If the heat produced in both of the cases we have been examining
caused differences of rotation in the nebula--as we have said on a
former occasion--increasing in velocity as the region was approached
where the stopping process came into action, it is clear that these
differences would be greater near that region in a hollow-sphere
nebula than near the centre of a solid sphere; for the reason that
the particles of matter would there have more freedom, that is, more
room to act in. We have shown that in the solid sphere the particles
would come to be more or less inert, in proportion as they approached
the centre; and also that in a hollow-sphere nebula no particle could
ever come to be near to a state of rest, but that each could be freely
driven by the collisions produced by lateral, angular, universal
attraction over every part of the hollow shell--an effect that could by
no means be produced in a nebula solid to the centre. We, therefore,
think that there would be more life-power in a hollow-sphere sun than
in the kind of sun from which all calculations of length of life have
hitherto been made--at least, as far as we know.
It will be understood that we have spoken of particles of matter being
stopped, or stopping each other, before they could give out their heat,
only for facility of explanation; for no particle of matter can ever
be brought to absolute rest, until all its heat and heat-producing
power, _i.e._ motion, could be taken out of it, and that can only be
when it is reduced to absolute zero of temperature. Cosmic matter could
be reduced to the state of rock or steel, but its particles would not
be at rest then, or else our ideas of the nature and construction of
rock and steel are very erroneous; but it must be acknowledged that
it would be much more easily reduced to the state of rock in a body
solid to the centre than in the shell of a hollow sphere. In fact it
is difficult to conceive how matter could exist at the centre of the
sun at the present day without being as solid as rock, considering
the enormous pressure it must be subjected to there, if its whole
mass is condensing to the centre. But although the particles of the
nebula could not be absolutely stopped, they might be so far retarded
in their velocities derived from attraction that they would give out
heat to each other, and wherever a collision took place there heat
would be made evident, and condensation might take place. Particles
of matter would not have to fall to a centre, but only to a a meeting
place, in order to condense and create heat, and might form layers of
condensation anywhere between the centre and the surface, either in
a solid or hollow sphere, which would ultimately, even in the former
case, form a hollow shell, as we have supposed, at page 274, might be
the case. For even a small sphere formed around the centre in that way
would be hollow, and would be undone when the different concentric
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account