Science in Short ChaptersWilliams, W. Mattieu (William Mattieu)
Science
Science in Short Chapters
Williams, W. Mattieu (William Mattieu)
Science
It must be remembered that, according to the preceding, the inner or
lower strata of the solar atmosphere should consist of our ordinary
atmospheric mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, and the dissociated
elements of water and carbonic acid, besides some of the more volatile
elements of the solar nucleus. Outside of this there should be a
boundary limit where the dissociated gases are combining as rapidly
as their latent heat can be evolved by radiation; this will form a
shell or sphere of flame,—the photosphere,—and above or beyond this
will be the sphere of vapors resulting from this combustion, which, by
their resistance to radiation, will limit the evolution of heat and
consequent combustion.
Now the vortices above referred to will break through the shell of
combustion, and drag down more or less of the outer vapor into the
lower and hotter regions of dissociated gases.
As there can be no action without equal and contrary reaction, there
can be no vortices, either in the solar atmosphere or a terrestrial
stream, without corresponding upheavals. These upheavals will eject the
lower dissociated gases more or less completely through the vaporous
jacket which restrains their normal radiations, and, thus liberated,
they will rush into combination with an explosive energy comparable
to that which they display in our laboratories; not, however, with an
instantaneous flash, but with a continuous rocket-like combustion, the
rapidity of which will be determined by the possibility of radiation.
The heat evolved by this combustion, acting simultaneously with the
diminution of pressure, will effect a continually augmenting expansion
of these upheaved gases, and as the rapidity of combustion will be
accelerated in proportion to elevation above the restraining vapors, an
outspreading far in excess of that which would be due to the original
upheaving force, is to be expected.
The reader who is acquainted with the phenomena of the solar
prominences will at once perceive how all these expectations are
fulfilled by actual observations, especially by the more recent
observations of Zöllner, Secchi, etc., which exhibit the typical solar
prominence as a stem or jet rushing upwards through some restraining
medium, and then expanding into a cloud-like or palm-tree form after
escaping from this restraint. I need scarcely add that the clashing
tide waves are the _faculæ_, and the vortices the sun-spots.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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