470 DOC.
461
FEBRUARY
1918
461. From
Emil
Warburg
Charlottenburg,
25b March
Street,
8
February
1918
Highly
esteemed
Colleague,
Many
thanks
for
your
amiable
letter
of
the
5th this
mo.
I
have arrived
at
somewhat different
interpretations,
though.
I.
In
the
+
pile,
just
as
many
anions
(electrons)
wander inside
to
the
cathode
side
as
cations
to
the
anode side. For
some
reason,
about
which
I
could
only
speculate,
these ions do not recombine with
one
another.
In
the
following
I
consider
only
the
case
of
an
entirely
“elastic” collision be-
tween electrons and
gas
molecules.
II. The electric
current of
the
unit
of
volume and
[sc.]
is denoted
as
i
.
A
and
is
expended
in
two
ways:
1)
Also for
an
entirely
elastic
collision,
the
electrons transmit
energy
(as
heat)
to
the
gas
molecules.
2)
By ionizing
a
gas
molecule,
an
electron
loses
its
field
energy,
one
of
the
two
electrons recombines
again
immediately, whereby
the
electron’s
pot.
energy
(field
energy)
is
converted into
radiation
and heat.
Thus
one
can
set
Ai +
A2;
2
for
A1,
I
find Ai
3
RT
•
t4
1
•
-
Q2
m2\2
2,9650
l
\qi
mi)
R
gas const.,
T abs.
temp., l av. length
of path
of
the
electrons,
q, m
velocity
and
mass
1
relating to
the
gas molecule, 2
to
the
electron.[1]
For
nitrogen of
1
cm
pressure,
I
find Ai
0.002
Volt/cm,
whereas
the
obser-
vation A
=
27
Volt/cm resulting
in
A1
is
thus
negligible.
I
am
engaged-as far
as
my
time
permits[2]
[I
have
not been able
to
occupy
myself
much with this matter
up
to now.]-in
calculating
A2
out
of the ionization
gap, pressure,
etc.
The
equation
obtained must contain
the
solution to
the
prob-
lem,
or
resp.,
must show whether
the
assumptions
made
are
admissible. More
specific
justification
of
[this]
I
reserve
for oral discussion.
Unfortunately,
I
am
probably
not
going
to
be able
to
visit
you on Sunday.
With
cordial
regards
and
wishing
a
speedy
recovery,[3]
yours
most
truly,
E.
Warburg.