Capture theory

By:
Peter Rafael Vijar
Gabrielle Java
Julleann Calibang
Kzlyr Manejo
Azter Ghelle Umadhay
Craig Alain Octaviano
 Outline
Michael Woolfson
Capture Theory

Hypothesis

Contradictions
MICHAEL WOOLFSON
 -Michael Mark Woolfson (born 9 January
1927) is a British physicist and planetary scientist. His
research interests lie in the fields of x-ray
crystallography, biophysics and the formation of stars
and planets. He became an Honorary Fellow of Jesus
College in 1999. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal
Society in 1984 and is also a fellow of the Royal
Astronomical Society and the Institute of Physics. He
is an Honorary Vice-President of the Yorkshire
Philosophical Society. He has published books on the
subjects of materials science, planet formation,
mathematics and Big Bangcosmology. He is currently
professor Emeritus at the University of York.
 What Is
Capture Theory?

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⋆ A Capture Theory of the origin of the solar system”
Michael Woolfson’s capture theory, proposing that
the solar system formed through the capture of
material from a diffuse star that passed close to
the sun. “
⋆ In 1964, a capture theory of the origin of the solar
system was put forward by Woolfson. It depicts a
tidal interaction between the Sun and a diffuse cool
protostar.
⋆ It was proposed that the Sun could have captured
planetary material from a light, diffuse star (protostar -
loose mass of of cold dust and gasses that eventually
becomes a main sequence star once it reaches a certain
temperature) that is passing by and is caught by the
tidal force during the encounter.
⋆ The protostar distorts and eventually a filament of
material escapes. At a certain parameter, the captured
material could obtain a range of orbits around the Sun
with perihelia (point in the orbit of a planet wherein it is
closest to the Sun) comparable to those observed in the
solar system.
⋆ The condensation (process of forming a dense material
making it more concentrated), of planets from the
captured material was investigated according to the
theory of the formation of condensations, as given by
Jeans (1919), and it was shown that the ejected
filament may have been dense enough to have given rise
to planets.
⋆ For example ( in relation to the capture theory): Some
scientists thought that the Moon was a stray object
that passed by Earth so closely that it was captured by
Earth's gravitational field and held in orbit. This theory
holds that the Moon was fully formed and had its origin
in a very different place from where it resides today.
HYPOTHESIS
The scientists supporting this theory were
anxious to sample rocks from the Moon to see
if the composition of the Moon was
chemically different from rocks on Earth. If
the materials were significantly different, the
scientists would have evidence that the Moon
originated in a very different place. Some
scientists could not accept the capture
theory because they thought that the passing
Moon would have to be traveling at an
unreasonably slow speed in order for Earth's
gravity to capture and hold so large an object.
 Contradictions

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LOOPHOLES: dispproving the CAPTURE THEORY CAPTURE THEORY—The
"capture theory" says that our planets and moons were wandering
around in space and the planets were captured by the gravity of our
sun, and the moons were captured by the planets. But there are serious
problems here also:
1 The mathematical probabilities are extremely low. Given the
great distances between objects in space, the likelihood that objects
would pass so close to one another is very little. Millions would have to
pass near the sun or planets in order for one to pass closely enough.
2 We see no planets flying by us today! If it was occurring
earlier, it should be happening with great regularity now. We have
enough telescopes in place that we could easily observe such giant
rocks whizzing through our solar system. They would be brilliant as they
shot by, and many could easily be seen with the unaided eye.
 3 If they did pass near enough, gravity would crash into planets
and suns, or they would merely fly past us; they would not pause and
begin orbiting within our solar system. How could the earth, for example,
capture the moon? It wouldn't. The moon would just rush on by it. When
our "space-probes"—such as the Voyager rockets—are sent to other
planets, as they pass close to them they are thrown outward and
accelerated in their onward flight out into distant space. You may ask,
"Why then does an Apollo rocket, after being hurled toward the moon,
begin orbiting it?" Because closely-monitored computerized jets,
controlled by telemetry signals from earth, place it into a carefully
predetermined orbit at a certain distance from the moon's surface.
Nothing is left to chance, for scientists know that only failure would
result

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 4 By mathematical probabilities, it would take thousands of
moons passing near the earth in order for one to possibly begin circling
it. In the process, gravity would have brought many of them crashing
into the earth, destroying both

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Thank you for
listening!
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