| Abstract: | It has been shown that electrons with 11.5 volts energy can dissociate a hydrogen molecule into its two constituent atoms, but up until recently no experiments have been performed to see whether fast positive ions are able to dissociate hydrogen.In the present experiments Li or Cs positive ions of various velocities are produced in a tube containing hydrogen molecules. The tube is immersed in liquid air, and the rate of decrease of pressure of hydrogen is measured as a function of the velocity of the positive ions. It is found that with no positive ions entering the tube there is a certain decrease in the pressure of the hydrogen due to its thermal dissociation on the hot filament and its subsequent condensation on the cold walls of the tube. With ions of energies from 15 to 320 volts flowing in the tube the rate of decrease of pressure is greater, showing a formation of some condensible product due to the action of the ions.The rate of pressure decrease with the voltage applied has been found to be proportional to the ion current flowing. The rate per unit current is proportional to the pressure; and the rate per unit current per unit pressure is practically independent of the voltage for Li and Cs ions of energies from 15 to 320 volts.The effect has been shown not to be due to secondary electrons.The process may be due to the formation of alkali hydrides in the gas phase. The number of hydrogen molecules disappearing per positive ion entering the tube varies from 0.01 to 0.5. No critical potentials have been found in this experiment, in disagreement with recent experiments of Leipunsky and Schechter. |
