Referee's report by Augustus Edward Hough Love, on a paper 'The stability of the spherical nebula' by James Hopwood Jeans

Description

Sectional Committee: Mathematics

Recommended for publication in Philosophical Transactions provided it can be modified as indicated in the following report and notes. It is necessary to present the fundamental equations in a form admitting of comparison with those used by previous writers, primarily Kirchhoff in 'Vorlesangen über die Theorie der Wärme', Leipzig 1894. Cannot get the authors equations from those 'usually taken', and does not find the authors investigation convincing. If there is error in the equations, it will be necessary after correcting them to determine whether any of the subsequent work needs alteration and probably many details will need to be corrected. The single illustration should be reproduced provided the theory leading to it is not found to be vitiated.

The object of the paper is to throw light on some problems of speculative astronomy by the solution of definite problems of mathematical physics. It is ably worked out and is probably substantially correct but the statement of the definite problems is not sufficiently clear and the equations, which are taken to represent them analytically, are liable to criticism. He was unable to get the authors equation number 13 from Kirchoff's equations. He also thinks the 'boundary-condition' requires attention and discusses a quotation on page 14 of the Jean's manuscript by Boltzman from 'Vorlesungen über Gastheorie'.

[Published in Philosophical Transactions A, 1902].

Endorsed on verso as received 1 August 1901.

Reference number

RR/15/200

Earliest possible date

31 July 1901

Physical description

Standardised form (type A)

Page extent

8 pages

Format

Manuscript