Experimental Evidence for the Second Postulate of Special Relativity

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1962 · American Journal of Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1941992· OSTI ID:4790500

Fox, J. G.

The extincition theorem of dispersion theory, for which an elementary derivation is given, shows that an incident light wave is extinguished at the surface of a dielectric. This may mean that information about the velocity of light from a moving source would be lost if the light Passed through intervenfng transparent, stationary material before it was measured. All measurements to verify the constancy of the velocity of light from moving light sources and mirrors and from extraterrestrial sources were made only after the light had passed through stationary material. Double stars, especially close binary pairs, are surrounded by a common envelope of gas which may contain enough matter to extinguish the direct light from the stars. Thus de Sltter' s proof of the constancy of the velocity of light may not be conclusive. It is concluded that there may not exist any sure experimental evidence for the second postulate of special relativity.

• Research Organization: Carnegie Inst. of Tech., Pittsburgh
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-16-016816
• OSTI ID: 4790500
• Journal Information: American Journal of Physics, Journal Name: American Journal of Physics Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 30; ISSN AJPIAS; ISSN 0002-9505
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
DIELECTRICS
DIFFRACTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
GASES
LIGHT
LOSSES
MATHEMATICS
MEASURED VALUES
MOTION
REFLECTION
RELATIVITY THEORY
STARS
SURFACES
VELOCITY