lew@ihuxr.UUCP (Lew Mammel, Jr.) (11/30/83)
I once did a little study of planetary electrical charge in response to some of the claims of Velikovskyites. Basing a refutation on the lack of electric force between planets begs the question in this regard. They count electrostatic forces as a major candidate for the cause of large planetary excursions. I think the easiest counterclaim is that the solar wind amounts to a conducting medium, since it contains ions. Thus, the whole solar system is kept at a constant potential. If some large postive charge were to materialize in the center of the moon, it would accumulate a negatively charged radiation belt around itself which would shield it. Of course, the earth's ionosphere provides a handy source of charge to respond to any stray potentials. A charged body brought near the earth (assuming it to be unshielded by the effect described above) would draw off charge from the ionosphere, rather than having any effect on the bulk of the earth. The electric phenomena of the earth's atmosphere are quite involved and constitute an entire area of study. (This is generally what one discovers when one decides to investigate some question which it seems no one has ever thought of before.) Lew Mammel, Jr. ihnp4!ihuxr!lew