dietz%USC-CSE@USC-ECL.ARPA (06/12/84)
The radiation drag I was referring to is known as the Poynting-Robertson effect. A particle moving through the radiation emitted by a star will reflect (or re-emit) more energy in the direction of motion (due to doppler shift), producing a VERY small retarding force. Over millions of years the particle will spiral into the star, at a rate proportional to the particle's cross-sectional area divided by its mass. dietz@usc-ecla