SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—A. 425 
Light is also a motion in the ether, and an advancing wave-front is known 
to exhibit some of the properties of matter; it also ejects electrons in a curious 
way. The problem, not yet solved, is to find a method of converting wave- 
energy into stationary vortex motion, which may be the converse operation to 
that of exciting light or X-rays by accelerating electrons. When light is gene- 
rated it has to advance at a certain speed. Whenever matter is generated, 
any surplus energy might account for its motion through space. All matter 
seems liable to be affected with considerable locomotive energy. If spiral nebulz 
are dust-clouds, their high velocities appear significant. 
If all the motion of matter is a modification of circulatory constitutional 
motion, and if we can represent energy as a change of mass, it seems possible to 
represent all material phencmena as changes in the intrinsic rotational motion of 
the ether of space. This would have the advantage of being absolute, having 
reference only to a universal stationary ether, instead of being relative to other 
pieces of matter, which is the appearance that things present to our senses. 
Rotation even of matter has always had an absolute appearance ; but rotation of 
ether is probably the real absolute, and may ultimately be expected to serve as a 
fundamental representation of universal phenomena. 
7. Mr. G. Sreap and Miss B. Treveryan.—The Production of 
Triatomic Hydrogen. (2?) 
Hydrogen is subjected to intense electronic bombardment in a cylindrical 
thermionic tube with open grid and no anode. With a grid potential of 
30 volts and over, a blue glow, consisting of primary and secondary hydrogen 
lines, is observed near the filament. The glow spreads progressively along 
the tube, the current increasing similarly till it suddenly falls to a small value, 
and the glow simultaneously runs back. <A regular oscillation of the glow 
and current is maintained, and the pressure in the tube follows the current 
changes. 
It appears that a polymerised modification of hydrogen is periodically 
formed and decomposed. If a tube surrounded by liquid air is attached no 
oscillation takes place, but nearly all the gas disappears rapidly. It is re- 
liberated on removing the liquid air, and is stable, but easily decomposed by 
electric discharge, showing an increase in volume in the ratio of 1.5 to 1. 
The decomposed gas shows bright primary and secondary spectra of hydrogen. 
The optimum pressure in the tube is about 0.05 mm. of mercury. 
8. Capt. D. Brunt.—Energy of the Circulation of the Atmosphere. 
The kinetic energy of the average circulation of the earth’s atmosphere is 
estimated as of the order of 3.10?7 ergs, while that of a particular but repre- 
sentative cyclone is given as 1.5x1074 ergs. The diameter of the latter being 
1400 km., this represents an addition of 50 per cent. to the kinetic energy over 
the same area of the average circulation, assuming this uniformly distributed 
over the earth’s surface. 
The rate of dissipation of kinetic energy due to the effect of turbulence is 
considered in two parts. For the region from the ground up to the height 
where the gradient wind direction is realised, a formula is obtained which 
leads, under a set of representative natural conditions, to a rate of loss of 
kinetic energy of 3 x 10-* kilowatts/(metre)?. An examination of recorded 
wind distributions at greater heights leads to an average vaiue for the layer, 
extending from the one just considered to the stratosphere, of 2x10-* kilo- 
watts/(metre)?, so that the rate at which the kinetic energy of the earth’s 
atmosphere is being dissipated by turbulence is of the order of 5x 10-* kilowatts 
per square metre of the earth’s surface. 
If this rate of dissipation were maintained for 1{ days the whole kinetic 
energy of the general circulation would be destroyed in that time. Or, assuming 
the rate of dissipation to be proportional to the total kinetic energy, the total 
kinetic energy would be reduced to one-tenth its original value in three days. 
This does not happen, and it is next shown that the conversion of a little 
over 2 per cent. of the effective incoming solar radiation into kinetic energy 
will maintain the level of the kinetic energy of the general circulation. 
The means of conversion is not yet fully understood, but, following Sir 
