The Theory of Special Relativity

BASIC PRINCIPLES, LIMITS, POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR DECISIVE EXPERIMENTS

Gerhard W. Borst


The main result of this investigation is that the phase velocity of light and not speed of light must be applied to classical experiments, where light beams going and coming are observed in moving systems. The comparisons usually made by determining interference patterns are remaining incomplete without further considerations. Re-evaluation according to the concept presented here for the Michelson-Morley and Kennedy-Thorndike experiments lead to different results. This change in the point of view has a substantial effect on other main subjects, as it is the case for the Theory of Special Relativity (SRT).

Basics

For the formulation of SRT, Einstein chose an approach whose foundations are the "principle of relativity" and the "constancy of the speed of light" and which does not contain any physical formula in its origin. From this "top-down" concept the Lorentz-Transformation and the relationship for the relativistic increase of the kinetic energy, later also called Relativistic Mass Increase, can be derived.

It is surprising that until today there is no uniform formulation of the two central principles. Every author of a publication about SRT chooses his own approach for this. The representations can be divided basically into "objective observation criterion" and "axiom". First, objective criterion means for the principle of relativity:

1. The execution of any physical experiment leads to the same result in all inertial systems.

This approach was also chosen by Einstein. The representation as "axiom" contains the statement, "All inertial systems are equal". In newer publications rather (but not exclusively) the axiomatic concept is used. With exact interpretation, however, this already contains the statement that a system of absolute rest cannot exist, for which there is no experimental proof until today (but also no counterproof). To keep this open, in the following the classical concept for this basic principle is chosen.

If as second criterion the velocity of light is considered, the same is valid here as already shown before; here also the statements "no differences can be determined" and "the velocity of light is always the same" for different inertial frames are in use. As an essential result of the investigations carried out here it shows, however, that with the observation of oscillations of one light source from any arbitrarily inertial system moved to each other the phase velocity of light is the only reasonable possibility to achieve contradiction-free results. If instead the velocity of light is used - as it is still usual today - different interpretations concerning the number of oscillations from this source arise for the differently moved observers and connected with this also the view on interference patterns.

The proposal for a contradiction-free and unambiguous formulation of the second principle of the SRT reads thus:

2. The phase velocity of light is invariant in all inertial systems and its speed is equal to the value of the velocity of light measurable in every inertial frame.

However, the investigations presented here have also shown that a “bottom-up” approach with an Extended Lorentz-Theory is also possible. Using this concept, the necessary basic physical laws are defined, and the relativity principle can then be derived from them. This approach reads as follows:

1. From the unlimited number of existing inertial systems, one is selected as base system and marked with index 0.

2. In this basic system, measurements of the speed of light show the same value c in all directions.

3. The properties of all other inertial systems are defined by their relative velocity v to the base system, and the following relations are valid for time t, displacement x and mass m

ML_e

In this representation, special relativity and the extended Lorentz approach are math-ematically completely equivalent. However, the Theory of Special Relativity excludes with usual interpretation the existence of a system of absolute rest, which can be integrated in the extended Lorentz approach by simple choice of the basic system without further assumptions or restrictions. The since some decades known completely uniform cosmic background radiation has already led many times to considerations to reconcile this with the existence of an absolutely resting space and SRT. So far this was not successful and always led to contradictions with experimental findings. It is of great advantage that the approach shown here allows a completely problem-free integration. However, since up to now no experimental proof has succeeded with conventional approaches, a decision cannot be made at present.

Suggestions for experiments

This could change if quantum mechanical tunneling experiments are included. Theo-retical considerations show that faster-than-light transmissions of signals, e.g. by sending a simple pulse, are compatible with the extended Lorentz theory but not with SRT. An experiment is proposed, which allows an unambiguous decision concerning the different approaches. Furthermore, two other experiments are presented for discussion, of which the most important is the direct proof of the "relativity of simultaneity", which is an inte-gral part of the Lorentz equations.

Investigated effects

The proposed new “Extended Lorentz-Theory” is based on the assumption that Lorentz-Transformation and relativistic mass increase are the only prerequisites necessary for implementation. As presented in the main text (chapter nos. in brackets) verifications of important effects can be performed, such as

- Exchange of signals between point-shaped observers (2.1)
- Exchange of signals inside moving bodies (2.2)
- Exchange of signals and correlation of angles (2.3)
- Signal exchange in any spatial direction (2.4)
- Experiments with transparent media in motion (4.2)
- Triggering of engines after synchronization (4.3)
- Signal exchange between observers with spatial geometry (4.4)
- Clock transport t (5.1)
- Twin paradox (5.2)
- Relativistic mass increase and energy (6.1)
- Spring paradox (6.2)
- Relativistic elastic collision (6.3)
- Exchange of signals in systems with constant acceleration (6.4.1)
- Relativistic rocket equation (6.4.2)
- Relativistic non-elastic collisions (7.1)
- Analysis of disintegration into 2 particles (7.2.1)
- Disintegration into 2 photons (7.2.2)
- Invariance of phase velocity during transition between different inertial systems (8.)

None of these investigations showed discrepancies to the new theory.