Popping Atoms Open

The atom, tightest bundle of matter which man knows, would be a morning glory pod popping out its electron and proton seeds, if physicists had an electric current of sufficiently high voltage at their hands. General Electric jupiters and Westinghouse thors have produced 5,000,000 volts of static electricity for an instant's duration. Their passing flashes have been useful only to indicate the nature of natural lightning. General Electric's William David Coolidge two years ago succeeded in ramming 350,000 volts through three special vacuum tubes connected in tandem. He got the cumulative, cascading effect of 900,000 volts, which pounded a flood of electrons (particles of negative electricity) through a metal window in the end tube. These free but directed electrons butted the constituents of atoms around to degrees and for effects which physicists are still trying to calculate. Last year Robert Andrews Millikan's California Institute of Technology assistants developed a 1,000,000-volt tube whose rays could be detected 300 ft. away. Last week the Caltech men were experimenting with a new tube which may eventually produce the equivalent of 5,000,000 controlled volts.

This new tube at present uses only 250,000 volts, which flick electrons off the cathode at tremendous speed. The electrons rush through a stream of mercury vapor ions overloaded with four charges of positive electricity. Ions and electrons crash and reinforce their speeds, giving the stupendous effect of 1,000,000 volts. If the 1,000,000 volts available at Caltech were used initially, the effect would be four times as powerful. If, as the physicists hope, they can load the mercury ions five or six times, they expect to get the equivalent of five or six million volts, wherefrom rays could penetrate the thickest man-made utensil, could pop atoms open, perhaps lay bare the essentials of all Matter.

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