The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-04-29
Elements Of the Sun and Stars.

j. Norman Lockyer is engaged in q
series of speetroscopic Investigations In
regard to the constitution of the heaven
" bodies which seem to promise start
ling discoveries IN regard to the mole
cular theory. In a communication to
Nature on the subject he says "The
| spectrOscopic evidence as to what may
be called the Elasticity of Che molecu-
les of the metalloids, including of course
oxygen and nitrogen, but excluding by
| drOgen, is so overwhelming that even
the absorption of iodine, although gene
rally it is transparens to violet light.
may (as have found in a repetition of
| DE-. Andrews's experiments ON the di-
chroism of iodine, in which observed
the spectrum) in part be driven into
the violet end of the spectrum, for
| iodine IN a solution Ia water or alcohol
at once gives mp its ordinary absorp-
ton properties, and stops violet light.
A preliminary comparison of the ordi-
nary absorption spectrum of a stratum
of six feet of chlorine renders it not
improbable that chlorine at a low tenn
perature is the cause of some of the
Fraunhofer lines in the violet, although,
as said before, have not yet obtained
certain evidence as to the reversal of
the bright lines of chlorine seen in the
iar-spark. There is also an apparent
coincidence between some of the faint
FrauenhOfer lines and some of the lines
of the low temperature absorption-speo-
trum of iodine. Should subsequent re-
searches strengthen the probability of
this working hypothesis, it seems pos
slble that iron meteorites will be asso-
ciated with the metallic stars, and stony
meteorites with metalloidal and COM
pound stars. OF the iron group of IA t.
ais In the sun iron and nickel are those
which exist in greatest quantity, as /
have determined from the number of
lines reversed. Other striking facts,
such as the presence of hydrogen in
meteorItes, might also be referred to-
An interesting physical speculation con-
nected with this working hypothesis is
the effect on the period of duration OF q
stars heat which would be brought
about by assuming that the original
atoms of which star is composed are
possessed with the increased potential
energy of combination which this hy-
pOthesis endoWs them with. From the
earliest phase of stars life the dissi-
patton of energy would, as it were,
bring into play new supply Of heat,
and 40 prolOnR the stars light. May 1t
not also be that if chemists take up
this Question which has arisen from the
spectroscopic evidence of what have
before termed the Elasticity of the mo-
lecules of the metalioids taken as a
whole, much of the power of variation
which is at present accorded to metals
may be traced home to the metalloids?
l need only refer TO the fact that, so
far as can learn, all so-calied changes
of atOmieity take place when metalloIds
are involved, and not when metals alone
are IN question. As instances of these
I may refer to the triatomic combina
tious formed with chlorine, oxygen.
sulphur, etc, In the case of tetrad or
hexad metals. May we not from these
IDEAS be justified In defining a metal.
Professionally, as a substance the alb
sorptiOa-spectrum of which is general
-ly the same as the neutrality-suspicious..
while the metalloids are substances the
absoEP' ion-spectrum of which general
" IS not the same La other words, IN
passing from a cold to a comparatively
hot state the Elasticity of these latter
comes into play, and we get a new mo-
lecuiar arrangement. Hence are We not
Justified in asking whether the change
ir9m oxygen to ozone is bus a type of
what IS place IN all metalloids ?"
Sae.aes - said D., :, ,,,...s.,-. CO.,