Emanations from Actinium.
146. Debierne[[240]] found that actinium gives out an emanation similar to the emanation of thorium and radium. The loss of activity of the emanation is even more rapid than for the thorium emanation, for its activity falls to half value in 3·9 seconds. In consequence of the rapid decay of activity, the emanation is able to diffuse through the air only a short distance from the active matter before it loses the greater proportion of its activity. Giesel early observed that the radio-active substance separated by him, which we have seen ([section 18]) is identical in radio-active properties with actinium, gave off a large amount of emanation. It was in consequence of this property, that he gave it the name of the “emanating substance” and later “emanium.” The impure preparations of this substance emit the emanation very freely and in this respect differ from most of the thorium compounds. The emanation from actinium like those from thorium and radium possesses the property of exciting activity on inactive bodies, but it has not yet been studied so completely as the better known emanations of thorium and radium.