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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 76

The Cosmos Possibly Immortal

The Cosmos Possibly Immortal.

94. If our universe be proved, from its configuration and character, to have been formed of two previously-existing cosmic systems as appear probable from et seqq., then the entire cosmos may be made up of an infinity of cosmic systems.

95. Meteoric swarms prove space to be dusty with wandering dark bodies, and "molecular selective escape" proves it also to be spread with page 30 countless myriads of molecules of light gas. It is probably due to the dust of space that we see no distant cosmic system other than the Magellanic Clouds.

96. If this be the case, radiation must all be caught by the dust of space, and, unless some agency be found to take this heat away, the dust must be gradually increasing in temperature.

97. Bodies not in closed orbits when moving at high velocities take but a short time to pass over great distances; they take longer and longer periods as the velocity is reduced. Hence the molecules of hydrogen and other light gases when they have travelled into positions comparatively free from the influence of matter, will be generally moving slowly. But such slowly-moving molecules is cold: hence such gas maybe at a lower temperature than any other matter in space.

98. Whenever by their mutual motions such molecules strike cosmic dust, they will acquire the temperature of the latter: that is, it will increase their molecular velocity. It will thus have a new start of motion.

99. It is evident that unless it strikes something the molecule can only lose this motion by page 31 radiation and by doing work. When it has clone work, it will be further from matter, or in a position of higher potential, and Crookes's experiments prove that molecules do not radiate in free path except immediately after encounters.

100. Moving matter not in orbits will tend to move slowest where there is least matter—that is, where gravitation potential is highest—because in these places it has done most work against gravitation. Where bodies moving indiscriminately move slowest they obviously tend to aggregate: in other words the hydrogen and other light gases of space tend to accumulate in the sparsest portions of space.

101. Thus radiant energy falls upon the dust of space and heats it. This heat gives motion to molecules, and the molecules then tends to use their new energy to pass to positions of high potential, thus converting low-temperature heat—that is, dissipated energy—into potential energy of gravition—that is, into the highest from of available energy.

102. This action will tend to go on until attraction is equal in different parts of space. Thus we should have, if there were no counter- page 32 acting influence, in one part of space bodies in mass, in another part diffused light gases.

103. But long before this equality of distribution can ensue another action is set up. The mass of light gas will become a retarding trap to indiscriminately-moving bodies.

104. Free bodies moving indiscriminately will tend to pass through a group of masses similar to our galactic system, through which 1830 Groombridge is passing now. But they will tend to be trapped in any mass of gas they encounter. Thus the place that was most void of matter now begins to have more than a regular distribution of matter. A new cosmic system of the first order has begun to form.

105. The potential of this part of space lessens, and the work required to reach these positions not being so great as at first, oxygen and other heavier molecules get there, increasing the density; and oxygen also tends to produce non-volatile compound molecules. Hydrogen would form water molecules, these would coalesce; but helium and the other cosmic pioneers do not combine, they remain permanently gaseous.

106. Although dense bodies sent out of page 33 cosmic systems by the interaction of three bodies would generally pass through old cosmic systems where matter is in dense masses, they evidently would not pass through such vast gaseous aggregations as the incipient cosmic systems. The bodies would be retarded by the friction produced, and perchance volatilized, forming nucleii in the general mass; their mutual attraction would cause denser aggregations to occur, and a cosmic system of the first order would be produced.

107. Two such systems colliding produce a system of the second order. The Magellanic Clouds are probably systems of the second order. This is suggested by their spiral form.

108. Such systems colliding with any other cosmic system, produces a system of the third order. Our own galactic system is very probably a tertiary system. It is too orderly to be a primary system and too irregular to be a secondary system.

109. When three bodies pass near each other, one at least has its velocity increased. In this way it is possible to account for the enormous velocity of 1830 Groombridge, although this high velocity might also be due to the attraction page 34 of our universe, or of a near dead sun. The truth of which latter idea could be ascertained by observations of its regularity of speed. Whenever the velocity is great enough to enable the body to escape the attraction of the universe, the body is lost to it, and the other two bodies would be moving more slowly. If this should occur only once in a thousand cases—seeing that when it does occur the body escapes—given time enough, much of the energy of any individual system must thus be used up in allowing the escape of bodies.

