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Originally Posted by ATKINS
Could you provide the source of the Talbott quotation, please. A quick Googlesearch didn't produce anything.
What T&T say in the link Nereid provided is:
(my bold).
Is that clearer? |
Your "Electric Comet" reference is very interesting, until about 3/4s way down where it breaks down in their "when comets break apart". They say:
Quote:
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Why would intense, high-velocity jets and explosions of dust, traveling at supersonic speeds, precede the fragmentation of a comet nucleus? In the electrical model of comets, the nucleus behaves like a capacitor. And as electrical engineers are well aware, if a discharge occurs within a capacitor it can explode violently. That is what causes comet nuclei to fragment and it is why the event is commonly preceded by outbursts far more energetic than could be explained by sublimating ices. The energy is provided by the stored electrical energy within the nucleus. All that is required to trigger Comet Linear breaking up in the summer of 2000.
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But this is not the ONLY reason the comet may break up, and in effect 'explode' so some parts are flying ahead of the nucleus. I find this report inconclusive, though it is interesting as a speculation. There may be other causes, something other than electric charge, to account for comets entering the inner solar system spewing out their guts. Also, if the electric comet idea is to have any traction, it needs some numbers to show how it works. Hate to ask this, but:
Where's the math?