This should make it easier for Joe to believe that it's truly a pressure-wave phenomemon. I was merely speaking off the cuff, not attempting to truly quantify the interstellar density. Hard to be precise when at work with my mind wrapped around composites instead of astro-physics. Thanks C. --- Paul Gettings <gettings@mines.utah.edu> wrote:
On 10-Sep-03 8:25, Chuck Hards wrote:
The process is mechanical, the same as sound in the human range, even though the individual molecules are kilometers apart. You are thinking correctly about In space, the density of molecules is closer to tens to millions per cubic meter, not km. In the region of a gas cloud, the density would be many thousands to millions of particles per cubic meter. Only in the deepest part of intergalactic space could the density drop near the particle/km^3.
Hence, it is not very difficult to propogate a pressure wave by mechanical interactions. The propogation speed (speed of sound) is _very_ low compared to a normal atmosphere; very easy to go Mach 1! :)
-- 101 USES FOR A DEAD MICROPROCESSOR (100) Killer velcro
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