Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!houxm!houxz!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!sri-unix!dietz%USC-CSE@USC-ECL.ARPA From: dietz%USC-CSE@USC-ECL.ARPA Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Re: radiation drag Message-ID: <772@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Mon, 11-Jun-84 21:44:00 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.772 Posted: Mon Jun 11 21:44:00 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 13-Jun-84 01:53:46 EDT Lines: 9 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