Aether and Gravitation Part 26

If it were possible to conceive of a stationary solar system, then, by the conjoint working of the two forces, it would be equally possible to conceive of perfect stability and harmony existing between the respective planets and satellites of that system while stationary.

Such a conception is altogether impossible in the present state of Philosophy, as the stability of the system, with the old view of the Centrifugal Force, is entirely dependent upon the motions of the respective bodies in that system; and if such orbital motions could be stayed, then the only physical conception possible would be, that every planet and satellite, planetoid and meteor within the attractive force of the central body, the sun, would be slowly but surely drawn to a fiery death, as they would all ultimately be attracted and swallowed up by the sun.

Thus we learn, that while the sun is the centre of a centripetal force, which ever operates far and wide throughout s.p.a.ce, it is equally the centre of a repulsive or centrifugal force or motion which also operates co-extensively and co-equally with the former.

Not only so, but every planet and satellite, nay every particle and every atom, while it is the centre of a centripetal force, is also the centre of a repulsive force, as pointed out by Professor Tyndall, which force is due in each and every case to the pressure of the aetherial atmosphere which surrounds the atom or molecule, satellite or planet.

Thus the physical conception of heat in its effect on molecules having a repulsive force (Art. 63) is confirmed, and that that force is due to the pressure of the Aether is also confirmed by subsequent investigations into the phenomena of light and electricity, by which we have arrived at our physical conception of the Universal Centrifugal Force.

So that we have now a physical conception of the experiment performed by Nichols and Hull of America, and by Professor Lebedew of Russia, in which they conclusively demonstrated the existence of the pressure of aetherial light waves, which proves beyond the possibility of doubt the existence of this physical centrifugal force. Every atom and molecule, therefore, is the centre of two forces, which co-exist together, and every meteor and satellite and every planet is also the centre of the same two forces, and this we shall find in its application to planetary phenomena will have a most important bearing on the physical conception of those phenomena. Thus it is the Aether medium, by its energy of motions, that const.i.tutes the companion and complementary force to Gravitation Attraction, and which, as we shall see later, is the medium which forms the physical basis of that attraction also. It is, then, by the combined and harmonious working of these two co-equal, co-existent, and co-extensive forces that worlds roll and rush, sweep and swing, move and rotate about their respective centres; and, by these two forces working in perfect harmony, that that order and stability are produced, which everywhere pervade the universe of worlds, and form them in their entirety into one grand, ultimate, and harmonious system.

To develop and prove this fact, by explaining their manner and mode of working, we shall now proceed to consider Newton's Laws of Motion, and their relation to the aetherial medium, and by so doing shall be able to show the unmistakable reality and complete efficiency of this physical conception of the Aether medium, which forms the physical basis of all universal motion and phenomena.

ART. 98. _Newton's First Law of Motion._--We will now apply the centrifugal and centripetal forces to Newton's Laws of Motion, and endeavour to form a physical conception of the same from the aetherial standpoint. Before doing so, we must recall some of the statements made in Art. 14 with reference to the First Law of Motion.

It will be remembered that we divided the First Law of Motion into two parts: 1st, "Every body continues in a state of rest except in so far as it is compelled by impressed forces, _i. e._ impulses or motions, to change that state." This we saw agreed with our experience, and therefore was philosophically correct, and must hold good in its application to the centrifugal and centripetal forces of the Aether in their effect upon any body in s.p.a.ce.

Let us proceed to apply the First Law of Motion to the planetary world.

We have seen in the previous Art. so far as the distances of the planets are concerned in their relation to the sun, that the Law of Gravity is violated, and that planetary distance is not regulated by the law governing the centripetal force of Gravitation, otherwise the planets possessing the largest ma.s.ses would be nearer to the sun than those possessing smaller ma.s.ses.

The question arises, as to whether there is any law which governs planetary distance, by which the distance of any planet was regulated at the birth or creation of the solar system. It has been a.s.sumed by some scientists that planetary density is the regulating factor which determines the relative distance of the respective planets from their central body, the sun, but such an a.s.sumption is not consistent with scientific data. For we find that Venus, with a density of 4.81 compared with water, occupies a nearer position than the Earth with a density of 5.66, whereas the reverse should be the case if the density of a planet were the deciding factor in regulating a planet's distance.

Again, we find Saturn, which possesses a density of .75, occupying a nearer position to the sun than Ura.n.u.s, which possesses a density of 1.28; so that here again, if density were the regulating factor which decided planetary distance, such a law is violated. According to the various densities of the planets, the respective positions of the planets in relation to the sun would be as follows: The nearest planet would be Mercury, which possesses a density of 6.85. This would be followed by the Earth, with a density of 5.66. Then Venus would come next, with a density of 4.81, followed by Mars, with a density of 4.01.

After these we should have Jupiter, whose density is 1.38, with Ura.n.u.s, whose density is 1.28, followed by Neptune possessing a density of 1.15, and Saturn would take Neptune's place, as it possesses the least density of all, its density being only .75. So that it is manifest, that density cannot be the governing condition, as has been proved in the previous article.

