Abstract
IT is known that most of the rare gases emit spectral continua under certain conditions of excitation. The most favourable conditions for excitation are obtained in the uniform positive column of an electric discharge using wide tubes, high pressures and low density currents. In the range of pressures, p, over which the continua predominate, the ratio of the axial force Z to the pressure p is small and decreases slowly with increase of pressure. As the pressure increases, the intensity of the continua emitted increases with respect to the intensity of the line spectra, and the intensity of the lines requiring the higher energies to excite them decreases rapidly with increase of pressure compared with that of the lines requiring the lower energies. For example, in argon and krypton at 40 mm. pressure, the only lines with intensities comparable with that of the continuum are those which emanate from the 2p levels requiring about 13 electron volts to excite them.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
MCCALLUM, S. Spectral Continua of the Rare Gases. Nature 142, 614 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/142614a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/142614a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.