Open AccessContinuous absorption of light in cæsium vapour
Author(s) -
H. J. J. Braddick,
R. W. Ditchburn
Publication year - 1934
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.1934.0014
Subject(s) - absorption (acoustics) , tube (container) , vapours , ionization , vapor pressure , absorption spectroscopy , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , diffusion , materials science , atomic physics , optics , ion , physics , thermodynamics , chromatography , organic chemistry , composite material , neuroscience , biology
A region of continuous absorption lying on the short wave-length side of the limit of the principal series and corresponding to the photo-ionization of the atom is to be expected in the alkali metal vapours. The currents due to photo-ionization have been measured and several attempts have been made to observe the absorption. The main difficulty is in the action of the vapour on the windows of the absorption cell. This has usually been overcome by keeping the ends of the absorption tube cool and checking the diffusion of the vapour from the centre of the tube by means of a foreign gas. This gas produces a large and complicated effect on the absorption (Harrison). In the present experiments it has been found possible to avoid the use of a foreign gas by employing a long absorption tube and a low vapour pressure. Cæsium was used because it gives a sufficient pressure at a moderate temperature and because its series limit lies in the most convenient region of the spectrum.