KNOW i.i:i)r,i-: 



l-'i-nurAkv. 1012. 



orbits. Tin- laif^i- inassis nri^^iiiatcd tin- plaiuts. llic 

 Sflectivf action upon molecules and nxttoric matter 

 that would produce a system somewhat similar t<> 

 the solar SNStcm, I have already discussc<l in some 

 detail in the " Komanie of the Heavens," in papers 

 published in the "Transactions o( the New Zealand 

 Institute " and elsewhere. 



Till-: llxi;uc.Y ok Mictkoks. 



We will simply assmne that the Zodiacal li^ht 

 consists of myriad millions of free meteoric particles, 

 each revolving,' around the Sun in an independent 

 orbit. Many of the orbits would be highly elliptical, 

 and any particle that reached the surface of the Sun 

 would do so with a velocity of the order of three 

 hundred miles a second. It is extremely possible 

 that in various ways these colliding meteors would 

 ,-ict in the same way upon the inherent energy of the 

 Sun as detonating caps art upon a mass of iiigli 

 explosives. 



.\ particle striking the Sun w itii a velocity of three 

 hundred miles a second would be possessed of an 

 energy equal to at least a score of thousands of times 

 its mass of dynamite. According to the angle the\- 

 would strike the Sun, there would be considerable 

 variation in the result. The great majorit\- would 

 strike the Sun tangentially in the direction of the 

 Sun's own motion. From the distribution of thi 

 Zodiacal light it is clear that the orbit of surli 

 particles as struck very tangentially would niainlv 

 lie near the equator of the Sun, but as the plane of 

 the solar equator differs by several degrees from tiie 

 plane of the ecliptic, it would seem to deviate from 

 that of the Zodiacal light, and impact would not be 

 confined to the equator. 



Thk Si;n"s Dii'I"I".ri:nti \i, Koi aiion. 



Every ton of such material would Ikinc an urt;iiig 

 power upon the gaseous photosphere of the Sun. 

 urging it forward with a pressure of o\er tweiitv 

 thousand tons of exploding dynamite. It is ;ilso 

 obvious that this effect will tell most upon the 

 higher strata of the solar atmosphere, and that the 

 differential velocity would consequently be greatest 

 in the highest regions, and may account for the 

 apparent fact that solar storms become more cyclonic 

 the higher the region from which the photograph 

 is taken. (See Figure 54.) Thus many of the 

 anomalies of the Sun's differential rate of rotation 

 seem to find a solution, if we consider the 

 tremendous meteoric bombardment to wbiili the 

 equatorial regions arc subject. It must be understood 

 that it is not the equatorial rotation which is kept 

 up by meteoric bombardment : it is merely the 

 differential rate. 



Thk Rkd PKOTfiiicuANcis. 



A meteor of moderate dimensions with a \-elocit\- 

 of three hundred miles a second would develop 

 heat sufficient to become completely volatili;?ed at 

 great heights in the solar chromosphere. It is a 

 property of a mass of gas in motion to cause 



.'idjacent gas to ac<|uirc :i motion al.so. Tiiis gaseous 

 adhesion would entangle an immense f|uantity of 

 the hydrogen of the chromosphere, and carry it 

 down with it into the body of the Sun. .\s it would 

 still retain an enormous velocity when it struck tin- 

 surface of the photos|)here, it would plunge to some 

 depth below the surface, jiressing the gases of the 

 l)hotosphere before it, and increasing their pressure 

 so enormously, that when the velocity had sp<Tit 

 itself an' explosive reaction would occur, and the 

 com|)rcssed gases of the [ihotosphere would act as a 

 violent exjilosive and blow the hydrogen that the 

 volatilized meteor had brought with it to a vast height. 

 Practically a volcano would be formed in the photo- 

 sphere. (See Figure 52.) Sometimes the chief strength 

 of this volcano would ex|)end itself in blow ing out vast 

 flames f)fh\drog^n, and the character of these flames 

 would clearly depend to a large extent on the area of 

 the disturbance, and on the angle at which the 

 material was driven in on to the surface of the Sun. 

 The strength of the explosion would be enormously 

 greater than the energy possessed by the meteor 

 itself, because the exploding volcano would produce 

 a release of pressure from that portion of the Sun. 

 and the extraordinary temperatures and pressure of 

 tiiese lower depths would exert themselves in 

 carrving up a great deal more material than had 

 iieen compressed. 



In considering the effects of solar volcanoes we 

 must remember that the great rigidity of the Sun is 

 not a cohesion rigidit\' such as steel, but a dynamical 

 rigid it\-, a rigidity of velocity, such as high-si)eed 

 water, or a rapidh' revolving chain in the form of a 

 hoop, which will roll along the road exactl\- as though 

 it were a hoop of spring steel. 



Soi.AR Mi:ti:ors. 

 It is almost certain tliat large meteoric masses 

 strike the Sun as they do the Earth. Brilliant 

 flashes have been seen on the solar surface. These 

 are often accompanied by magnetic storms and 

 aurorae on the Earth. It is probable also that, unless 

 the mass were gigantic, solar meteors would be largely 

 volatilized before striking, and hence produce a broad 

 field of impact. The ensuing explosion would eject it 

 b\- pressure, and be followed by material from below . 

 aiid this would again liberate lower material, until the 

 opening would be so deep as to bring up metals of 

 considerable atomic weight. The very factor of 

 (ivnamiral rigidity, that would tend to prevent 

 (inlinar\ convection currents, would actually be 

 the agent in producing them when the downward- 

 acting pressure was removed. .\t the same time 

 this molecular motion would produce a lateral 

 inrush that would tend to prevent the uprush 

 extending to great depths, except in the case of 

 the bombarding meteors being of very large mass, 

 or a dense meteoric swarm. Such large impacts 

 are probably the cause of the metallic ejections 

 that sometimes reach hundreds of thousands of 

 miles. The various angles of slope of the stream of 

 material is probabl\- due to different angles of impact. 



