472 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



each body would also be entangled by the other, further m- 

 creashig the temperature of the cut part. 



36. The star would recover its sphericity chiefly by the 

 molten interior welling up. This by momentum would over- 

 fill the space, and there would be a rhythmic tidal action, the 

 molten lake overfilling and then sinking. 



37. The retardation of the cut and entangled material 

 would cause these bodies to spin. This would act chiefly on 

 the outer layers. The inside would tend to retain the original 

 rotation of the star. 



38. Thus in the sheared stars there are three tendencies 

 strugghng with each other — the original rotation, the new 

 rotation, and the tidal action. 



39. iiut the new rotation would be a large component. 

 We have, therefore, a star which rotates and shows us alter- 

 nately the hot and cool sides. The old rotation and the tidal 

 motion produce other fluctuations of intensity, and also in- 

 equalities of the rate of motion. 



40. Evidently such a body would be a variable star, and 

 for a time such stars would be in pairs. 



41. Such is the case. This duplex character is so striking 

 a phenomenon that the probability of its being the result of 

 chance is one to one hundred sextillions. 



42. Conduction, convection, tidal motion, and the contend- 

 ing rotations will tend to bring about equality of temperature. 

 This condition of variability will consequently be a temporary 

 one. The star will ultimately become of uniform luminosity. 

 These are all known peculiarities of variable stars. 



43. Convection is due to difference of density. This may 

 result from differences of temperature and from difl'erences of 

 chemical composition. The lake of fire will consist of heavier 

 molecules than the remaining surface, and it will be at a higher 

 temperature. These two will tend to neutralise each other, 

 so that equality of temperature due to convection will not be 

 brought about quickly. It is surprising what a number of 

 agencies there are tending to retain this inequality of tempera- 

 ture. This condition may as an extreme case last thousands 

 of years. 



44. The work of cutting the star will be infinitesimal in 

 relation to its available enei'gy, and will not appreciably 

 lessen the velocity of the escaping stars, but the middle 

 body will exercise a powerful attraction. It will exercise a 

 retarding influence preventing the retreat of the two bodies, 

 equal to three times the mass either body loses. Hence when 

 two equal bodies lose a third each they do not become free 

 from the new central body. 



45. If the original proper motion were large and the graze 

 small the two stars would escape each other. If the original 



