Synopsis.—The object of these investigations was fourfold:

1. To study the photo-electric effect of tungsten at the lowest possible pressures, especially after the illuminated plate had been denuded of occluded gases by continued electronic bombardment of such energy as to maintain it at a white hot temperature.

The pressures attained were as low as 3.5 × ${10}^{-7\mathrm{}}$ mm. of mercury. Upon denuding a tungsten plate of its occluded gases by raising it to a bright yellow heat by electronic bombardment, the photo-current rose to many times the value obtained before such denuding and further heating produced no further change.

2. To find, by direct observation, the short wave-length limit for tungsten and to observe how this changes, if at all, with the removal of occluded gases.

The upper wave-length limit of tungsten was located in the region between 2100 and 2300 Å. According to Einstein's equation, the corresponding values of the work necessary to free an electron from the metal would then be between 5·7 and 6·3 volts. These are larger than the corresponding values in the case of thermionic emission.

3. To observe, with the aid of the electric vacuum gauge, recently devised by O. E. Buckley, the progress of the clean-up effect, particularly at extremely low pressures.

Under the conditions employed it was not found possible to reduce the pressure by means of the clean-up alone lower than ${10}^{-5\mathrm{}}$ mm., which was not as low as could be attained with the pump itself.

4. To study pressure and other changes accompanying the appearance of the "blue haze."

A gradually increasing potential difference was applied between the tungsten plate and a glowing filament until the blue haze appeared. No pressure change whatever was observable at the moment of its appearance. Certain current and voltage discontinuities, which occur under the experimental condition just described, were found to have characteristics similar to those observed by O. W. Richardson and Charles B. Bazzoni in the case of mercury vapor. The clean-up of the blue haze is very rapid and shows a striking increase in its rate of absorption as the pressure approaches the final minimum. This behavior is in marked contrast to the clean-up with a lighted filament, but without a field, and is quite similar to that observed by S. Brodetsky and B. Hodgson in their experiments with a vacuum tube discharge under the condition of abnormal cathode fall. At the pressures employed in these trials, about.01 mm. of mercury, this final pressure remained unchanged in the presence of the field, and did not change further even in those cases in which a trace of the blue glow remained in the tube.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.13.415