322 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEIHY. 



indication is independent of R. In the case of the dynamometer or 

 hot-wire ammeter the factor of convertibility of the energy of rapid 

 alternations into deflection is probably fairly constant but is small ; 

 whereas, with certain other types of detectors, notably the electrolytic 

 and the crystal rectifiers the convertability of the energy of rapid alter- 

 nations into direct current energy is not constant, and appears to be 

 relatively large only provided the resistance of the detector is large. 

 This has constrained wireless telegraphic practice to high-resistance 

 detectors, with the consequent deficiency in sharpness of resonance. 

 The analysis given in the present paper shows that there is no inherent 

 necessity in using these high-resistance detectors provided only de- 

 tectors of lower resistance can be found with a large efiiciency in con- 

 verting electric energy of rapid alternations into energy of direct cur- 

 rent or slowly-varying periodic current. 



Jefferson Physical Laboratory, Harvard 

 University, Cambridge, Mass. 

 October, 1910. 



