Postive rays in cathode ray tube experiments?

[sol47739]

TL;DR Summary

I have some questions about the cathode ray experiments they did back in history and what the positive rays consist of about which I read in a book.

I read in the following book A history of the sciences by Stephen F. Mason. About the discovery of the electron the write what I attached in the picture.

I wonder what do these positive rays traveling in the opposite direction they talk about consist of? Some ions or what? I understand that the negative rays consist of electrons but positive rays? I can’t understand that it could be positrons since these cathode ray tubes are such simple equipment and at low energies that no positrons can appear. But what do they consist of? And what are they referring to?

 

[DaveE]

They are ions; atoms missing one or more electrons. If it was Hydrogen gas then you could call them protons, otherwise it takes way too much energy to break apart the nucleus of an atom for these guys to have done.

 

[tech99]

The tube would usually contain air, so positive ions of nitrogen and oxygen will be formed. I happened to find a de-mountable tube, vacuum pump and 5 kV power supply at a school where I worked and we did the experiment. A magnet does not deflect the heavy positive rays.