CHAPTER V. PROPERTIES OF THE RADIATIONS.

It is very remarkable that a phosphorescent light, like that of radium bromide, should show a bright line spectrum of nitrogen. It shows that radium at ordinary temperatures is able to set up radiations which are produced only by the electric discharge under special conditions.

Sir William and Lady Huggins were led to examine the spectrum of the natural phosphorescent light of radium with the hope that some indications might be obtained thereby of the processes occurring in the radium atom. Since the main radiation from radium consists of positively charged atoms projected with great velocity, radiations must be set up both in the expelled body and in the system from which it escapes.

Giesel¹⁰ observed that the spectrum of the phosphorescent light of actinium consists of three bright lines. Measurements of the wave length were made by Hartmann¹¹. The luminosity was very slight and a long exposure was required. The lines observed were in the red, blue and green. The wave length λ and velocity are shown below.

The line 4885 was very broad; the other two lines were so feeble that it was difficult to determine their wave length with accuracy. Hartmann suggests that these lines may be found in the spectrum of the new stars. The lines observed have no connection with radium or its emanation¹².