110. If it could be shown that the impact of two similar universes would result in the formation of one which, in a similar stage, was of larger mass than the larger of the originals, then impact would be, on the whole, an aggregating agency, and the permanent equilibrium of the cosmos would be disturbed.

111. This is probably not the case, for during the impact of the universes themselves much matter would escape, and at every impact of individual bodies within the new universe light molecules would be set wandering that would ultimately leave the system. When the new universe has become more dense, during the page 35 approach of any three bodies one would occasionally be sent out of the system. There are other agencies that, together with these, render it possible for two similar cosmic systems, by coalescing, to become one, may when contracted to the size of either of its components, retain no more matter than one of the original systems.

112. We have in these phenomena a complex series of agencies tending to overcome the dissipation of energy and the aggregation of matter. Impact developes heat, separates bodies, and diffuses gas. Radiation falls on the matter of space and heats it: this energy is taken up by the hydrogen to increase its velocity. As the hydrogen loses this new velocity it is carried to positions of higher potential. It will tend to linger in the empty parts of space, and it then becomes a trap for wandering bodies. These wandering bodies are separated from systems by the mutual interaction of three bodies.

113. Thus, is suggested the possibility of an immortal cosmos, in which we have neither evidence of a beginning nor promise of an end. The sequence of these agencies is as follows:—
(a)Diffusion of heat by radiation.page 36
(b)This radiation, falling on the dust of space, heats it.
(c)The heat of this cosmic dust is taken away by slowly moving light molecules having their velocity increased.
(d)Free molecules are also sent out of systems by partial impacts, by selective molecular escape, and other agencies.
(e)Free molecules will remain longest in the position of maximum potential where their motion is least, and will consequently tend to aggregate in the empty parts of space.
(f)By the interaction of three bodies the velocity acquired by one sometimes takes it out of the cosmic system.
(g)Hydrogen and the cosmic pioneers then become a trap for wandering bodies that tend to be stopped and converted into dense nebulae.
(h)These dense nebulae tend to attract surrounding gas; they cool and shrink, some ultimately forming solid bodies.
(i)These bodies, by mutual attraction, give density to the new cosmic system.
(j)Such systems are of the first order.page 37
(k)The impact of systems of the first order produces systems of the second order.
(l)Any other impacts produce systems of the third order, of which our galactic system is a type.
(m)The coalesence of two cosmic systems does not necessarily, as a final result, produce a system of a larger mass than one of the two original systems from which it was formed, as many agencies are tending to send matter out of the coalesced mass.
(n)It is thus seen that dissipation of energy is but a part of a complex cyclical process; and there is consequently the possibility of an immortal cosmos in which we have neither evidence of a beginning nor promise of an end, the present being but a phase of an eternal rhythm.

The diagrammatic scheme of cosmic evolution illustrates these agencies. It must be noted that bodies and systems are printed in italic capitals; and where several such are one above another it implies sequence of phenomena.

page 38

The following Papers on Construction Collision, are to be found in the Transactions of the N.Z. Institute.

On Temporary and Variable Stars. July 4th, 1878.

On Partial Impact, &c. August 1st, 1878.

On The Visible Universe. February 13th, 1878.

On the General Problem of Stellar Collision. March 13th, 1879.

Presidental Address on the Genesis of Worlds and Systems. April 3rd, 1879.

Causes tending to alter Eccentricity of Planetary Orbits. May 6th, 1880.

On the Origin of the Solar System, August 5th, 1880.

The Origin of Double Stars. August 5th 1880.

Some recent evidence in favour of Impact. November 1st, 1893.

The Immortality of the Cosmos. November 7th, 1894.

Synoptic Statement of the Principles and Phenomena of Cosmic Impact Prepared for the criticism of Scientific Men and Societies. November 7th, 1894.