A Preliminary Attempt to Transmute Lithium

Abstract

If an electron could be introduced into the nucleus of a lithium atom, a nucleus would be obtained which would possess the same resultant charge as a helium nucleus; if two electrons were introduced the nucleus that resulted would have the same charge as a hydrogen nucleus. Both of these products are gases the spectroscopic tests for which are of exceeding delicacy. It consequently does not appear entirely futile to subject lithium to bombardment by a stream of electrons traveling with a high velocity in the hope of causing some of them to penetrate the lithium nucleus. Experiments to this end were undertaken by the writer three years ago in the laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry of the Department of Chemistry, Cornell University. At that time it was hoped to be able to pursue the subject further with more powerful apparatus; that possibility now seems far distant so that it may not be amiss to record briefly the results of the preliminary experiments then made.