Re: Thermal Energy - thermalization of rotational energy

[Bob Sciamanda <trebor@VELOCITY.NET>]

> . . .  Jupiter's moon Io is heated by passing
> "organized rotational energy" into thermal energy via gravitational
stresses
> on Io as it revolves.  Isn't this also an example of thermalization of
> rotational energy without external interaction? . . .
> Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D

One needn't go to the stars. Consider an automobile hanging in free space
with it wheels spinning in place.  By merely applying the (internal)
brakes, the KE of the spinning wheels is easily thermalized, without
external assistance.  I think we are in a semantic mire.  It seems we must
define "a common rotation of the system as a whole", as distinguished from
differential rotations of its parts.  The former would not be
"thermalizable" without external interactions, the latter would. (?)

Bob Sciamanda (W3NLV)
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (em)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor