cuthbertson_1910b#
C. Cuthbertson and M. Cuthbertson, Proc. R. Soc. London A 83, 149 (1910)
Source record · Catalogue · Review register
Source kind: measurement
Recorded technique: Jamin refractometer with 300 c.c. of neon purified by H. E. Watson; Lowry’s silver-cadmium arc. The refractive index at the green mercury line from 11 experiments; the dispersion at the Cd red (6438), Hg green (5461) and Cd blue (4800) lines as the mean of nine experiments; at most 200 green bands could be counted (pp. 149-150). Received 24 September 1909.
Materials in structured entries: Ar, He, Kr, Ne, Xe
Dataset quantities: refractivity
Contents: 1 dataset; 7 formulas.
Curation notes#
The index at the green line is given ‘at 0 degrees C. and 760 mm’ (p. 149): 1.00006716 ‘or, doubling for comparison with diatomic gases, 1.0001343’. The three-line table and both formulas are for the doubled refractivity 2 (mu - 1). The reduction to 0 degrees C and 760 mm is not described (density convention unknown). Wavelengths are air values rounded to four figures.
Accuracy (pp. 149-150): the 11 absolute experiments ‘hardly varied by 1 part in 500’; ‘the dispersive powers are so small that the figures cannot be trusted to less than 5 per cent. for neon’. The authors remeasured the dispersion with 440 bands (cuthbertson_1910, Table II) ‘assuming the previous value of the refraction’ (cuthbertson_1932, p. 40); this dataset is therefore superseded and excluded, and its absolute value lives on as the 5460.7 A row of cuthbertson_1910’s neon data.
Not extracted: the Cauchy b values of the three spectral sections (b x 10^11 = 2.30, 2.46, 2.38; tbl_c8b682a28331), which are differences of the three values. The ‘revised’ table of Sellmeier formulas (tbl_b72bd245eec4, headed ‘mu - 1’ but, like the rest, for 2 (mu - 1)) is recorded as formulas: the Cuthbertsons’ neon, krypton and xenon, Burton’s helium and argon, and Cuthbertson and Metcalfe’s helium, the Kr and Xe ones revised for the authors’ own air dispersion (b = 5.8e-11 instead of Scheel’s 5.67e-11). All formulas here reproduce with n = V/lambda, V = 3e10 cm/s. The library record also holds the first page of the next paper in the volume (air, O2, N2, H2) as footnotes; it has no values.
Recorded bibliographic identity status: VALIDATED_WITH_WARNINGS. This concerns identification of the source; it does not establish the scientific correctness of its contents.
Datasets#
cuthbertson_1910b/experiment_Ne#
{
"id": "experiment_Ne",
"material": "Ne",
"file": "Ne/cuthbertson_1910b__experiment_Ne.csv",
"table": "tbl_9757a187853d",
"quantity": "refractivity",
"scale": 5e-07,
"abscissa_unit": "angstrom",
"wavelength_medium": "standard_air",
"state": "1atm_0C",
"density": "unknown",
"use": "excluded",
"uncertainty": {
"systematic_relative": 0.002,
"level": "not stated"
}
}
Doubled (mu - 1) x 10^6 at 6438, 5461, 4800 A (rows collapsed in the library, split by the script). Superseded by the authors’ remeasurement of the dispersion (cuthbertson_1910); the dispersion is uncertain to 5 %.
Formulas#
cuthbertson_1910b/ne_cauchy#
{
"id": "ne_cauchy",
"material": "Ne",
"equation": "unnumbered, p. 150",
"printed": "mu - 1 = 0.0001332 (1 + 2.38/lambda^2)",
"variable": "lambda: air wavelength; b = 2.38 x 10^-11 with lambda in cm (the preceding table gives b x 10^11)",
"state": "1atm_0C",
"density": "unknown",
"range": "480-644 nm",
"coefficients": {
"a": "0.0001332",
"b": "2.38e-11"
},
"check": "Gives 133.96, 134.26, 134.58 (x 1e-6, doubled) at the three lines against the printed 134.02, 134.30, 134.63: 0.05 low throughout, the rounding of a. Checked 2026-09-24."
