Abstract
LORD RUTHERFORD'S classical experiments showed that the emission of protons from the nuclei of the light elements, when these were bombarded with -particles, was a fairly general phenomenon. No protons, however, were observed from helium, lithium, beryllium, carbon or oxygen. These results are significant, and suggest that 2He4, 6C12 and 8O16 are very stable structures, probably consisting of close combinations of -particles. The great stability of these isotopes is confirmed by Aston's work and by their behaviour under bombardment by high-speed ions. But both lithium and beryllium are disruptible by -particles with the emission of neutrons, and while the structure 2 + n for 4Be9 will explain why no protons are emitted from this isotope under -particle bombardment, it is difficult to see why no proton emission has been observed from lithium when bombarded with -particles.
References
Meitner, Naturwiss., 22, 420; 1934.
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WALKE, H. Induced -Radioactivity by -Particle Bombardment. Nature 135, 905–906 (1935). https://doi.org/10.1038/135905c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/135905c0
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