Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xlvih. (1904), No. 10. i r 



ing an impulsive expulsion of electrons, giving very abrupt 

 impulses to the ether. One result of such an impulsive 

 expulsion of electrons would probably be a concentration 

 of energy in the heads of the nitrogen bands in the 

 radium glow. Whether such is the case I do not know. 



Hence on the view expressed above, the action of 

 radium would consist in absorbing negative ions of nitro- 

 gen, transforming them on their diffusion through it into 

 positive ions and electrons, and giving off again the 

 product impulsively. In fact, radium acts like a condenser, 

 being charged up with negative nitrogen ions, and dis- 

 charging impulsively electrons and positive ions. 



It would be interesting to place radium in an atmo- 

 sphere of hydrogen, and see if it would continue for some 

 time to emit the nitrogen bands. If this were the case, 

 then the assumption that nitrogen ions are absorbed by 

 the radium would be true. That nitrogen and also helium 

 are easily absorbed by platinum is well known. The 

 same may be true for radium. 



Physical Laboratory of the UNivERsrrv, 

 Manchester, 



February^ 1^04. 



