The capillary spectrum was mainly distinguished by four bright sharp lines—one in the red, between the red Aurora-line and D, two in the green, but considerably more refrangible than the yellow-green Aurora-line, while the fourth was found to be hydrogen F. The other lines in the spectrum were considerably fainter, and misty and band-like. The red line, though not brilliant, was fairly bright and sharp.
The place of the less refrangible of the two bright bands in the violet-pole spectrum was occupied in the capillary spectrum by a faint glow only.
Violet-pole.
The violet-pole spectrum was recognized by two very bright broad bands of light in the green, each including within its limits one of the Aurora-lines. The bright red line in the capillary had a faint representative in the violet-pole spectrum, as also had the two bright lines in the green. Other fainter lines appeared in the blue, and three fairly bright ones towards the violet.
Dr. Schuster’s remarks on the spectra.
Dr. Schuster remarks that one of these O bright bands is closely coincident with a band in the CO spectrum, but that the CO band is bright towards one edge and fades off gradually thence, while the O band is of pretty uniform strength throughout. Dr. Schuster finds the wave-lengths of the violet-pole O bands to be as follows:—
| 5205·0 | } Brightest part 5255. |
| 5292·5 | |
| 5552·8 | } Brightest part 5586. |
| 5629·6 |
His tubes free from impurity.
He also gives as weak bands 5840-5900 and 5969-6010. Dr. Schuster comes to the conclusion that the green line of the Aurora is not due to oxygen, as, under considerable dispersion and with good definition, the oxygen-bands can be broken up into a series of lines, when the brightest part is found to lie at 5586, which is too much towards the red to compare with the Aurora-line. He notices that the more refrangible of the O bands corresponds with a line sometimes seen in the Aurora (Vogel’s 5233). The same remark will, however, apply to this last as to the other coincidence, viz., that a broad band can hardly represent a line—at least, the line can only be said to coincide in a loose and indefinite way. It is evident that Dr. Schuster’s tubes were free from what must now be considered an impurity in those examined by me and by Dr. Vogel, and that Mr. Procter’s suspicions of carbon impurities in these, and the ordinary oxygen-tubes, are thereby quite confirmed.
Experiments with an open Geissler tube.