332 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



and surroundings. At this optimum rate of flow there 

 are noticed periodic vibrations in the pressures of the 

 gas in the tube with corresponding fluctuations in the 

 electrical recording instruments. This suggests a re- 

 versal similar to that noted by Spiel and suggests that 

 at this velocity there is a tendency for the gases to reach 

 a maximum concentration and then just before they can 

 get out of the discharge perhaps a reversal starts to set 

 in. This vibration effect was most noticeable at the 

 higher pressures. More recently one of us has devised 

 a more efficient means of absorption. The gas from the 

 tube causes water to be atomized or broken up into a very 

 fine spray so that the gas and the water are carried along 

 together for some distance. By this simple method the 

 yield especiall}^ at the higher velocity is somewhat in- 

 creased. 



Careful measurements have been made on the power 

 input into the tube. Also the change in temperature of 

 the gas, the porcelain dielectric and the electrodes have 

 been noted using alcohol thermometers. Using standard 

 specific heats 25-50 per cent of the energy put into the 

 tube is not accounted for. This suggests that there 

 might be a great deal more chemical action going on in 

 the tube than is shown in the analyses. The amount of 

 energy required to form the nitrogen peroxide and ozone 

 observed by analysis will make up for only a small part 

 of this discrepancy. There are at least two possibilities. 

 Very likely some of the nitrogen is oxidized to only ni- 

 tric oxide which is comparatively slowly oxidized and the 

 gas passing through so rapidly would not be observed. 

 For this reason it is proposed to use a mixing chamber 

 so that it may be more completly oxidized. It is also 

 proposed to try the effect of various catalytic agents. 

 An allotropic modification of nitrogen might be pro- 

 duced which assumes a relatively stable form and es- 

 capes into the air. An active modification of nitrogen 

 was first observed by E. P Lewis.* This modification 

 has been much studied by E. J. Strutt.^ This gas is best 



*Astrop7iys, J. 12, 8 (1900); 20, 49 (1904). 

 ^ Proc. Roy. Soc. London A. 1911 to date. 

 (1904) Lafayette, Ind. 



