Experiments to test the possibility of transmutation by electronic bombardment

Abstract

In an earlier paper experiments were described which were carried out in order to test the production of gold from mercury, as reported by Miethe and Stammreich, and by Nagaoka. These experiments led to conclusively negative results, but it was considered desirable to repeat also the work of Smits and Karssen upon the conversion of lead into thallium and mercury. To this end it was decided to adapt the quartz tube apparatus with sealed in tungsten leads, already used in the case of mercury, and described and illustrated in the previous paper (interrupted arc method). While waiting for a specially pure preparation of lead, tin suggested itself as a suitable metal for further experimentation. Besides its low melting point, there is the further advantage that indium, the most probable product of any transmutation of tin, can be spectroscopically detected in exceedingly minute traces, whilst its occurrence is so limited that the danger of accidental contamination from the ordinary materials of the laboratory is much smaller than is the case with most elements. In this respect, a positive result with indium would be more convincing than the production of mercury reported by Smits.