Now, if all the planets ever formed part of the sun, and they were hurled off into s.p.a.ce by the centrifugal motion of the Aether, then there certainly would be some law which governs the relative distance of the various planets; but as far as we can see, there is no such law, as a law which is violated ceases to be a law, so that the law of ma.s.ses or densities of a planet, governing their distances, has no place in the solar system.

This leads up to the question as to whether the planets ever did form part of the sun, as is generally supposed; and, in view of the fact that there is no law by which planetary distances are regulated, we are compelled to come to the conclusion that each planet and satellite once existed in an aetherial condition in s.p.a.ce, and that it was by the condensation of that Aether, that each planet was formed; and that, at its birth, each planet occupied the relative distance from the sun which it occupies to-day.

At first sight this may appear startling, but I would ask the reader how he can account otherwise for the great irregularity which exists in the distances of the planets in their relation to the sun, as every known law which governs ma.s.ses and density seems to be altogether set at defiance.

I hope to prove later on, that all matter has an aetherial origin, and if that be correct, then the origin of a planet briefly outlined can be accepted without violating the results of experience or experiment, and to that extent will be philosophically correct.

Dr. Larmor speaks of the aetherial const.i.tution of matter, and refers to the views of Faraday and Davy in support of such a theory, while Lord Kelvin has referred to the same principle in an article on the "Condensation of Gravitational Matter in any part of the Universe"

(_Phil. Mag._, July 1902). So that if it be possible for Aether to be condensed, and so form the nucleus of a planet or satellite, then, seeing that the Aether is universal, any planet or satellite or meteor may be formed in any part of the solar system; and the process has only to be continued, until we have planets of various sizes at various distances from the central body, the sun.

Here, therefore, at any rate, is a physical hypothesis which will satisfactorily account for all the different distances of the various planets. Apart from some such hypothesis, I fail to see how we can account for the irregularity that exists between planetary distances, when viewed from the standpoint of their ma.s.ses and their densities.

Further, such a conception is entirely in harmony with the view of the dual character of the motions or powers of the aetherial medium, that would co-exist with the evolution and development of the planet. For, as the planet was evolved and developed from the aetherial medium which surrounded it on every side, two motions would be developed and grow with it--the centrifugal force or motion, and the centripetal motion of the Aether, or the attractive force known as Gravity. Thus, through all the growth and development of a planet, these two powers, the centripetal force and the centrifugal force, would be co-equal and co-existent.

The same truth applies to the sun or any other body in the universe; so that, if a planet, as the Earth, was formed in the beginning at its mean distance of 92,700,000 miles, then the joint centripetal motions produced by the Earth and sun in the Aether, would always equal the joint centrifugal motions produced by the same two bodies, simply because the two laws are the exact opposite of each other both in regard to intensity, distance, and magnitude.

Thus the Earth would always occupy its relative position in relation to the sun that it occupies to-day, as long as the two aetherial forces or motions, the centripetal and the centrifugal, exist. With this brief outline of a planet's history, we are now in a position to form a physical picture of the solar system when it first existed in the beginning.

We find the sun then occupying its centre. At various distances, we find the various planets situated without any regard to their relative ma.s.ses or densities, as the following table shows. (The ma.s.s of sun is taken as unity.)

MEAN DISTANCE. Ma.s.s. DENSITY.

Mercury 35,900,000 1/7,636,440 6.85

Venus 67,000,000 1/397,000 4.81

Earth 92,700,000 1/324,439 5.66

Mars 141,000,000 1/2,994,790 4.01

Jupiter 482,000,000 1/1,048 1.38

Saturn 884,000,000 1/3,529 .75

Ura.n.u.s 1,780,000,000 1/22,020 1.28

Neptune 2,780,000,000 1/18,520 1.15

Now, in order for any of these planets to fulfil Newton's First Law of Motion, the sun, which occupies the centre of the solar system, must be a.s.sumed to have no rotatory or orbital motion of its own; because, so long as it has a rotatory motion on its axis, or an orbital motion of its own through s.p.a.ce, so long will even the first part of Newton's First Law of Motion be inapplicable to the solar system.

But if the sun can be a.s.sumed to possess at some point in its history no orbital motion, or rotatory motion on its axis, then the physical interpretation of the first law of motion can be physically conceived, and a planet at rest will remain at rest relatively to its central body, the sun, for ever.

Let us take the sun and Mercury as an example of the effect of the two motions operating in the aetherial medium. We will consider first the effect of the centrifugal motion. The sun, with its huge form, occupies the centre of the solar system, while Mercury has its mean distance about 36,000,000 miles away.

The solar fires are intensely burning, and every atom and every particle composing them are excited thereby into the most intense activity, and by their energy of motion create myriads upon myriads of waves in the surrounding Aether, which flow away on every side with the velocity of light.

With such velocity are they generated, that they speed across the distance of 36,000,000 miles which exist between Mercury and the sun in the short time of about three minutes, and if it were not for the aetherial and aerial atmosphere of the planet, would fall upon the surface of Mercury with an intensity of heat that would scorch up all vegetable life, if any existed thereon.

