Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-10-03
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
Laboratory and St
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

A sky-rocket universe is postulated by
DR.. Ross Gum, physicist of the Naval
Research Laboratory, here.
The picture of stars and galaxies Of
billions of stars flying into space like SO
many exploding rockets, pushed by the
recoils of their own radiation, results
from the Navy physicists effort to pro-
vide p mathematical solution for the
riddle of the expanding universe, one
of the weirdest conceptions of the new
astronomy.
The so-called island universes,"
aggregations of stars comparable in size
to the Milky Way galaxy itself, but
separated from it by millions of light
years of empty space, appear to be NOV
ing outward at terrific speeds which
increase with a regular progression the
greater their distance. So well has this
movement been established during the
past few years by astronomers of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington, sta
toned at the Mount Wilson Observatory,
that it now is generally accepted and
the distance of the galaxy itself calcu-
lated from the speed of its recession.
But this is against all the logic of
classical astronomy with its universally
acting chains of gravity tying creation
together. The tendency should be for
the great aggregations of stars to pull
each other inward toward common
center. At the best, through their
orbital speed, they would be able to do
no more than retain their positions.
Yet the fact remains that they are NOV
ing outward, apparently compelled by
some opposite force even greater than
gravity itself. Various efforts have been
made to explain the strange phenomenon,
most of which have postulated some spe-
cial property of space. Nobody has been
able to explain it in terms Of the familiar
Euclidian space of three dimensions In
one notable theory an actual hypothetical
force acting opposite to gravlty-the
"cosmic force" of LIE Maitre, is postu-
lated. 1t is the force of outward move
ment impaired by the explosion of the
original extraordinary atom which was
the parent of the universe.
The Washington physicist finds an ex-
PLANTATION that fits the observed rate of
expansion In the kick-back OF radiation.
Every luminous body, such as a star,
is constantly emitting vast quantities Of
radiation into space. There is kick
back, like the kick of a gun against the
shoulder when it is fired. Propulsion
by this means is the fundamental prin-
ciple behind all proposed rocket ships
for the conquest Of space. They would
be propelled by q constant series OF explo-
sions directed in the opposite direction
tn the desired line of flight.
Now if a star were emitting radiation
equally from all points on its surface, the
kick-back would be neutralized in every
direction and there would be no effect
on its movement. This usually has been
assumed to be the case. Consequently
astronomers have not taken rocket pro-
pulSion into consideration in celestial
mechanics. 1t was supposed that star
was equally hot all over.
But, says Or. Gum in explaining his
novel hypothesis in the Journal OF the
Franklin Institute, there is no valid
reason for this supposition. Some parts
Of the surface of a star, he believes, are
hotter than others. Consequently they
are emitting more radiation and there
is q disbalance of the kickback tending
to push the star in the direction Of its
cooler surface.
This follows, says the Navy physicist.
from the supposed history of celestial
body. 1t Is calculated that once In ap-
proximately . billion years every star in
ths GALAXY goes through tbs pgoce1s a