OSCILLATING DISCHARGES. 515 



The oscillations of the discharge are regular, therefore, and 

 the value of the complete period T is 



27T 



The values of the alternate maxima are 

 + Qo> 



RTT 



-Qo* 2La/ > 



2R7T 



+ Qo* 2La ', 



_3Rir 



-Qo' 2L *', etc.; 

 they decrease, therefore, like terms of a geometrical progression, 



RTF 



the ratio of which is e ^LT'. 



The maxima of the intensity of the current in the two directions 



d\ 



correspond to = 0, which gives 



2La' 



tana/= - , 

 R 



or 



sina7= a'x/CL; 



7T T 



they are still equidistant, separated by a semi-period = - , and 



a 2 



succeed the periods at which the current is zero, by the time 0, 

 defined by the smallest angle which satisfies the condition 



The values of the maxima of intensity are successively 



2R:r 

 2a'L, etc.; 



they also decrease in geometrical progression. 



L L 2 



