1882.] "^^^ [Chase. 



creased molecular velocity of gaseous condeusatiou, to maintain a constant 

 circulation of all the constituents of the solar atmosphere. "3. Why enorm- 

 ous atmospheres have not long ago become attached to the planets, notably 

 to the Moon ?" The reported discovery of a lunar atmosphere by Trepied 

 and Thollon, during the late solar eclipse, which is announced in the same 

 number as the question, gives an apt and timely confirmation of Wollas- 

 ton's views, which are cited by Siemens. " 3. "Why the earth has not 

 long ago been deluged when a constant stream of aqueous vapor that 

 would produce a rain of more than 30 inches per annum all over the 

 earth, must annually pass out past the earth in order to supply fuel to be 

 dissociated by the heat that annually passes the earth?" The average 

 annual rainfall of the whole globe is not accurately known, but there is 

 good reason to believe that it is very nearly, if not precisely, such as 

 would be required by the hypothesis. "4. Why we can see the stars 

 although most of the solar radiations are absorbed within some reason- 

 able distance of the Sun?" The prevalent thermodynamic hypotheses 

 suppose an unlimited power of absorbing radiant vis viva, without any 

 tangible evidence of such absorption. All that needs to be explained is 

 the maintenance of a uniform amount of OBthereal oscillations in the uni- 

 verse. If the centrifugal and centripetal alternations of less elastic parti- 

 cles are linked with like alternations of more elastic particles, the actions 

 and reactions of elasticity and inertia may account for the operation and 

 stability of all physical laws. 



276. Influence of Explosive Oscillations on Radiant Energy. 



The relations which I have pointed out between explosive oscillations 

 and planetary positions {Froe. Amer. Phil. Soc, xii, 393-417, et seq.), 

 should also influence the centrifugal and centripetal alternations within 

 Sun's photosphere. I have often shown that the photodynamic equality 

 of luminous and gravitating oscillations tends to drive all of Sun's parti- 

 cles towards the limit between aggregation and dissociation, so that a 

 slight external disturbance may turn the unstable equilibrium in either 

 direction. Berthelot's investigations (C. R. xciii. 613-9) of explosions in 

 gaseous compounds by detonating agents, have indicated the existence of 

 explosive waves which are quite distinct from simple waves of sound, and 

 have shown that compounds and explosive mixtures generally become 

 more sensitive to shocks as they near the temperature at which 4hey begin 

 to decompose. Hence a meteor, or even a single molecule, which has ac- 

 quired a sufficient velocity of subsidence in its sunward fall, may explode 

 a gaseous compound which is in or near the nascent state, and the explo- 

 sion may react upon the falling mass or molecule so as to leave it in an 

 unstable equilibrium which is ready for explosion by the next like subsi- 

 dence. The locus of the virtual radius of solar torsion {ar^, Note 162) in 

 the asteroidal belt, makes the minor planets important outposts of explo- 

 sive oscillation in the second of the oblate spheroids to which I called atten- 



