Open AccessOn the enhanced series of lines in spectra of the alkaline earths
Publication year - 1915
Publication title -
proceedings of the royal society of london. series a, containing papers of a mathematical and physical character
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9150
pISSN - 0950-1207
DOI - 10.1098/rspa.1915.0036
Subject(s) - series (stratigraphy) , line (geometry) , spectral line , chemistry , mathematics , constant (computer programming) , physics , quantum mechanics , geometry , computer science , paleontology , biology , programming language
The problem of the limits and numerical relations between the lines of the enhanced series of doublets in the alkaline earths has for long been a difficulty to spectroscopists. Ritz in 1908 gave arrangements for the Sharp series from Mg to Ra inclusive, and proposed series formulæ for Ca, Sr, Ba, in which alone he had three lines from which to calculate the constants. The absence of extra lines rendered it impossible to test his formulæ, but the values of the constants obtained for his formulæ were quite out of line with those of the analogous constants in other series, and produced an instinctive doubt as to whether it gave the correct relation. It is now possible to test Iris limits by considering whether the denominator differences which give the observed separations have any relation to the oun or not. The result of this consideration is definitely adverse. In none of the three is it possible to make the differences multiples of the oun without supposing observation errors in tire doublet separations which are quite inadmissible; and even then in the cases of Ca and Ba by taking odd multiples of δ1 , which is never the case for S doublets in any other known series. There can be little doubt but that Fowler has at last settled this question by taking the Rydberg numerator constant to be 4N in place of N, thus combining in one set lines which on the old supposition would be arranged in two series, depending on Sharp and Principal sequences. The object of the present note is the determination of the connection of these series with certain laws which have been arrived at in previous communications to this Society and more especially their dependence on the quantity in (III) called the “oun.” This is a quantity peculiar to each element, of magnitude δ = 90·472ω2 , where ω is 1/100 of the atomic weight. It is convenient to use δ = 4δ1 in general. Their values as determined by observation are given in (III, pp. 344-346). The most doubtful is correct to at least 1 in 1000.