David Talbott's 2005 ignorance about comets
The "density" of
The Electric Comet is addressed directly here
...
Wrong,
Haig - that is a web page produced by the crank
David Talbott in 2005 with the usual fantasies and ignorance of science, e.g. his fantasy about an insulating layer of material on the surface of comets.
This was written in anticipation of the Deep Impact results that the Thunderbolts web site he runs has lied about for many years:
The lies, failures and successes of Thunderbolts Deep Impact predictions.
David Talbott was (and seems to be still) ignorant of simple facts about the density of comets
* electric charges come in 2 types and so any possible effects can go both ways - either make comets (and asteroids) heavier than they are or lighter than they are.
* the density of comets and asteroids are determined using the same technique (their orbits give their mass, observations give their size). Anything that affects comets will also affect asteroids, But we have samples of asteroids that confirm that they are rocks (meteorites).
* The density of comets is determined in multiple ways.
Davit Talbott was ignorant about the scientific model of comets. Comet coma are mainly generated by jets from sublimating ices
under the surface of the nucleus (not on the surface). This activity is not constant - it increases as the comet heats up.
His ignorance leads to some invalid statements abut comet "puzzles"
* There is no mystery about why comets are "coal black" - it is organic material.
* Comets have "craters" because they have jets creating them (and a few impacts as well).
* Comets are not "rocky" unless someone were ignorant enough to just look at images and deny the science behind the density measurements.
* Comet jets are "so narrow and energetic" because that is what ices sublimating through vents or pits in a low gravity field produce "
!
* Some comets produce sulfur compounds because they contain sulfur compounds!
* There is a "superabundance of extremely fine dust" because the solar system contains lots of extremely fine dust.
* The "presence of water molecules increase with distance from the nucleus" has nothing to do with dust being driven off the nucleus.
* "coma temperatures reach 2 million degrees" is wrong.
Sun grazing comets do reach that temperature because they graze the Sun!
Scientists mystified how Comet Lovejoy survived 2 million degree K temperature pass through Sun’s corona.
* Comet Halley's outburst is expected from the scientific model. Outbursts are expected from all comets since ices vary in volatility and so it is possible for a patch of volatile ices to start sublimating.
What was unexpected was the size of the outburst - that was more like an impact on the comet.
* X-ray emissions were expected, detected
and explained for comets before the Chandra X-ray Observatory on July 14, 2000.
Discovery of X-ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Emission from Comet C/Hyakutake 1996 B2 in
1996.
Comet Hyakutake x-ray source: Charge transfer of solar wind heavy ions in
1997.
The lack of x-rays from electric discharges is evidence against electric comets
David Talbott lied about
* the existence of evidence that suggests hat comets are highly negatively charged with respect to the Sun.
* the conventional theory has a scientific reason for "the high density of negative ions discovered near the comet nucleus" - interaction of atoms with the solar wind allows them to capture electrons.
* "an unexpected "forbidden oxygen" line at 1128Å in the spectrum of Comet Austin" has nothing to do with electrical discharges.
The Spectrum of Comet Austin from 910 to 1180 Å (1991!)
A spectrum of comet Austin (1988 c(1)) has been obtained from 910 to 1180 A. Three bright emission lines were detected, including a forbidden oxygen line (1128 A), which are attributable to radiative pumping of neutral oxygen by solar Lyman beta.
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