Aether and Gravitation Part 9

If, however, instead of being illogical in our reasoning, we become logical, and affirm that Aether is matter, and because all matter is gravitative, therefore Aether is gravitative; and if, instead of being unphilosophical, we become philosophical, and affirm that because a gravitationless Aether violates both the first and second Rules of Philosophy, such a conception must be put away, and in its place a more philosophical conception must be forthcoming, which is that Aether is gravitative; then, upon such a logical and philosophical basis, I venture to premise that the great problem which is still outstanding of the cause of Gravitation, will remain outstanding no longer, and the physical cause of all the movements of all celestial bodies will be put upon a physical basis, in addition to a mathematical one.

If such a result can be arrived at by the logical and philosophical conception of a gravitative Aether, then the three Rules of Philosophy are fully satisfied, and the a.s.sumption of a gravitative Aether is warranted on a strictly philosophical basis.

So that Thomas Young is strictly correct from a philosophical standpoint in his fourth hypothesis, when he states: "That all material bodies have an attraction for the aetherial medium, by means of which it is acc.u.mulated within their substance and for a small distance around them in a state of greater density but not greater elasticity." He is not, however, correct when he states that though there is a greater density near the body, there is not a greater elasticity, as such an a.s.sumption is opposed to experiment and observation in relation to perfect gases, as I shall show when dealing with the elasticity of the Aether.

Again, in view of the fact that the Aether is atomic, it can now be easily understood how it may be subject to Gravitation. The very essence of Gravitation is that atoms, or particles, attract each other. If there were no particles, or atoms, it is obvious that there would be no attraction, and therefore no Gravitation. Wherever, therefore, there are to be found atoms of any kind or sort, whether they be atoms of hydrogen, oxygen, silver or aetherial atoms, there the Law of Gravitation holds good, and attraction between these atoms is to be found. In other words, any substance which is atomic, is also gravitative. Now Aether is atomic as has been shown, and therefore from that standpoint it is also gravitative. It may, however, be objected that the a.s.sumption of gravitative properties for the Aether is after all but a speculation, and that Young's fourth hypothesis was only a hypothesis, and that the gravitating properties of the aetherial medium have never come within the scope of direct experiment, without which no hypothesis can be fully accepted.

If such an argument be advanced against a gravitating Aether, then I must differ from those scientists who advance such an objection. My contention is that the gravitating properties of the Aether have already been made the subject of some of the most refined and delicate experiments that have been made during the past few years.

I refer to the experiments of Michelson and Morley of America.

For an outline and explanation of such experiments I must refer the reader to the _Phil. Mag._ of December 1887.

Now what is the result of these experiments?

I believe it is almost unanimously conceded by all scientists, that their experiments prove that the Aether is carried along by the earth.

Let us carefully look at this conclusion and see what it implies in relation to the question at issue.

If the Aether is carried along by the earth, it necessarily follows that there is some governing law or principle which holds it to the earth, while the earth moves through s.p.a.ce with its velocity of 68,000 miles per hour.

Now what is that governing principle or law, which is capable of holding such an aetherial atmosphere to its central body? If we wish to be strictly philosophical, it is necessary, according to our second Rule of Philosophy, that we should not go outside experience and the a.n.a.logy of Nature.

Where is there a similar a.n.a.logy in Nature to that of the Aether being carried along through s.p.a.ce by the earth? I know of only one a.n.a.logy which can be used, and that is the a.n.a.logy of the atmosphere, which is also carried along by the earth through s.p.a.ce, as it rushes on in its...o...b..t round the sun.

That being so, the question arises, what principle or law holds the atmosphere to the earth? for, whatever be the law which governs the atmosphere, to be consistent with the second Rule of Philosophy, we must infer that the same law also holds the Aether in its place. There is only one answer to the latter question, and that is the Law of Gravitation. If it were not for that law, and the fact that the atmosphere is subject to that law, the atmosphere would simply be swept off from its central body, the earth, as the latter rushed through s.p.a.ce with its comparatively enormous velocity.

The only legitimate and philosophical conclusion that we can arrive at, therefore, is that the Aether must be carried along with its central body, the earth, through being acted upon by the self-same Law of Gravitation, and for it to be so acted upon it must obviously be gravitative. It would be unphilosophical to suggest that it was held in its place by any other force, as that would be introducing a new force or law into Nature, contrary to our experience in relation to an exactly similar phenomenon of Nature.

We have therefore, it seems to me, direct proof by actual experiment that Young's fourth hypothesis was correct, and that not only in relation to the atomic world, but also in relation to the planetary world, and the stellar world, all bodies exert an attractive influence upon the surrounding Aether, by means of which the Aether is acc.u.mulated near the surfaces of all bodies in a state of greater density, and therefore of greater elasticity.

