Aether and Gravitation

by William George Hooper

Then, as the rotation was accelerated, portions were flung off by the centrifugal force, and these portions of nebulous matter gradually condensed, forming the various planets of the system. As these condensed, they, in their turn, parted with some of their nebulous matter through the repulsive energy of the centrifugal force, and these secondary parts gave origin to the various satellites that exist round the planets.

Now, while the general principle involved in the nebular hypothesis is true, yet the conception according to Laplace is not verified by fact, as we learn that Uranus and Neptune are still in a state of self-luminosity, while their density is the smallest of all the planets. From this we should infer that the two outermost planets are the youngest planets of our solar system, but according to Laplace's theory, they ought to be the oldest, as they would have been flung off first by the parent body as it rotated; and therefore, being flung off first, should be in a more advanced stage of development than any of the inner planets. M. Faye has suggested a remedy for this defect in the theory. He supposes that the nebulous matter out of which the planets were formed, was not flung off by the central body the sun, but that each planet was formed at different centres of condensation within the nebular mass that existed in space. This would, undoubtedly, meet the difficulty already referred to, and solves the problem as to how the various planets were formed at different distances in space.

Further, such a solution is in perfect harmony with all the Rules of Philosophy. It is much more simple to conceive of Aether condensing at various points in what originally was the solar nebula, than it is to conceive of Aether condensing and shrinking towards one central point, and yet while condensing and shrinking, portions were flung off into space which would form the planet. A greater objection has to be met, when we come to deal with the origin of all the meteors and minor planets that exist in their numbers in the solar system. In relation to their origin, it is much easier to conceive of portions of the Aether condensing at different centres of condensation, than to suppose that each portion of aetherial matter that originally formed the meteor, or asteroid, was flung off as a separate portion from the central body.

With the conception of an atomic and gravitating Aether, the Nebular Hypothesis, therefore, for the first time is placed upon a sound and philosophical basis, because the condensation of Aether, which is matter and possesses mass, admits of the origin of other matter from it which also possesses mass, together with other properties, as elasticity, density, compressibility and inertia.

When there is added to the atomic Aether the conception of a rotatory aetherial atom, as was indicated in [Art. 44], we have at once a source from whence the rotation of the whole mass may be derived. Thus, as the condensation continued, and the nucleus or central part of the body was gradually formed, the rotation would be accelerated, because of the inherent energy which would exist in the condensed part. Further, as the condensation continued, the body so formed would be more or less spherical in form, as the conception of our aetherial atom was spherical, and when we conceive of the primary point of condensation, we have to think of a large number of spherical atoms coming together; and, as all the motions of the Aether which give rise to light, heat, electricity and magnetism, and which now include gravitation, are spherical in their operations, so their effect upon any condensing Aether would take a spherical form. Thus such bodies as nebulae, comets, asteroids, satellites, planets and suns should possess bodies more or less of a spherical form, subject to certain qualifying conditions, as rotation and orbital velocity, and this is in harmony with observation and experience. For we shall find that even in the case of nebulae, we have globular, ring or annular nebulae, and elliptic nebulae, while in the case of comets, the nuclei and coma are more or less spherical. Further, it is a familiar fact that the shape of all asteroids, satellites, planets, and even the sun is spherical or that of an oblate spheroid, which latter is simply due to its rotational velocity on its axis.

Thus the principle involved in the nebular hypothesis receives its confirmation in the atomic and gravitating Aether, and with certain modifications of the different hypotheses advanced, is capable of uniting all those hypotheses that have ever been put forth in this direction into one perfect and harmonious whole.

Again, the condensation of the Aether, composed as it is of its atoms, ever in a state of rotation, does away with the Primitive impulse which was objected to in [Art. 9]. For in that article it was shown that the conception of a primitive impulse as conceived by Newton was unphilosophical, in that its conception was not simple, and failed to satisfactorily account for observed phenomena. With the hypothesis, however, of a rotatory aetherial atom, we have at once those conditions which at any time, in the history of the universe, may give rise to those conditions by which a body may be set rotating not only on its axis, but also revolving around some central body, as the process of condensation is continued.

So that in the primordial and universal electro-magnetic Aether that exists in all space, we get those conditions which will not only give rise to the phenomena of light, heat, magnetism and electricity, but also those properties, qualities and motions by which are produced, maintained and perpetuated, the various bodies that exist in the Aether, which is at once the physical source and cause of the bodies.

Art. 122. Kinds of Nebulae.--Nebulae may be classified into the following groups--

1. Irregular Nebulae.