Islamset - Origin of Solar or Planetary System

Origin of Solar or Planetary System

In addition to the Origin of the Universe the existence of the solar or planetary system has also attracted the attention of astrophysicists and astronomers. They have also theorised about its origin. The important theories among them are: The Nebular Hypothesis, the Tidal Theory, the Planetesimal Theory, the Binary Star Theory , the Electro- Magnetic Theory and the Cepheid Theory .

The Nebular hypothesis of LapJace assumes that the solar system is born out of a rotating gaseous nebula. With its gradual cooling over a period of time the nebula would gradually contract leading to an incrase in its speed of rotation. Consequently the centrifugal force will exceed the centripetal force resulting in the ejection of gaseous matters from the outer layer of the nebula. The ejected matter would then commence to revolve "in the equatorial plane of the nebula, in the same direction as that of the nebular rotation," (Smart, 1959, Pelican, p. 187).

This assumption in the Nebular Hypothesis is not supported by the disproportionately high angular momentum in the sun, WlIich constitutes the balance of Laplace's original nebula. In the Tidal Theory by Jeans and Jeffrey the formation of the planetary system is attributed to the interaction of the sun with a star passing close to it which caused massive gaseous tides leading to the formation of an unstable gaseous filament which broke into many fragments and exists in the shape of planets. This theory has immense difficulty in explaining the angular momentum of the planets and the enormous distances to which they were pulled out due to tidal effect. The Binary Star Theory, to a large degree, answers objections raised regarding angular momentum but it also fails to account for the massive distances of the planets from the sun and how f did the "companion star" of the Binary System disappear. The Planetesimal Theory of Chamberlin -Moulten and the Cepheid Theory of BaneIji are variations of the Tidal Theory and tHerefore equally inadequate. Dr. Hannes Alfocus' Electro Magnetic Theory of the birth of the solar system is innovative but thoroughly unsatisfactory, for the author does not explain 'how the Sun becomes immersed in a cloud of ionised atoms,"(Smart, 1959, Pelican, p. 203). The shortcomings of these theories are obvious for none can explain the whole truth cogently and cohesively. Here again the scientists, acknowledge that "We shall never know beyond a shadow of doubt how the Planetary System came into existence," (Smart, 1959, Pelican, p. 180).