Let us apply this truth to the solar system, and see what we get. If it is true that the earth exerts an attractive influence upon the surrounding Aether by means of which it is held in its place relatively to the earth, then it is equally true that Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Ura.n.u.s and Neptune also exert gravitating or attractive influences upon the surrounding Aether, in the same way that they do upon their own atmospheres. So that in their cases also, the surrounding Aether is carried along by them through s.p.a.ce. Professor Stokes has suggested that this is so, in order to account for the aberration of light, as we shall see later on.

Not only so, but the sun also would have an attractive power over the Aether by means of which its aetherial atmosphere would be carried through s.p.a.ce, as it moved along in its progress at an estimated rate of 17,000 or 18,000 miles per hour.

I would like to point out here, that this explanation of the effect of the planets' attractive power over the surrounding Aether is only a partial one, as there are other effects directly involved in the fact that the Aether is subject to the gravitating influence of all satellites and planets.

This is not the place, however, to go fuller into the matter, the consideration of the subject being taken up in a later chapter.

Thus I have tried to show a gravitating Aether is strictly in accord with the three Rules of Philosophy, for it is simple in conception, is not contrary to experience, and by it I premise that it is possible to explain the physical cause of Gravitation, with all that is involved in that law.

Once more, if Aether is gravitative, then every atom and particle in the universe, as well as every planet, and sun, and star, exert an attractive power over the Aether, so that every atom is enveloped in an atmosphere of Aether, in the same way that every planet, and sun, and star is enveloped by the aetherial atmosphere.

The Aether, however, while it may flow through the s.p.a.ces that exist between the molecules of bodies, yet is held bound to those molecules in the same way, and by exactly the same force, that holds the atmosphere to a planet or world.

Further, if the atoms possess different ma.s.ses or weights, as they do, then each atom would possess an aetherial atmosphere proportionate to its ma.s.s, with the result that an atom of carbon, with its atomic weight of 12, ought to possess a denser aetherial atmosphere than an atom of hydrogen, and so on right through the atomic scale. I need hardly point out that this conception of the Aether in relation to atoms, and molecules of bodies, will solve certain problems relating to the density of Aether in connection with matter, which problem up to the present cannot be solved by the present conception of a frictionless medium.

That problem may be stated as follows: Does the presence of matter affect the Aether in any way, so as to load or make it denser? Professor Lodge, in _Modern Views of Electricity_, in relation to the density of the Aether, writes: "The neighbourhood of gross matter seems to render Aether more dense. It is difficult to suppose that it can really condense an incompressible fluid, but it may load it, or otherwise modify it, so as to produce the effect of increased density."

In view of the fact that Aether is gravitative, the reply is to be found in the Law of Gravitation, "Every particle of matter attracts every other particle of matter, etc.," and as Aether is matter, it will be attracted by the other matter irrespective of whether that matter be in the atomic, molecular, or planetary or stellar form. We shall see that this is so when we come to deal with the density of the Aether.

It may be objected in relation to this aspect of Aether, that Young also a.s.serted that the Aether flows as freely through matter, as the air flows through the trees of the forest, and that such a statement therefore contradicts his fourth proposition regarding the gravitating properties of Aether. A little reflection will, however, put a different construction on this objection.

Let us consider the a.n.a.logy from the standpoint of experience, and see what that a.n.a.logy teaches us. From experience we learn that the air is gravitative, but we also learn that it is possible to be moved from place to place as winds, and that as such it can move freely between the trees of the forest, causing their boughs and leaves to tremble and bend beneath its energy and power.

I have yet to learn, however, that while it moves between the trees as separate and distinct objects, such a movement militates or destroys its gravitating properties.

Does the air cease to be any less gravitative, or subject to the Law of Gravity, when it is subject to certain movements, which give rise to certain currents as winds? Such an a.s.sumption is altogether opposed to philosophical reasoning.

Whether the air is stationary or in motion, it is ever subject to the great Law of Gravitation, and accepting that as an a.n.a.logy, the apparent contradiction between the oft-quoted simile of Young and his fourth hypothesis is at once removed, and from a.n.a.logy we learn that it is quite possible for Aether to move between bodies because of certain currents which may be originated by heat, light or electricity, yet at the same time the existence of such currents does not violate its gravitating tendency.

Young's fourth hypothesis is therefore in perfect harmony with his oft-quoted simile, that the Aether flows through the interstices of bodies as the wind flows through a group of trees, but like the air-currents it does not so flow unless the currents are generated by some form of energy, as heat or light, electricity or magnetism.

From these considerations therefore we are compelled to come to the conclusion that Aether, like all other matter, is subject to the same universal Law of Gravitation. If further evidence of the gravitating tendency of the Aether were required, I would refer the reader to Lord Kelvin's utterance on this subject.

