Stellar Oscillations across Spiral Arms

Jim,

There is no such thing as absolute speed. I'm pretty sure you already know this, but I'm not sure why you would think I don't.

LB

LB, I believe in absolute zero in all topics even speed and the point is you are missing the point.

Jim,

If I'm reading you correctly, you want to consider only relative speed in this particular discussion. ([Jim] "The relative speed and not absolute speed is the focus ..."). Since I am talking about relative speed and you are talking about relative speed, why don't we move on?

LB

[Jim] "Relative to the excape velocity fast moving objects are slowed and slow moving objects are speeded up in a gravity field ... because the time a slow moving object spends being accelerated is much greater than a fast moving object ... "

I know what you are trying to say here, but you are saying it wrong. The specific error you are making suggests that you still have trouble understanding units.

If you want me to give you the correct answer I will, but I was hoping you would re-think your statement and catch the problem yourself.

LB

HINT - you are correct that the faster object spends less time being accelerated than the slower object.

LB, I'm all for the simplest way to a solution, so, if you can say it better please do so. I have no idea what you are driving at anyway. My focus is relative to the gravity field of the sun and how a comet would behave if it entered into that gravity field from another area of the galaxy. It seems to me you have some other focus which is of interest but different.

Jim,

No, that is exactly what I'm talking about as well.

All objects speed up as they fall toward a source of gravity. Fast or slow initially makes no difference. The faster of two objects will speed up less than the slower one (the point you were trying to make), but it will still speed up as it falls. And it will always be faster.

I suspect you actually had the right picture in your mind, but the words you used don't match. Here is a correct way to express the idea: "Relative to the sun a slow moving comet will gain speed and a fast moving comet will gain speed, but the speed gained by the fast moving comet will be less than the speed gained by the slow moving comet." There are better ways to say it but I'm trying to mimic your terminology to facilitate communication.

LB