit of actinium thus leads to
the following conclusions:
(1) The matter initially deposited from the emanation, called actinium
A, does not give out rays, and is half transformed in 35·7 minutes.
(2) A changes into B, which is half transformed in 2·15 minutes, and
gives out both α and β (and probably γ) rays.
Godlewski found that the active deposit of actinium was very easily
volatilized. Heating for several minutes at a temperature of 100° C. was
sufficient to drive off most of the active matter. The active deposit is
readily soluble in ammonia and in strong acids.
=213. Radiations from actinium and its products.= Actinium in
radio-active equilibrium gives out α, β, and γ rays. Godlewski found
several points of distinction between the β and γ rays of actinium and
of radium. The β rays of actinium appear to be homogeneous, for the
activity measured by an electroscope was found to fall off accurately
according to an exponential law with the thickness of matter traversed.
The β rays were half absorbed in a thickness of 0·21 mm. of aluminium.
This indicates that the β particles are all projected from actinium with
the same velocity. In this respect actinium behaves very differently
from radium, for the latter gives out β particles whose velocities vary
over a wide range.
After the β rays were absorbed, another type of more penetrating rays
was observed, which probably corresponds to the γ rays from the other
radio-elements. The γ rays of actinium were, however, far less
penetrating than those from radium. The activity due to these rays was
reduced to one-half after passing through 1·9 mms. of lead, while the
thickness of lead required in order to absorb half the γ rays of radium
is about 9 mms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account