With Out Gravity
By: Miles Pelton,
Mar. 2014
 |
| Photo courtesy NASA |
The accompanying photograph was
presented by NASA to illustrate the effect of zero gravity on the flame of a
candle. However, the effect illustrated is not because of gravity’s effect on
the candle flame but rather gravity’s effect on the atmosphere in which the candle
burns. Obviously the effect is significant so the question is “what happens”.
Consideration for the fundamental physics
involved reveals the cause for the pictured reaction. Begin by recognizing that the flame of the
candle is the energy that produces illumination that when concentrated near the
source of released photons, is seen as a glow. Photons are carriers of the
energy that produces illumination in addition to the energy forms that produce heat.
The energy carried by photons is deposited upon matter that is impacted by radiating
photons. The glow of a light (illumination) is produced because we see the
fundamental energy that produces illumination. The deposited heat energy causes
weakening of the force that binds the molecules and atoms of which matter is
made resulting in reduced density, which means reduction in reaction to the
force of gravity.
The photo on the right shows the effect on a
candle burning in an atmosphere produced in a pressurized container (the space
lab) rather than by gravity. The photo on the left shows the effect when the
candle is burning in the oxygen rich atmosphere created by earth’s
gravitational attraction where the density varies as the atmospheric pressure
varies. Recognize that the combustion responsible for this reaction is
releasing photons, some of which impact and release the energy they carry upon
the molecules of the surrounding air. The energy that causes the illumination
existing in concentration is seen as a glow. The heat producing energy causes
expansion of the heated air molecules upon which the energy is deposited. In an
atmosphere under the influence of gravity the heated less dense air molecules
rise to a less dense atmospheric pressure and the rising heat configures as
revealed by the glow of the candle in the left photo. Since the “atmosphere” in
the NASA space station is manufactured pressurization and not created by
gravity, there is no pressure stratification and the heated atmosphere just
“hangs out” around the candle wick.
The
difference in flame color, intensity and size of the space lab photo is because
the demonstration was conducted in a low or no oxygen atmosphere. Combustion in
the presence of oxygen causes oxygen molecules to fragment, which adds to the
energy released as photons as a product of combustion, which adds to the
intensity of the combustion reaction and the concentration of the glow, which
accounts for the color, intensity and size[MP1]
of the flame produced.
These
photos demonstrate that the glow of a candle or a star DOES NOT react to
gravity but rather dispersion of the surrounding atmosphere molecules heated by
the energy carried by photons is affected. Further, since the glow of a distant
star (or galaxy) is vision and not radiating photons, the fact that vision is
warped by gravity means that there is a carrier of vision that is affected by
gravity.
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