The Matter of Space¹

Abstract

II. IN the aggregations of points which form ponderable bodies, other means exist of suppressing the effects of the points' attractions for each other than the simple counteracting forces of the above figure. Clausius's equation of stationary motion in fact informs us that this will take place when there is no exertion of tractive moment, or no total instantaneous sum of motor-couple actions in the system. This simply appears to imply that the pair of orbs A₁ A₂ and the pair A₁′ A₂′ are in that case no longer independent of each other in their transference and counter transference of motor energy, but that the twofold action of such energy is then a self-neutralising one; or in other words that the energy given off at A₂ passes on to A₂′; and that discharged at A₁ is taken up by A₁; so that in the case where B B are in stationary motion, or combine to form a “sphere” of two gravitating points, or again where many such points collected together form a permanent ponderable body, orb-couples intervene between the otherwise free extremities, A₁ A₁ and A₂ A₂′ of the two ether systems (in the directions shown by arrows in the figure), and bind them together conservatively by an endless circuit of motor energy through the ether-orbs, while a similar endless flow of ordinary momentum through the ponderable channels of the system in the meantime constitute also the usually recognised internal, gometrical, or “lost” forces of such a permanent aggregation, “sphere” or “body” of ponderable matter.