( 717 ) 



The lader will be, if a represents the diameter of an alom and 



v the velocity of the electron, which is piercing it, something like 



a 

 (rather smaller than) — , causing the wave emitted to be of a thick- 



V 



a 

 ness of something like (rather smaller than) c — , c being the velo- 



v 



city of light in ether. By putting a = 10~ 8 and v = LO 10 , we get 



a 

 by this way for c - 3.10" -8 , a number which only slightly exceeds 

 v 



the order of magnitude of the values of ft (p. 714), derived from 

 diffraction experiments. It might therefore be possible, that the 

 waves of disturbance in question should be identical with the Ttönt- 

 <jen rays. 



As by this theory a single electron would disturb some thousands 

 or tens of thousands of atoms, every atom, being traversed by an 



electron, need only send out something like of the quantity of 



energy emitted by an electron itself in its total stoppage, in order 

 to account for the relatively large amount of energy found by Wikn 

 in the R-rays. That such proportions should exist, seems to me 

 not impossible at all. 



The views presented here as to the origin of the R.-rays bestow 

 a new and great importance on the "wave-length" of these rays, 

 as they intimately connect this measurable quantity with the 

 dimensions of the atoms. Whether there really exists such a close 

 connection, could perhaps be experimentally put to the test by 

 diffraction experiments with anticathodes made from different materials. 

 More generally it might be expected that experiments of this kind 

 would throw some new light upon the structure of atoms, and also 

 of molecules or molecule aggregates. In such experiments it would 

 certainly have a peculiar interest to use crystals as anticathodes, as 

 perhaps the regular structure of these bodies could manifest itself 

 both in rather sharply defined wave-lengths of the R.-rays emitted 

 by them as in a polarisation of these rays. 



The question, whether R.-rays should or should not be expected 

 to show r total or partial polarisation, may be treated on the basis 

 of the above hypothesis, as soon as this be supplemented by definite 

 suppositions about the structure of the atom. 



The relation that, according to our views, should have to exist 

 between the wave-length of R.-rays and I Ik 1 velocity of the cathode- 

 rays, is of course liable to rather direct experimental verilication. 



49* 



