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More comets towards Alpha Centauri?



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 7th 04, 08:26 AM
AA Institute
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Default More comets towards Alpha Centauri?

I was hoping to find out if we would encounter more comets and
interstellar debris on a hypothetical journey going out from our solar
system in the direction of Alpha Centauri, compared to any other
direction. This is a point which I theorise in my research article
at:-

http://uk.geocities.com/aa_spaceagen...ropulsion.html

Going out from the Sun in the direction of Alpha Centauri, at around
(c. 70,000 - 120,000 AUs solar distance), where the individual
gravitational spheres of influence of the Sun and Alpha Centauri
intersect and merge into each other, the orbital speeds of any comets
slow right down. So is it feasible to assume they would concentrate in
a 'pool' in this region hanging in a gravity equilibrium between both
systems?

Based on an analysis of the arrival and departure trajectories of all
non-periodic comets in and out of our solar system over the past 300
years, is it possible to show that a greater (statistically
significant) number come from the general direction of Alpha Centauri,
compared to all other directions in the sky?

If we analys all comets with orbital eccentricity, e 0.99 (very long
periodic) to e = 1 (parabolic, hyperbolic never returning), then it
may just show some results that can confirm this. Where can I find a
list of all comets and orbital data over past 300 years?

Quote of the assertions in my article:-

"The "mid-range" which I refer to here, is a *gravitational* mid range
centered on approx. 90,000 AUs solar distance - a third of the total
linear distance separating our Sun from Alpha Centauri. At that
distance, an object's orbital period, given by Kepler's 3rd law:-

a^3 = k * T^2

[ where a = semi-major axis of orbit, T = orbital period and k =
Gaussian gravitational constant ]

would be no less than 27 million years! Since this territory is
effectively a "no man's land", where an object would be equally
gravitationally perturbed by both systems, it is quite conceivable
that material could accumulate here and more comets and icy debris
could be encountered on a voyage going towards Alpha Centauri compared
to any other direction. "


[[Mod. note -- You might also want to try posting over in
sci.space.science, as a lot of planetary-science people seem to
read/post there. -- jt]]
  #3  
Old September 8th 04, 09:01 PM
James Nicoll
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Default

In article z,
R. G. 'Stumpy' Marsh wrote:
In message ,
(AA Institute) wrote:

Based on an analysis of the arrival and departure trajectories of all
non-periodic comets in and out of our solar system over the past 300
years, is it possible to show that a greater (statistically
significant) number come from the general direction of Alpha Centauri,
compared to all other directions in the sky?


Well, given that:
:: Naked-eye Alpha Centauri appears so bright because it is so close.
:: This also means that it has a large proper motion – the drifting of
:: stars relative to each other due to their actual motion and direction
:: in space. In another 4,000 years Alpha Centauri will have moved near
:: enough to Beta Centauri for the two to form an apparent double star.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/brightest_stars_030715-3.html

The proper motion of Alpha Centauri would completely swamp your data
if you are considering comets with periods on the order of 27 million
years. Alpha Centauri has a radial velocity of 22km/s
http://www.krysstal.com/brightest.html, so in a million years it
travels 22*60*60*24*365*1000000 = 6.94*10^14km, or the better part of
a light-month, relative to the Sun. That's about half the current
distance in one orbit of your comets-of-interest.


I get a figure closer to 1000x great. Is it possible you
forgot to convert light years to km instead of meters?
--
"I mean, you don't seem like a bad guy to me..."
"I don't? I got a death touch, an army of killer robots and a skull
drawn on my chest and I don't look like a bad guy to you? I think
you could be in the wrong business."
 




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