direction to the cathode rays, and this indicates that the canal rays consist of positive ions. Wien determined their velocity and the ratio e / m , by measuring the amount of their magnetic and electric deflection. The value of e / m was found to be variable, depending upon the gas in the tube, but the maximum value observed was 10 4 . This shows that the positive ion, in no case, has a mass less than that of the hydrogen atom. It seems probable that the canal rays consist of positive ions, derived either from the gas or the electrodes, which travel towards the cathode, and have sufficient velocity to pass through the holes of the cathode and to appear in the gas beyond.
It is remarkable that, so far, no case has been observed where the carrier of a positive charge has an apparent mass less than that of the hydrogen atom. Positive electricity always appears to be associated with bodies atomic in size. We have seen that the process of ionization in gases is supposed to consist of the expulsion of an electron from the atom. The corresponding positive charge remains behind on the atom and travels with it. This difference between positive and negative electricity appears to be fundamental, and no explanation of it has, as yet, been forthcoming.
52. Radiation of energy. If an electron moves uniformly in a straight line with constant velocity, the magnetic field, which travels with it, remains constant, and there is no loss of energy from it by radiation. If, however, its motion is hastened or retarded, the magnetic field is altered, and there results a loss of energy from the electron in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The rate of loss of energy from an accelerated electron was first calculated by Larmor53 and shown to be
where e is the charge on the electron in electromagnetic units, and V the velocity of light.
Any alteration in the velocity of a moving charge is thus always accompanied by a radiation of energy from it. Since the electron, set free in a vacuum tube, increases in velocity in passing through the electric field, energy must be radiated from it during its passage from cathode to anode. It can, however, readily be calculated that, in ordinary cases, this loss of energy is small compared with the kinetic energy acquired by the