The transformations of the active deposit of thorium

Abstract

The present paper is concerned with a series of experiments undertaken with a view to discovering the genetic arrangement of the various products of the active deposit of thorium. The main part of the paper deals with the nature of the transformations which take place in the product or products generally included under the name thorium C. These transformations are of unusual interest and importance, for it will be seen that there is undoubted evidence in this case that the atoms of a single kind of matter have two distinct modes of disintegration. The nomenclature adopted will be based on that given by Rutherford and Geiger,* which is as follows:— C 1 +C 2 /II Product........... Th Em. →Th A. → Th B. → Th C → Th D Radiation... α α β α (4·8 and 8·6) β + γ