The author describes a new method of measurement of the spark lag in this paper. He measured the spark lag by means of a Braun tube.
The principle of his method is shown in Fig. 2. As we see in the figure, he connected the deflecting plates of the Braun tube to a spark gap to be measured in series, and applied a impulse voltage to the gap and the cathode of the Braun tube at the same time. If there is no time lag in the gap, the impulse voltage is applied to the cathode and the deflecting plates of the Braun tube at the same time. In this case, as the electrons thrown out from the cathode are deflected by the electro-static field of the deflecting plates, so we can not see any spot on the fluorescent plate. In other words, if there is no spot there is no time lag in the gap.
When spark lag exists in the gap, the Cathode is excited at first and after a certain time corresponding to the time lag the deflecting plates are charged, so that we can see a spot on the fluorescent plate of the Braun tube.
By using aerial line whose length is adjustable, we can measure the duration of the time lag.
The author measured the time lag of a needle gap and sphere gaps of 1.8 cm diameter and 5cm diameter, and found that the needle gap gives the larger time lag and the sphere gap of 5cm diameter gives the smallest.
He found also that the ultraviolet ray from a quartz lamp minimises the time lag very remarkably.
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