POETRY OF SCIENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 710, 8 January 1910, Page 7

POETRY OF SCIENCE.

•i ; -i'.'■■'; ■.-:,■. :/:T; ■■■■:.;:,.; ..:; ..":'. :. f'.r:: !;' EVIDENCEi'OF IMPACT.',. i; [ : : (By Wi'.'Bickortbn.), '^ .;■■■;',: o}\?">A : /. ;('■■.iy.'.; ; ': : '(" ; .".'; (■ j : : v - ; : ; i i-Npw; you; will- say, if double stars were w(e'dded )by,. irapjict;; they -'should be ( vari-' able;., and- they /should be .nebulous. Many are both,, butMve.. must,remember..'tho I union of thc..Ei;irs_is'an"inseiiarable one, i, whilst iHq scars ;p'f their, convict Will hSalj arid'the noWoiis matter will settle down to;, cbsmio; and' perchance ' become' iplaiiels.:' ; Sb' , oh^..'' ; the!; i ! yp^e.r\ : 'i)ubli) ; stars;,wijlbb Mriableand'nebulous.' :;;■ ' Variable Double' Stars. J'.--' :';!/■. ■■ './• ; V' ; ' The- older ones' wili--be : coloured; and the ;maturo pairs; will-lie-ordinary- suns,' whilst, of. the'old'" pairs ,0118 ifill generally bu. dead/beforb the ■other,' as "i?\the ; case in,the Demon staivAlpol, , ; arid when both, are 'dead, they; niigli t ; as. well' be buried 1 as ■ for. as ; the ; 'earth ■ is, concorned, ■ for: it.' is ' probable.-(.we: shall never? know (of': their existence.■ B.ut .the yourig'' wedded 'stars are: dbiibly.;.variable .and. are -nebulous;. Herschel 'says (the'■■association', of; double stars ;■ and -(nebula'-, is ' remarkable, ■'■ \ and , Struve;!tells, us, that,he has,proved'thaj; : .twenty-three double; stars;". are ': variable; ani suspects ibrtj'jjnore." (Gorb,: in a let-, ter 'to lne;"doubts:' the .variability '.of,, double stars,-but,before.;pos'ting'..bis",lit-; ter;he -made" .'a<casual investigation, and: aotually; found-three 'to-be .variables;' and told.&e so.ih.'a postcript.-: .There is much more : c64firtnatory:'e'viaence'i'.spectral'iand otherwise,- but' let, this. suffice. ,■:-. -/-J • ■;' .-.. Clearly,-\ thenj, ;as /-already ; : Shown'j ■ .on' , , grounds ..of; the, action : of/physical; forces, ■ . impacting .dead suiisC&nd :,viyid stars, must ■ generally produce new,star's"that will-ex-,pjpde :iitt6 .hqllo^v(shells'of gas; that 'is,! , lntp/planetary/nebulac. .'Astronomers.of.. . Yevfces'.and.Lick, Observatories tell jis.new stars, do -.'Actually, explode, and Professor, Barnard, arid, others tell us they actually do become planetary nebulae.' ■ 'Physical reasoning tells;us,a.piitial; impact',of iriust• for', a'.time' : jbe'in 'pairs, ; :arid*a'- research.;: founded, !bn- the published;';•'•lists'j proved (this •_to.'be Van absolutely ■ dempri ; . stratedif act; "Reasoning •.'further' 'Suggests' •thfiy shouldVpf ten .be, nebulous,; imd :■ they; oftenvaroi and/ further;/ that ■•this .nebulous '■ light,should': be '.at .6..maximum at' tte'-itar i' iniriirniiriii--arid,it:nct\ially. 'Ie; ; ConsiderhtiPii.- 6f.''they.attrd6li6ns, ;actins lifter,,the'im'padttells us'tho'twoVffpupdea. sfins.'must often vbe.Vwedded 1 ; in to .pairs ■ ,that will:atvftrst■'be^yariablo'.Ariil.'.hebuloiis; aM'astronomers tellius'thdt'theas: sociation'.of db'ubleTstars, arid nebulae";is reriittrkabje,: ana'.that ■tliey,,are : thousands' of'..times'; mire'; variable" than?''ordinary ;:;y;;.;,.';.K'-v:;:::;;;..,";. C';i'; : V^ :T(ie^Spec<rufn;;/-I:^Svi.:?.i":v' y -:^:: ; y.'jb;V : : j it.£ ;s tiidy / Of '[;■ the' ■'■ character'.'; ofii. the' ■ spec-: ;wum , ;.;{hat. , . : must';by.i , preaucedi , byvth'.e'•graze,: , or..'suhs,,>' anticipated (-..definitely' tha(;.;if.; this ; qno ::; cpmpiei:.. forecast'jWAbi cpMfincd'i this ■(albno'v would', bi'(taifieient' utb:f:establish .'(thpVi'.thebry;^^Thirteen: , ye'SrsY.affcsr./this;(speeti'U)n',;wM r {desCribj. Ed : the. itistt'umeßts. of , islrbn.omer's ftere' so..improved \that'(this .'