Radioactive Changes and Thermionics¹

Abstract

H.J. BRADDICK AND H. M. CAVE.—The rate of emission of alpha particles from radium. A knowledge of the rate of disintegration of radium as measured by the number, z, of a-particle disintegrations taking place in unit mass of radium in unit time is of considerable importance in the interpretation of radioactive changes, and in particular of the energy relations involved. Recently published values for this quantity Z range from 3.40 x 10¹⁰ to 3.72 x 10¹⁰. The heat evolution of radium and its products as determined experimentally is in agreement with that calculated from the number and energy of the a-rays, recoil atoms, β- and γ-rays if a value is assumed for Z of about 3.7 x 10¹⁰.