The secondary cathode rays expelled from metals by molybdenum K
α
radiations
Kretschmar has recently described a series of accurate measurements of the energies of the electrons expelled by molybdenum K α 1 radiations from targets of gold, platinum, silver and copper. He deduced his electron energies from deflections in an accurately known magnetic field, and it is obviously important to compare his results with those of similar recent work in which other primary radiations (copper and chromium K-rays) were used to excite secondary electrons from the same targets. Kretschmar applies his results to the deduction of a value for the specific charge, e / m 0 , of the electron. In doing this he has to assume a value for e / h , as well as values of X-ray wave-lengths. He eliminates part (not all) of the effect of uncertainty in the absolute values of the wave-lengths by using the X-ray (inverse photoelectric effect) value for e / h . He takes, in fact, e / h = 7·2796 × 10 16 e. s. u. erg -1 sec -1 —the mean of the values given by Duane, Palmer and Yeh and by Feder. He then deduces, as the mean result of his own deflection experiments, 1·757 × 10 7 e. m. u. gm -1 as the most probable value of e / m 0 .