444 The Fuel of the Sun. [October, 



tions of the planets, and thus the solar nucleus and solar 

 atmosphere will be subject to irregularities of motion, which, 

 though very small relatively to the enormous magnitude of 

 the sun, must be sufficient to produce mighty vortices, and 

 thus effect a continual commingling between the outer and 

 inner atmospheric strata. 



It must be remembered that, according to the preceding, 

 the inner or lower strata of the solar atmosphere should 

 consist of our ordinary atmospheric mixture of oxygen and 

 nitrogen, and the dissociated elements of water and carbonic 

 acid, besides some of the more volatile elements of the solar 

 nucleus. Outside of this there should be a boundary limit 

 where the dissociated gases are combining as rapidly as 

 their latent heat can be evolved by radiation ; this will form 

 a shell or sphere of flame, — the photosphere, — and above or 

 beyond this will be the sphere of vapours resulting from this 

 combustion, which, by their resistance to radiation, will 

 limit the evolution of heat and consequent combustion. 



Now the vortices above referred to will break through the 

 shell of combustion, and drag down more or less of the outer 

 vapour into the lower and hotter regions of dissociated 

 gases. 



As there can be no action without equal and contrary 

 reaction, there can be no vortices, either in the solar atmo- 

 sphere or a terrestrial stream, without corresponding up- 

 heavals. These upheavals will eject the lower dissociated 

 gases more or less completely through the vapourous jacket 

 which restrains their normal radiations, and, thus liberated, 

 they will rush into combination with an explosive energy 

 comparable to that which they display in our laboratories; not, 

 however, with an instantaneous flash, but with a continuous 

 rocket-like combustion, the rapidity of which will be deter- 

 mined by the possibility of radiation. The heat evolved by 

 this combustion, acting simultaneously with the diminution 

 of pressure, will effect a continually augmenting expansion 

 of these upheaved gases, and as the rapidity of combustion 

 will be accelerated in proportion to elevation above the 

 restraining vapours, an outspreading, far in excess of that 

 which would be due to the original upheaving force, it is to 

 be expected. 



The reader who is acquainted with the phenomena of the 

 solar prominences will at once perceive how all these 

 expectations are fulfilled by actual observations, especially 

 by the more recent observations of Zollner, Secchi, &c. I 

 need scarcely add that the clashing tide-waves are the 

 faculce, and the vortices the sun-spots. 



