Discussion at summer convention: The physical nature of the electric arc

Joseph Slepian: There is hardly a scientist on whose work I lean more than Professor Compton. I remember as one of the best of Professor Compton's papers the one on the theory of the arc which he gave in the Physical Review in 1923, in which he so ably defended the thermionic theory which he has discussed tonight. Today, however, Professor Compton apparently feels that perhaps this theory may not always hold after all.