}
For 2 (mu - 1). The power of ten of b is not printed in the formula.
cuthbertson_1910b/ne_sellmeier#
{
"id": "ne_sellmeier",
"material": "Ne",
"equation": "unnumbered, p. 150; table p. 151",
"printed": "mu - 1 = 5.133 x 10^27 / (38517 x 10^27 - n^2)",
"variable": "n = V/lambda, frequency in s^-1, lambda the air wavelength in cm, V = 3e10 cm/s",
"state": "1atm_0C",
"density": "unknown",
"range": "480-644 nm",
"coefficients": {
"C": "5.133e27",
"n0_squared": "38517e27"
},
"check": "For 2 (mu - 1): 134.02, 134.32, 134.63 (x 1e-6) at the three lines against the printed 134.02, 134.30, 134.63. Checked 2026-09-24."
}
Quoted halved (2.5665e27) in cuthbertson_1932, p. 40.
cuthbertson_1910b/kr_revised#
{
"id": "kr_revised",
"material": "Kr",
"equation": "table p. 151",
"printed": "mu - 1 = 10.945 x 10^27 / (13039 x 10^27 - n^2)",
"variable": "n = V/lambda, V = 3e10 cm/s, lambda in cm (air)",
"state": "1atm_0C",
"density": "unknown",
"range": "visible (the authors' earlier krypton measurements)",
"coefficients": {
"C": "10.945e27",
"n0_squared": "13039e27"
},
"check": "For 2 (mu - 1): 8.593e-4 at 5461 A (mu - 1 = 4.296e-4). Not checkable further here."
}
The authors’ earlier krypton dispersion (measured against air) revised for their own air dispersion; superseded by cuthbertson_1910 (kr_1910).
cuthbertson_1910b/xe_revised#
{
"id": "xe_revised",
"material": "Xe",
"equation": "table p. 151",
"printed": "mu - 1 = 12.47 x 10^27 / (9140 x 10^27 - n^2)",
"variable": "n = V/lambda, V = 3e10 cm/s, lambda in cm (air)",
"state": "1atm_0C",
"density": "unknown",
"range": "visible",
"coefficients": {
"C": "12.47e27",
"n0_squared": "9140e27"
},
"check": "For 2 (mu - 1): 1.4109e-3 at 5461 A (mu - 1 = 7.055e-4), the absolute value of cuthbertson_1910 Table II (14109.8e-7). Checked 2026-09-24."
}
Revised as for krypton; superseded by cuthbertson_1910 (xe_1910).
cuthbertson_1910b/he_cuthbertson_metcalfe#
{
"id": "he_cuthbertson_metcalfe",
"material": "He",
"equation": "table p. 151",
"printed": "mu - 1 = 2.46 x 10^27 / (35500 x 10^27 - n^2)",
"variable": "n = V/lambda, V = 3e10 cm/s, lambda in cm (air)",
"state": "1atm_0C",
"density": "unknown",
"range": "visible",
"coefficients": {
"C": "2.46e27",
"n0_squared": "35500e27"
},
"check": "For 2 (mu - 1): 6.989e-5 at 5461 A (mu - 1 = 3.494e-5)."
}
C. Cuthbertson and E. P. Metcalfe’s helium (Proc. Roy. Soc. A 80, 411 (1908)), revised; superseded by cuthbertson_1910 and cuthbertson_1932.
cuthbertson_1910b/he_burton#
{
"id": "he_burton",
"material": "He",
"equation": "table p. 151",
"printed": "mu - 1 = 2.84 x 10^27 / (40900 x 10^27 - n^2)",
"variable": "n = V/lambda, V = 3e10 cm/s, lambda in cm (air)",
"state": "1atm_0C",
"density": "unknown",
"range": "Burton's lines",
"coefficients": {
"C": "2.84e27",
"n0_squared": "40900e27"
},
"check": "For 2 (mu - 1): 6.995e-5 at 5461 A (mu - 1 = 3.498e-5)."
}
Burton’s helium (Proc. Roy. Soc. A 80, 390 (1908)) put in this form by the authors; reproduced.
cuthbertson_1910b/ar_burton#
{
"id": "ar_burton",
"material": "Ar",
"equation": "table p. 151",
"printed": "mu - 1 = 9.124 x 10^27 / (16335 x 10^27 - n^2)",
"variable": "n = V/lambda, V = 3e10 cm/s, lambda in cm (air)",
"state": "1atm_0C",
"density": "unknown",
"range": "Burton's lines",
"coefficients": {
"C": "9.124e27",
"n0_squared": "16335e27"
},
"check": "Same constants as cuthbertson_1910's refit of Burton (burton_refit_ar)."
}
Burton’s argon in this form; reproduced.
Corrections#
No dataset errata are recorded in this source record.
Formula corrections, where recorded, appear with their formulas above. Curation notes may also discuss corrections or unresolved interpretation. Consult the review register for the checks and decisions.