Lord Kelvin, _Phil. Mag._, November 1899, in relation to the Aether writes: "We are accustomed to call Aether imponderable. How do we know that it is imponderable? If we had never dealt with air except by our senses, air would be imponderable to us, but we know by experiment that a vacuum gla.s.s tube shows an increased weight when air is allowed to flow into it. We have not the slightest reason to believe that Aether is imponderable. It is just as likely to be attracted by the sun as air is.

At all events the _onus of proof rests with those who a.s.sert it is imponderable_. I think we shall have to modify our ideas of what Gravitation is, if we have a ma.s.s spreading through s.p.a.ce with mutual attraction between its parts, without being attracted by other bodies."

We have already seen in the previous article that Faraday was of opinion that the Law of Gravitation extended throughout the whole of the solar system, and as Aether fills the solar system, then obviously Aether must also be subject to the Law of Gravitation.

ART. 46. _Aether possesses Density._--That matter possesses density has already been shown in Art. 38, and on the hypothesis that Aether is matter, Aether must possess density also. This property has already been postulated for the Aether, in order to account for certain phenomena in connection with the reflection and refraction of light. Young a.s.sumed different densities for the Aether near bodies owing to its being attracted by those bodies (Art. 45). Reflection and refraction of light are produced by a change of density of the Aether. It is now generally accepted that the optical difference of bodies depends mainly on the different densities of Aether in a.s.sociation with those bodies.

Professor Tyndall, in his _Lectures on Light_, writes on the density of the Aether as follows: "The density of the Aether is greater in liquids and solids than in gases, and greater in gases than in vacuo. A compressing force seems to be exerted on the Aether by the molecules of these bodies."

Apart, however, from the atomicity and gravitative properties of the Aether, it is difficult to understand how there can be density of the medium, and still more difficult to give a satisfactory explanation of different degrees of density for the same medium, which some scientists a.s.sume it to have.

If, however, all that is logically included in the statement that Aether is matter, and therefore is atomic and gravitative, is conceded, then, from the a.n.a.logy of our own atmosphere in relation to the earth, the density of the Aether, and different degrees of density also, is at once put upon a logical and philosophical basis, as it is brought into harmony with all experience and observation, and is simple in its conception.

On the other hand, an Aether which is not atomic or gravitative cannot possess different degrees of density, except by a.s.suming the existence of some unknown law of which we have no knowledge, which conception is altogether opposed to the fundamental principles of simplicity, observation, and experiment as laid down not only by Newton but by every true philosopher.

Therefore, that Aether can possess different degrees of density, is only the logical outcome of the statement that Aether is matter, seeing that such a statement without the shadow of a doubt must at least imply that it is gravitative.

I need hardly point out, that it is much more philosophical to be able to account for the density of the Aether in a reasonable and philosophical manner, than simply to postulate for the Aether certain properties and qualities, because certain phenomena demand the existence of such properties.

The Aether has been such a hypothetical medium, that it has been easy to postulate for it certain properties, if certain phenomena have demanded the existence of those properties.

Thus if the Aether were required to be elastic, then elasticity was postulated for it; if more elastic, then greater elasticity was added.

If density were demanded, then density was postulated, and if less or more density, less or more density was given to it.

That method of speculation may be satisfactory up to a certain point, but no one will admit that such a method is wholly philosophical. It will be a far better method to adopt, if, in dealing with the universal Aether, we can make it conform to certain recognized laws and principles, and from the application of those well-known laws, be able to infer the exact const.i.tution of this s.p.a.ce-filling Aether medium.

Now the question arises, if Aether is gravitative, what effect has the Gravitation of any body, be it an atom, or a meteor or planet, sun or star, upon the Aether in which it moves, and which surrounds it?

That we may have some light thrown upon the matter, I would like now to take the reader to Newton's _Optics_, in order that he may give us his opinion as to this property of density of the Aether. In his nineteenth query Newton (_Optics_) asks this question--

"Is not this medium much rarer within the dense bodies of the sun, stars, planets and comets than in the empty s.p.a.ces between them, and in pa.s.sing from them to great distances, doth it not grow denser and denser perpetually, and thereby cause the gravity of those great bodies towards one another, and of their part towards the bodies, every body endeavouring to go from the denser parts of the medium towards the rarer?"

Here then we have given to us an indication of what is the possible state of things in relation to the gravitation of the Aether, and all bodies in solar and stellar s.p.a.ce. The only mistake that Newton made, was in inverting the right order of comparatively dense and rarer parts of the aetherial medium, by putting the rarer parts of the medium near to the bodies, and supposing the denser parts to be farther away in s.p.a.ce.

As a matter of fact, the correct view is exactly the opposite, that is, if we are to form our conception by following out those philosophical rules that Newton laid down. For either the rules are right, or his supposition is right. They cannot both be right, as his supposition is contrary to the second Rule of Philosophy, as all experience and observation from the a.n.a.logy of Nature teach us that a medium enveloping any body, as planet, star or sun, is densest nearest to the body, becoming rarer the further that medium gets away from the central body.