Nikola Tesla - Free-Energy Devices

HIGH FREQUENCY AND HIGH POTENTIAL CURRENTS. 257the analysis of the light would teach him something definite, stillhe would probably rank it under the phenomena of phosphorescence.It is conceivable that in such a way both conductingand non-conducting bodies may be maintained at a certain luminousintensity, but the energy required would very greatly varywith the nature and properties of the bodies.These and some foregoing remarks of a speculative naturewere made merely to bring out curious features of alternatecurrents or electric impulses. By their help we may cause a bodyto emit more light, while at a certain mean temperature, than itwould emit if brought to that temperature by a steady supply ;and, again, we may bring a body to the point of fusion, and causeitto emit less light than when fused by the application of energyin ordinary ways. It all depends on how we supply the energy,and what kind of vibrations we setup in one case the vibrations;are more, in the other less, adapted to affect our sense of vision.Some effects, which I had not observed before, obtained withcarborundum in the first trials, I attributed to phosphorescence,but in subsequent experiments it appeared that it was devoid ofthat quality. The crystals possess a noteworthy feature. In abulb provided with a single electrode in the shape of a smallcircular metal disc, for instance, at a certain degree of exhaustionthe electrode is covered with a milky, film, which is separated bya dark space from the glow filling the bulb. When the metaldisc is covered with carborundum crystals, the film is far moreintense, and snow-white. This I found later to be merely aneffect of the bright surface of the crystals, for when an aluminumelectrode was highly polished, it exhibited more or less the samephenomenon. I made a number of experiments with the samplesof crystals obtained, principally because it would have been ofspecial interest to find that they are capable of phosphorescence,on account of their being conducting. I could not produce phosphorescencedistinctly, but I must remark that a decisive opinioncannot be formed until other experimenters have gone over thesame ground.The powder behaved in some experiments as itthough containedalumina, but it did not exhibit with sufficient distinctnessthe red of the latter. Its dead color brightens considerably underthe molecular impact, but I am now convinced it does notphosphoresce. Still, the tests with the powder are not conclusive,because powdered carborundum probably does not behave like a