PARTIAL IMPACT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 830, 31 May 1910, Page 6

PARTIAL IMPACT.

LECTURE BY PROFESSOR BICKERTON. ... SUPPOET FOR .THEORY. A lecture was delivered before the Philosophical Society last evening, by Professor A. W. Bickerton, of . Christchurch, on the astronomical theory of tho third body. The president, Mr. A. Hamilton, was in tho chair, and there was an unusually large attendance. Professor Bickerton commenced by explaining the main point of difference between himself and the astronomers. They both agreed, in fact it was now universally agreed, that there were such things as dead suns and grazing collisions of stars. Neither of these ideas had anything to do with his theory except as the foundation. Then came the question as to what would happen with the grazing of a pair of suns or stare. The astronomers imagined that a grazing collision heated up' the two stars to a very considerable extent. They might coalesce or pass each other, and some very extravagant suggestions as to what happened could be found in very eminent books. He looked upon two cosmic bodies as though they were celestial flint and steel, and ho believed that they passed each other with great velocity and etruck off a spark. The astronomers assumed that the stars heated each other up, whereas he assumed that they scarcely heated each other, but struck off the part that lay in each otter's path as a huge cosmic spark, and formed a third body. This third body had many times the energy of any other mass in the heavens of its own weight, and was capable of producing very extraordinary phenomena. It was this third body that astronomers had missed so absolutely that its name could not be found, so far as Ire could ascertain, in any standard astronomical work. The professor then explained at some length the tremendous dimensions of the energies with which he was dealing, and illustrated his theory of the result of stellar collisions from the science of engineering. To an engineer or anyone acquainted with collisions no other idea was tenable than that when two solar bodies, travelling with a thousand' million times the energy of an express 'train, and formed of material almost infinitely soft, collided, they flew past each other, and the parts that met destroyed each other's momentum, which was converted into heat. The professor explained how he had been led to develop his theory after reading a magazine article by Proctor, and dealt interestingly, with tho subject of spectra, in which he found fresh support for his views.

Mr. A. C. Clifford, moved, and the Rev. Dr. Kennedy seconded, a most hearty voto of thanks to Professor Bickerton for the lucid explanation of his theory, which to both of them appeared to explain some astronomical difficulties. Dr. Kennedy said it must be admitted that the theory was a very good working hyphothesis, and Professor Bickerton's system deserved to receive attention from astronomers. It seemed strange that they had not gone into tho matter more deeply. Professor Bickerton deserved very great credit for having originated the theory. There were certain small points about it which he (Dr. Kennedy) 'did not yet fully understand, but he had not had the professor's training in engineering and thermal dynamics. Ho hoped that Professor Bickerton would be able to bring the theory before capable astronomers, that they would : givo it all the attention it deserved, and that some day 'they would accept it, at least as a working theory.

Professor Eiokerton said that what ho wished to see was that the theory should be used ■as a working hypothesis. Ho could not look into tho evidence himself because he was not an astrophysicist.

Mr. Hamilton, at a later stage of the meeting, said that scientists had discovered within the last year or two an effect of partial, impact bn tlie earth's surface. In the Arizona desert had been found a tremendous hole in the earth, having' a most remarkable "crater," three-quarters of a mile in diameter. The hole was 300 or 400 feet deep, and its origin, had. been a great puzzle. Two or three American expeditions had 1 been sent to investigate Uio hole, and the result of their examinations had just been published. They found that it. was not due to volcanic or any other terrestrial agency, but to tho impact of some- extra-terrestrial body which had been entirely dissipated by the. heat produced by its passage through the air and impact. Fragments of meteoric irons had been found in tho neighbourhood. Since the largest meteorites known had only penetrated sixteen feet into the earth, there must have been a tremendous hubbub in Arizona at one time.

Mr. Hamilton also said he would be very glad if at the next meeting of the society a resolution was posseil ■ urging the advisabilitj" of pushing Professor Bickerton's theory. They might also see if they could give the theory any help, and commend it to the interest of the New Zealand Institute. So much was only due to the professor, who.had battled for years against adverse circumstances. Anything they could do to make his theory more available to scientists ho thought they should do. He thought ho could assure the professor of the eympathy of the committee of the Wellington Institute. The'vote of thanks to Professor Bickerton was carried with acclamation.