A Further Study of the -Radiation from Polonium

Absorption experiments using lead, gold and tungsten have shown that, in addition to the known γ-radiation of 0.77 MeV. energy, polonium emits other (soft) radiations of which the most intense has a quantum energy of 84±4 keV. The intensity of this radiation is of the same order of magnitude as that of the hard radiation (roughly one quantum per 10 5 disintegrations). Experiments by the recoil method indicate that the emission of the polonium γ-radiation is not delayed by more than 10 -1 sec. The results of Chang (1946) concerning the fine-structure of the α-particles of polonium remain uncorrelated with all other experimental evidence. Whilst present information regarding γ-ray energies and intensities may be reasonably explained, satisfactory explanation of the α-particle fine structure "data" appears as remote as ever.