.very, 6pec'trumwas observed in NovavAiirigae,' : end has . b'son- recurrent > in everyVnew; star sinbe so6n'j".vYet( this'is-duly a litlio ; . of.' thp: (total .(and.wlien;-.:eri'.tUe.,'-'Jtlicr.' :hand,riioV scientific :.;man:;hai:'«hqwa(-a ' flayryiri.'. the-- .dedudtibns-:- 'aiidv scores on, )scofof :-have;'; ndmitte'd : tliiSir(' ebundnessii thp;, c'alibro'''of :lJordi •Kelviu'K liave , ; calleil ':W : " V- Biost'-.beaii' iff ulj'cbrrelatibni!'.'A-■'remarkable ■thedry"' ,and;a'i'-"niagninc(e'nt!concepti6jij"vis ! 'it riot, time (for(people,:to : awake'(froni.' thfi dreanithat. this • vdst.' arid' cbmprobe'ri'sivo' g'eno-"■ ralisatio'ri- ;s- but ."a: ■ silly v fad;"/., land v its; ;onginatoiy.(.whp,. was! the ■senior vsch'p'la'r of;. ; fbreinpst: scieritiflo : ;sohool, (and: yh'6(.actually ■ originated..the'Lon'tlen .Technical;(Classes, .i?, .cpvjsenuent'prii.this,; .fa'd.ibf.-;d6smic. : eypluHpn^!(nnfttfa:.''ineiyu6t , ■the'ypu4U;6t(arsmallvcbloßiel»lßi^.-ii'--t'!iß : , -eloipehwlofzsbience/.Vi/l'luefdrtoitt-'is.-iiot , vS,tirding.;fielcsUaL : Erßsea.rchj;..but; ■.is'iV- as, already: .shown, ~ailowmg;; , men~~,to: wallow.in(the. slpiigh of (illogical j.pessiin-" ismi/instcad('bf!..arjsirig v andi:bubkllng;(bli:. ■m6n,:frb'm',tlie,tragedy?'pf.deßp'air.'bf kill- 1, irig/ttniiety,-'andiof■ th' 6 pain.,and' in"isefy< of JthV:au'arc'hi6:p'reseric7 ! :■;;';.'■ .the :clai''ion: call , that should arousefrom jtheiryslumbMS.'-and: awakp an 'ien:; ;thusiiism for high ideals"arid' ribßle deeds.-' :\Vhy,::as was; Well (asked 'iri : the' "cqnferV ence'■ in :\ the' Miliist6rial.( room's';'-' why*.ili'. "thii:.scientifio age'should/it(be.:necsssary' 'to : (sit"'down('a 'tenfilfy. befbre : :wp •roco*;-. nise d: ; g'roat ; gorieralisati6n?,Everi' though/ it' Tver'o the custpril in (the 'dead', bast,, why? .should;it,be '«6ntiriued-:iri t the; livihg, prV ;sen^-((And'.l. \eeh^ indeed K'j;Bßt.'jtn'c.&'-;M.v'slu^^r.'.;6nj.''b#(. , i ire'. held, ! ifi- : thb nightniarej.bf,, tKa(. r jdfedd''.pr^r■ sent,'iwithWits'i/;s'ffeato'd;'i(ihdu'iiti , ies,' , .'- its' little.Lchildfbnv.that (drefoiling:'tliat,ih-'. : sane wasUrs(snail'have:(coin'.;to. pay :for (spScial-''traiiis.:-'for ~ Vtp. i 'havo : .!'tlie;vc6'mpaiSioniihjp,.\ofvi , dwke'd i swirio, .Wallo.wiiig.'on .prientalicar-.' dainties'.'of .;an : , epicuriati; feast, ■'.:.-Vttt(. us leiive:.these delirious.'dreariis,. arid-again, ;pursde."our. journ6y iu the'realins-Pf the: real;.y-:/' : ■;:;;■. ;■ ;- :;..(:■, ,)X-if'- ;■:.':■<". :~S' The^Sortihg;of" ; AtojnßiV;"■ (( : -('i;!'\"" ' : .:■ Once , more■■ our ;waiincririgs:.will jtake' us Jo the ' minute((mechanism::of, atoriiio, ;structpre' (and Imotidn arid th6's6rtiili} 6f atdSis;'.; It 'wftuld- takefmbre 'thanvitwo hundred ;'ot •: the (light j; hydrogen , atom's, tp .tip the (scale coiitainjiig d : single;' atein ' of lead y: It -.won Id Hake 'sixteen tp: balance ■. bno/of oxygen;.arid-four to.ialarici'.dnd ofihelium;'and;this/differ6n.6e:-bf weight introduces'us tb .the-fairy'iealmsioftlio; redl! '.Soiue.'of the'atptaid iloves';' friend-: ships raid frolics (iVe; told'of''ai'.the "start; v)g,:pf.-our,(journey.;; Let;us(iri.imagina- : Tioii('plung"o,.amjdst ■ i tljb';countless(myriads .pf,;riiinutb. : n"arncles .tliSt:.are.'inT, tbhgues ;: .draiyn: r f torn--'.thiT\&piai' All ..'■thjiVatpms ; areCastiri^already , , Beftted.! by ;,the .friction'of Csifaini'-.'AU.:are' in,' iis' teasb (excitement, '.daricing' , '- riipidlyi- 'bta't they.ai'e terribly(crushed'tPgetheK-Mostlj'j they i 'dan6e--'ihV-woup's'- : as'.vTfed_ded^mble'" l | .cules,' but (they Tiustle one,' i|ipther,''arid'as '.the parts of the deid : suns are,- doubtless;: now.,fused,Hhe-.mdlecular (jroup'S niOve' past prie■ anpther.'