On a New Action produced by "N" rays, and on Several Facts connected with these Radiations (July 20, 1903).
The action of "N" rays on a small flame gave me the idea of trying whether they did not exercise an analogous action on a solid incandescent body. For this purpose a platinum wire, about 0.1 mm. diameter and 15 mms. long, was heated to dull redness by an electric current. A pencil of "N" rays, emitted by an Auer burner, was directed through wood and aluminium screens on this wire, and was concentrated by a quartz lens.
The wire was observed through a plate of ground glass, fixed to the same support as the wire itself, and about 3 cms. in front of it. On displacing the wire, several foci were found, just as with other processes employed to detect "N" rays. The wire being placed at one of these foci, the luminous patch on the ground glass is seen to diminish in brightness when a lead screen, or merely the hand, is interposed; when the obstacle is removed, the light resumes
