﻿Michelson-Morley 
  Experiment 
  on 
  Drift 
  of 
  the 
  JEther. 
  9 
  

  

  tributed 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  than 
  in 
  others, 
  of 
  infinitely 
  small 
  

   average 
  density 
  through 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  infinite 
  space. 
  In 
  

   regions 
  where 
  the 
  density 
  was 
  then 
  greater 
  than 
  in 
  neigh- 
  

   bouring 
  regions, 
  the 
  density 
  would 
  become 
  greater 
  still 
  ; 
  in 
  

   places 
  of 
  less 
  density, 
  the 
  density 
  would 
  become 
  less 
  ; 
  and 
  

   large 
  regions 
  would 
  quickly 
  become 
  void 
  or 
  nearly 
  void 
  of 
  

   atoms. 
  These 
  large 
  void 
  regions 
  would 
  extend 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  

   completely 
  surround 
  regions 
  of 
  greater 
  density. 
  In 
  some 
  

   part 
  or 
  parts 
  of 
  each 
  cluster 
  of 
  atoms 
  thus 
  isolated, 
  con- 
  

   densation 
  would 
  go 
  on 
  by 
  motions 
  in 
  all 
  directions 
  not 
  

   generally 
  convergent 
  to 
  points, 
  and 
  with 
  no 
  perceptible 
  

   mutual 
  influence 
  between 
  the 
  atoms 
  until 
  the 
  density 
  becomes 
  

   something 
  like 
  10~ 
  6 
  of 
  our 
  ordinary 
  atmospheric 
  density, 
  

   when 
  mutual 
  influence 
  by 
  collisions 
  would 
  begin 
  to 
  become 
  

   practically 
  effective. 
  Each 
  collision 
  would 
  give 
  rise 
  to 
  a 
  

   train 
  of 
  waves 
  in 
  ether. 
  These 
  waves 
  would 
  carry 
  away 
  

   energy, 
  spreading 
  it 
  out 
  through 
  the 
  void 
  ether 
  of 
  infinite 
  

   space. 
  The 
  loss 
  of 
  energy, 
  thus 
  taken 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  atoms, 
  

   would 
  reduce 
  large 
  condensing 
  clusters 
  to 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  

   gas 
  in 
  equilibrium 
  * 
  under 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  its 
  own 
  gravity 
  

   only, 
  or 
  rotating 
  like 
  our 
  sun 
  or 
  moving 
  at 
  moderate 
  speeds 
  

   as 
  in 
  spiral 
  nebulas, 
  &c. 
  Gravitational 
  condensation 
  would 
  

   at 
  first 
  produce 
  rise 
  of 
  temperature, 
  followed 
  later 
  by 
  cooling 
  

   and 
  ultimately 
  freezing, 
  giving 
  solid 
  bodies 
  ; 
  collisions 
  

   between 
  which 
  will 
  produce 
  meteoric 
  stones 
  such 
  as 
  we 
  see 
  

   them. 
  We 
  cannot 
  regard 
  as 
  probable 
  that 
  these 
  lumps 
  of 
  

   broken-looking 
  solid 
  matter 
  (something 
  like 
  the 
  broken 
  stones 
  

   used 
  on 
  our 
  macadamised 
  roads) 
  are 
  primitive 
  forms 
  in 
  which 
  

   matter 
  was 
  created. 
  Hence 
  we 
  are 
  forced, 
  in 
  this 
  twentieth 
  

   century, 
  to 
  views 
  regarding 
  the 
  atomic 
  origin 
  of 
  all 
  things 
  

   closely 
  resembling 
  those 
  presented 
  by 
  Democritus, 
  Epicurus, 
  

   and 
  their 
  majestic 
  Roman 
  poetic 
  expositor, 
  Lucretius. 
  

  

  II. 
  On 
  the 
  Michelson-Morley 
  Experiment 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  

   Drift 
  of 
  the 
  jEther. 
  By 
  W. 
  M. 
  Hicks, 
  F.E.S.f 
  

  

  [Plate 
  I.] 
  

  

  IN 
  the 
  following 
  pages 
  it 
  is 
  proposed 
  to 
  consider 
  in 
  detail 
  

   the 
  general 
  theory 
  of 
  the 
  experiment 
  by 
  which 
  Messrs. 
  

   Michelson 
  & 
  Morley 
  { 
  attempted 
  to 
  decide 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  the 
  

   rest 
  or 
  motion 
  of 
  the 
  sether 
  when 
  a 
  material 
  body 
  moves 
  

   through 
  it. 
  The 
  theory 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  simple 
  as 
  it 
  may 
  appear 
  at 
  

  

  * 
  Homer 
  Lane, 
  American 
  Journal 
  of 
  Science, 
  1870, 
  p. 
  57; 
  Sir 
  W 
  

   Thomson, 
  Phil. 
  Mag. 
  March 
  1887, 
  p. 
  287. 
  

   f 
  Communicated 
  by 
  the 
  Author. 
  J 
  Phil. 
  Mag. 
  Dec. 
  1887. 
  

  

  