-pushirig-theirjway,| through .the/dense , mass.- :.:-No\v conies the; 'impact.-. Eachl 'striking'.atoirt -hits its- fellow'.with- hundreds'pt'millions: of ; v timcs"i the' energy that striking atoms of. a .(Jblliding oxpress train possess. -Thii-.tremen-' dous '.forward', motion ,of-:.mass: •is('.converted'iritb motion of "atpm. ('Every ''co'ih'-''ii pound molecule is(;shattefed .into its- bon-i stituents.'voVery atom" loses its "grasp"; oh; itsi fellow'atoms,'aiid;every;at6mac()uires tho.isnine ; speed,ib.ut f only for an'instant', BeforG'.'.they =met -hydrogen..was Jmovi life, far.(more 'swiftly";thaii :i .other."'atonis ) <and; jt'sobn , 'gains its • eld' asceridanoy,"- Hydrogen (and lead , ,;meet,'; , but, : tlio; ; heavy lead atom .'Scarcely, feels the; blow : and; rushes , on; (while; hydfo'gen" i: .flies .back: with; in-; creased s'peedi It is (as .though' a; cricket, ball had .been' struck' by "a". 6wift';bat, so .some ; of the/energy'of thelead : bat; his gorio ,'tb the iball'.nydrogenj; arid in ,this way .all -the (atoms {oliish and; strike until each.mass h'as'.thfi'.same energy,'and an '■' equal mast of ] hydrogen 1 , has .sixteen' times 'the energy..of;a .similar mass of oxj/geni..:, The(Fiery;(3lbbei;Expandt. : % !.:.;:;;;' - The';.hydrogen is. moving''-,fpur'.'.times-as fast: and.with sixteen tiines, the .'energy of' oxygen..- So-in-the new, star, the .titdrrts 'fly;..and!''strike'., ahd exercise : a', pressure ten thousand times that ,pf eiplocling dyr. namito; .. Perhaps,many ~of .'the : ,at6ms arp knocked to piece.*. .;-Rocent; reeearohes , suggest so. ;.But that;at present i*. not, in the realrii of the real,, sp-we.will'say no mord about it. Jfnder'.i this;pressure.'the. outiush"(pf the' : riowly-' ; formed-',- mass.-, gives • way /and the.. fiery J globe expands, ..and, expands a ■ milliott'.'i miles an .hour, the, atoms still strikingr ■.pushing and struggling..to'get.free,, and' thbso on the.outside Soon are free, flying a way from the' seething; niass. . But hydregen is.; four,, times aS*' fast as oxygen, and: more; than; a dozen times, as fast as lead, so quickly-an atmosphere of'hydrogen gas surrounds -the ;glpteirig,..'globed Still the'generar.niass,seethes, and l gles, arid gives;the continuous speotruiri of.an incandescent lighti-.bufchsiho vast' : globe grows bigger arid bigger it de'oroaseS but ■ very, littlo-in ■..temperature.'ii'or. some, days, nnd so the great :bUizing -.. mass;, gives more.and more.light;, Hut ■ proseritlj'• the outer Ujin layer o£ hydrogen would eive' dark lines' on •' the ■■ spectrum,' soon,-, however, to,become bright.'.'As the hydrogen atoms escaped-the mass their-flames becaino an important part of the luminosity, and between the two events there would be a continuous spectrum, But

the third-body-is spindle-shaped, and its ends'will be free atoms'. ... ' ': : iinagirie.a';few '-days .to have elapsed. •■, All. the.; atoms have struggled. free; The outermost: hydrogen. atoms are' .a, .th.pusa'nd millibn v of riiiles frp'm the centre, thb helium , lialtlthe distance';' tho' bxygesv- pf the distance,. while ; the .heavy fttbms .are, hopelessly' left behind :ih ,'thb .'butwa.rd'.rush';' 6b that 1 practically :■; a' planetary nebula" should •bo', a. «ienes;-.of cpnoentnc;,hollpw'globes of gas. Ahd this ;ts .what astforibmers were, told ■ mpre than.; a' quarter of. a; century' ago,, and'they, are now jiist 'beginning to 'recognise: the. fact, and tp'.tell us'.; that .'.not merely . one but iripst pjanetary ribbulae ihow this -kind of sstructure.' ..',■'. '■