The Kinetic Theory of Planetary Atmospheres

Abstract

THE much-debated question of the applicability of the kinetic theory to decide what gases can and what gases cannot exist in the atmospheres of planets is necessarily once more raised by a somewhat striking paper by M. E. Rogovsky in the Astrophysical Journal for November 1901. In performing certain calculations contained in this paper which are embodied in Table III. (p. 254), the author bases his work on the assumption (p. 252) that “…the equation, where W is the most probable velocity of the molecules of a gas, gives the minimum most probable velocity in a gas which escapes from the surface of the given celestial body.”