The Physics Surrounding the Michelson-Morley Experiment and a New Æther Theory

Abstract

From the customary view the Michelson-Morley experiment is used to expose the failure of the aether theory. The key point in this experiment is the fringe shift of the interference pattern. Regularly, the fringe shift calculations are only presented from the perspective of the inertial frame where the one-way speed of light is anisotropic which gives a partial vision of the problem. In a spirit of revision of these facts we have meticulously analyzed the physics behind them. As a result, an angular effect which is based on Huyghens principle and plays a fundamental role in the reflection of light waves at moving mirrors is incorporated. Moreover, under the assumption of a null result in the experiment, on the one hand, the fringe shift conditions demand actual relativistic effects; on the other, it is confirmed that Maxwell's electrodynamics and Galilean relativity are incompatible formulations. From these two points at least three inertial theories follow: (1) the special theory of relativity (SR), ( 2) a new aether theory (NET) based on the Tangherlini transformations and (3) emission theories based on Ritz' modification of electrodynamics. A brief review of their physical content is presented and the problem of the aether detection as well as the propagation of light, within the context of SR and the NET, are discussed. Despite the overwhelming amount of evidences that apparently favors SR we claim that there are no strong reasons to refuse the aether which conceived as a continuous material medium, still stands up as a physical reality and could be physically associated with dark matter, the cosmic background radiation and the vacuum condensates of particle physics.

On the experimental determination of the one-way speed of light

“…Finally, it is important to mention that interferometric experiments like the Michelson-Morley experiment [11,[26][27][28]40] are also two-way experiments and are readily explained by method 1; we just have to set u = c in the corresponding equations. Iyer and Prabhu have derived a more general expression for the one-way speed of light in K , they found the relation…”

“…So far, a few authors [32][33][34][35][36] have propounded very clever experiments to test the isotropy of the one-way speed of light but no general consensus has been achieved. In a recent paper, Greaves et al [37] reported the achievement of the measurement of the one-way speed of light, 994 I Pérez a claim that has not only raised some critics [38,39] but is also far from being in agreement with the opinion of the vast majority of specialists [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][40][41][42][43][44].…”