Re: Tom Van Flandern and Newtonian Gravity

From: Vern (vthodge_at_bealenet.com)
Date: 10/23/04 

Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2004 21:14:40 -0400

Tom Van Flandern wrote:

> This replies to Vern and Dennis McCarthy.
>
>
>"Vern" <vern@bealenet.com> writes:
>
>
>
>>>>[Vern (quoting)]: "It was originally Galileo's discovery, that the
>>>>trajectory of a falling body can be separated into two or more
>>>>entirely independent components of motion, caused by separate and
>>>>independent forces.
>>>>
>>>>
>
>
>
>>>[tvf]: The horizontal component of motion is a velocity, not an
>>>acceleration, and therefore has no associated force. There is only
>>>one force of gravity, and it is purely radial (which is downward for
>>>falling bodies).
>>>
>>>
>
>
>
>>[Vern]: In the historical context, it seems reasonable to assume two
>>independent forces, based on the experiments and empirical evidence.
>>
>>
>
> No, that is not reasonable in any context. A transverse
>force causes the orbit to spiral because it changes the speed
>continually in the same direction. When speed continually increases or
>decreases, the orbit must spiral outward or inward, respectively. Only a
>central force can keep the orbit at some fixed size. In orbital
>mechanics, we call that "conservation of angular momentum".
>
>

I have been following the discussion between you and Dennis, but am
posting at this point in the thread as this is where we left off. I am
curious as to your explanation for why eliptical orbits are the norm in
orbiting systems if the force of gravity has only a radial component.
Why wouldn't circular orbits be the norm?

(snipped remainder of discussion from previous posts)

A final comment. I do understand the conservation of angular momentum
concept, but I believe that it only applies if you accept
action-at-a-distance forces and mediumless space. If a medium is
involved, then it is more complicated. I think that is why Dennis was
saying that orbiting particles in a medium environment mandate a vortex,
otherwise the medium will not support an orbit.

Vern

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