Ions mine
J. J. E. Durack
(To the tune of "Clementine")
In the dusty lab'ratory,
Mid the coils and wax and twine,
There the atoms in their glory
Ionize and recombine.
Chorus
On my darlings! Oh my darlings!
Oh my darling ions mine!
You are lost and gone forever
When just once you recombine!
In a tube quite electrodeless,
They discharge around a line,
And the glow they leave behind them
Is quite corking for a time.
Chorus
And with quite a small expansion
1 : 8 or 1 : 9,
You can get a cloud delightful,
Which explains both snow and rain.
Chorus
In the weird magnetic circuit
See how lovingly they twine,
As each ion describes a spiral
Round its own magnetic line.
Chorus
Ultraviolet radiation
From the arc or glowing lime,
Soon discharges a conductor
If it's charged with minus sign.
Chorus
Alpha rays from radium bromide
Cause a zinc-blende screen to shine,
Set it glowing, clearly showing
Scintillations all the time.
Chorus
Radium bromide emanation,
Rutherford did first divine,
Turns to helium, then Sir William
Got the spectrum every line.
On my darlings! Oh my darlings!
Oh my darling ions mine!
You are lost and gone forever
When just once you recombine!
You are lost and gone forever
When just once you recombine!