Some Properties of Atomic Hydrogen

Abstract

Duration of atomic hydrogen in a bulb 20 cm in diameter.—A large bulb of 3 liters capacity was sealed to the middle of a Wood's hydrogen tube and the atomic hydrogen formed in the discharge tube was allowed to enter the bulb. It was found that atomic hydrogen could be detected, by means of a speck of Welsbach mantle, three seconds after the discharge was shut off. The piece of Welsbach was quite large which indicated that there was still probably considerable atomic hydrogen in the bulb even after three seconds. Certain other effects, such as small white infected spots on the glass, which were due to atomic hydrogen, were observed for as long as six seconds after the discharge was discontinued. There were indications that the atomic hydrogen lasted as long as 10 seconds, but, because of impurities in the tube, these indications may have been due to something else. It has also been shown that in the absence of water, a surface is a much better catalyzer than when water is adsorbed on it. Several curious phenomena are described.