On the conduction of electricity through an ionized gas, more particularly in its relation to Bronson resistances

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Abstract
In many radioactive investigations in which the measurement of small currents is involved, the principle of allowing the current to enter an electrometer and escape through a standard high‐resistance has been adopted, the deflection attained by the electrometer in the equilibrium state being the quantity which is directly measured, and which is proportional to the current sought, when the standard resistance obeys ohm's law. Bronson2 has developed a convenient type of resistance in which the air between two parallel plates is rendered conducting by covering one of the plates with a layer of polonium. These resistances obey ohm's law over a considerable range, but their magnitude is such that for plates of 5 or 6 sq. cm. cross‐sectional area they give currents of the order of magnitude of 10‐2 E. S. U. for potential‐differences of 3 volts. For some purposes very much higher resistances are required, as for example when the current to be measured is very small and the conditions are nevertheless such that it is undesirable to make the electrometer very sensitive.

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