Abstract
DR. SILBERSTEIN'S letter in NATURE of August 19, p. 247, induces me to write to say that some time ago I found the key for unravelling the constitution of the secondary spectrum of hydrogen to be of a kind similar to, though more generalised than, that used by him for helium. Practically the whole of this spectrum depends on the sequence of the Balmer series. If f(m) denote the mth sequent, the wave number of any line is of the form Σkmf(m), where the km are positive or negative integers; e.g. the line n = 16892·72 is f(2)âf(3)+f(4) âf(5) âf(6) +f(7) =Hα + (Hγ â H) â (Hδ â Hɛ) within an observation error dλ= 0·01. In fact the spectrum is a kind of linkage spectrum in which the usual links are replaced by the separations between the successive lines of the primary, namely, 5331·57, 2467·75, etc. The same machinery of analysis used for linkage spectra is then directly applicable, but as the total number of observed lines is about 1600 it may be understood that a considerable time is required for the completion, arrangement, and discussion of the various physical effects in different groups of lines. The preliminary work of forming the linkage maps is practically completed. The results so clearly suggested that Curtis's helium spectrum was built in the same way that I was on the point of writing to him to suggest his testing them, and now Dr. Silberstein's very interesting letter comes to show independently that this is the case.
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Hicks, W. Spectrum Lines of Neutral Helium. Nature 110, 309 (1922). https://doi.org/10.1038/110309a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/110309a0
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