Clock synchronization and isotropy of the one-way speed of light

Journal Article · Wed Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.45.403· OSTI ID:5082720

Will, C M ^[1]

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1. McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130 (United States)

Experimental tests of the isotropy of the speed of light using one-way propagation are analyzed using a test theory of special relativity. It is shown that, when properly expressed in terms of measurable quantities, the results of such experiments are independent of the method of global synchronization of clocks. Experiments analyzed include a Jet Propulsion Laboratory time-of-flight measurement, a resonant two-photon absorption experiment, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory--NASA 1976 rocket gravitational redshift experiment, and Moessbauer rotor experiments. If the characteristic anisotropy is proportional to {alpha}{ital w}, where {ital w} is the velocity of the Earth relative to the cosmic background radiation, the best bound on {alpha} from these experiments is {vert bar}{alpha}{vert bar}{lt}9{times}10{sup {minus}8}.

• OSTI ID: 5082720
• Journal Information: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States) Vol. 45:2; ISSN PRVDA; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661310* -- Relativity & Gravitation-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
BACKGROUND RADIATION
BOSONS
COSMIC RADIATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FIELD THEORIES
GENERAL RELATIVITY THEORY
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOTROPY
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MOESSBAUER EFFECT
PHOTONS
RADIATIONS
RED SHIFT
RELATIVITY THEORY
ROCKETS
SORPTION
SYNCHRONIZATION
TESTING
TIME MEASUREMENT
TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD
VELOCITY
VISIBLE RADIATION