The Magnetic Susceptibility of Helium, Neon, Argon, and Nitrogen

Abstract

The apparatus described in a recent paper by Wills and Hector for the measurement of the magnetic susceptibilities of gases, has been rebuilt so as to enable the temperature to be controlled to.02° and the sensitivity of the method increased. The gases used were all carefully purified, and spectroscopic examination showed no oxygen lines. The results obtained for the volume susceptibilities at 20°C and 760 mm pressure for helium, neon, argon and nitrogen are -0.780, -2.77, -7.52, and -4.91, respectively, all times ${10}^{-10\mathrm{}}$. They are probably accurate to within 2 per cent. These results are of the order of magnitude required by Pauli's modification of the Langevin theory of diamagnetism and also agree with values predicted by Joos from the electron arrangements.