Now let us for a moment ignore the existence of the centripetal force, and then in that light view the influence of the electro-magnetic Aether waves upon Mercury. We have seen that when aetherial light waves come into contact with any body, they exert a pressure upon that body (Art.

77), so that under the influence of the centrifugal force only, Mercury would be borne away from its central body, the sun, with a power and energy of motion entirely dependent upon the intensity of the electro-magnetic Aether waves which give rise to the centrifugal force.

Thus Mercury would be carried away from the sun, far far away into the depths of s.p.a.ce, with ever-decreasing rapidity, the rapidity of its motion through s.p.a.ce being entirely dependent upon the intensity and energy of the Aether waves; and, as that intensity varies inversely as the square of the distance from the central body, the sun, so the impelling and repelling energy of the Aetherial waves would vary inversely as the square of the distance from the central body.

Thus the motion of Mercury or any other planet through s.p.a.ce would not be uniform, but would gradually decrease, and such a result is perfectly in harmony with all experience and experiment in relation to moving bodies on this earth.

This effect of the Aetherial electro-magnetic light waves upon a planet is in harmony with Newton's nineteenth query in _Optics_, and is indeed the physical ill.u.s.tration of that query in its corrected form which we have already referred to in Art. 46, where Newton says: "Doth it (Aether) not grow denser and denser, etc.; every body endeavouring to go from the denser parts of the medium towards the rarer?"

That the Aether does grow denser and denser nearer to a body we have already seen in Art. 46, and now we learn that a body, when under the influence of the centrifugal force only, would pa.s.s from the denser parts of a medium to the rarer parts, as suggested by Newton. We will now suppose that Mercury has been repelled, by the pressure due to the aetherial waves generated by the sun, to the distance of Neptune, a distance of 2,780,000,000 miles; and that at this point the centrifugal force is cancelled, and in its place is put the centripetal force of Gravitation. What will be the effect upon Mercury then? At first sight the effect will be exceedingly slight, but slowly, yet surely, the attractive power of the sun would begin to make itself manifest, and we should find Mercury retracing its path along exactly the same straight line that it had taken in its outward journey.

Not only so, but its motion would be accelerated just in the same proportion that it had decreased on its outward journey. On and on through the intervening s.p.a.ce the planet would rush, and if there were no centrifugal force in existence, the planet would ultimately rush into the central body, the sun, and being swallowed up by it, would maintain for a time the heat thereof.

Let us now view the case from the conjoint working of these forces, or motions, the centripetal and centrifugal, and we shall see, that under certain conditions it is possible to conceive physically of a planet being in a state of rest as stated in Newton's First Law of Motion, and also remaining in that state of rest, until it is compelled by other forces or motions to change that state. Mercury is now situated at its mean distance of about 36,000,000 miles. At the same instant let both the centrifugal and the centripetal forces or motions be applied to it, and to the sun. What is the result of such application? Will the planet move nearer the sun, which we are supposing to be perfectly at rest, or will it be urged further away? The effect is nil! for the simple reason, that when we set in motion the centripetal force of Gravitation, at exactly the same time we set in motion an exactly opposite force which is the exact complement and counterpart of the other, so that they exactly counterbalance each other, and Mercury under the influence of both forces still retains its mean position of 36,000,000 miles; and, until we either set the sun rotating, or give it a motion of its own through s.p.a.ce, Mercury would remain at its distance of 36,000,000 miles comparatively at rest. The same reasoning may be applied to all the other planets, in relation to their mean distances, with the result that they too would remain in a comparative state of rest, so long as they were only under the influence of the two forces or motions, viz. the centrifugal and centripetal.

Each of these, being the exact complement and counterpart of the other, when applied together to any planet of any size or ma.s.s or density, at any distance, fails to affect the distance of that planet in its relation to the sun, but simply establishes it in that distance, subject to certain regulations dependent upon other motions of the sun, and the aetherial medium in which they exist. Thus we learn, that if, in the beginning, Mercury were formed at a distance of 36,000,000 miles, it would for ever remain at that distance; and the same is true of the other planets at their mean distances, no matter what their ma.s.s or density may be; and that, according to the first law of motion, the planet would remain in a state of rest until compelled by other forces or motions to change that state, when it would continue moving with uniform motion so long as the motive power applied was uniform.

If, however, the motive power applied was not uniform, then the result would be an increase or decrease of the planet's motion, just in proportion to the increase or decrease of the motive power. This result is in perfect harmony with our statement in Art. 15, and is in accordance with observation and experience.

ART. 99. _Second Law of Motion._--According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, "Change of motion is proportional to the impressed force, and takes place in the direction in which the force is impressed."

From a consideration of this Law (Art. 15) we saw that the impressed force was a compound quant.i.ty, being regulated by the ma.s.s of the moving body which exerted the impressed force, and that it was also proportionate to the velocity of the moving body; so that if either of these quant.i.ties are changed, the total impressed force would be changed also.