1919] on Ether and Matter 471 



For the same type of ring in different atoms. 



Radius of given type of ring in any 



atom ..... r oc 1/N 



Orbital Velocity in ring of that type . z^ a N 

 Moment of Momentum in given type 



of ring . . . . rvm const, as regards N. 



Frequency in that type of ring . . v/r <x N^ 



Energy in same . . . . ^J^ a N^ 



So for a given type of ring in different atoms the orbital energy 

 is proportional to the frequency ; which is a curious result thoroughly 

 consistent with Moseley's law, ascertained by experiments on emission, 

 and true at any rate for emission energy. 

 The ratio 

 emission^ergy ^ mv^ ^ ^^^^^,^^ ^ i^.mr\1^r = 2,rl., 

 frequency vj^ ir r 



So if we call this h, or a multiple of h, then on our hypothesis /i/2 tt 

 is the indivisible unit of angular momentum for an orbital electron. 



The speed with which an electron is ejected is very high, some- 

 thing Hke • 9 of light, so the increase of mass at high speeds must 

 be taken into account in propounding a reason for the emission of 

 corpuscles. 



Radiation Heterodoxy. 



In considering the radiation from an atom I have virtually made 

 the hypothesis that so long as orbits are circular they do not radiate, 

 but that if perturbed into ellipses, with corresponding fluctuation of 

 speed— as they would be by the influence of a flying charge passing 

 through or near them — then they would radiate, with the proper 

 orbital frequency, until the excentricity disappears again and they 

 resume their stable circular orbit once more. Though of course they 

 might be so much perturbed as to eject a particle. Any one of the 

 rings, if perturbed at all, may radiate and give appropriate spectral 

 lines. An external synchronous alternating field will also cause them 

 to absorb energy, even though they were not radiating any until the 

 extra energy arrived. 



This hypothesis, if at all regarded, is equivalent to a request to 

 mathematicians to reconsider their theory of electronic radiation. 

 Radiation intensity is known to be proportional to the square of 

 acceleration (Sir Joseph Larmor, and to some extent FitzGerald and 

 Hertz, established this), and I must admit that the reasoning seems 

 to make this law applicable to every kind of acceleration ; but my 

 rash suggestion is that it may be only speed-acceleration that is really 

 effective, and not transverse or curvature-acceleration at constant 

 speed. For this will not perturb the lines of force holding the 

 electron to the nucleus, but will leave them in a constant condition, 



Vol. XXII. (Xo. 113) 2 k 



