Design of experiments for light-speed invariance to moving observers

The principle of the constancy of the velocity of light, which stated that the light velocity is invariant to the motion of the emitter, was well established and directly proven by many experiments. Interestingly, the further assumption that the light velocity is also independent of the motion of the observer was, arguably, never conclusively proven by any experiment for a century. This paper tried to address some perceived technical difficulties in such experiments and proposed two experiments to test this assumption. One is to directly measure the light speed as to moving sensors, with the setup designed in such a way that the concerns of time synchronization and dilation can be avoided. Another experiment is to test the isotropy of the light speed to a high-speed particle by measuring the momentum to acceleration ratio. The experiment results, if positive, will provide direct proof of the assumption. Otherwise, it may imply a need for further investigation. Since the light speed invariance to moving observers is a key assumption of some fundamental physical theory, either way, the experiments will have significant importance.

Role of time in implementation of innovative technologies

Time is considered as production resource, which determines the need for its effective use in connection with other production resources. The problem consists in the inconsistency of the results of the existing forecasting system of production which are founded on modern concepts of space and time. The theoretical positions of Galilean, A. Lorentz and G. Minkowski were analyzed. A. Einstein’s explanations regarding the use of the velocity of light in vacuum as a constant in the well-known dependency for the generalized four-dimensional space were studied. An attempt is made to solve the applied problem in space and time, taking as a constant, for example, standard or maximum possible, (calculated) productivity.

On the Relativity of the Speed of Light

Einstein's assumption that the speed of light is constant is a fundamental principle of modern physics with great influence. However, the nature of the principle of constant speed of light is rarely described in detail in the relevant literatures, which leads to a deep misunderstanding among some readers of special relativity. Here we introduce the unitary principle, which has a wide application prospect in the logic self consistency test of mathematics, natural science and social science. Based on this, we propose the complete space-time transformation including the Lorentz transformation, clarify the definition of relative velocity of light and the conclusion that the relative velocity of light is variable, and further prove that the relative variable light speed is compatible with Einstein's constant speed of light. The specific conclusion is that the propagation speed of light in vacuum relative to the observer's inertial reference frame is always constant $c$, but the propagation speed of light relative to any other inertial reference frame which has relative motion with the observer is not equal to the constant $c$; observing in all inertial frame of reference, the relative velocity of light propagating in the same direction in vacuum is $0$, while that of light propagating in the opposite direction is $2c$. The essence of Einstein's constant speed of light is that the speed of light in an isolated reference frame is constant, but the relative speed of light in vacuum is variable. The assumption of constant speed of light in an isolated frame of reference and the inference of relative variable light speed can be derived from each other.

Measurement of the relative velocity between an electromagnetic wave and its source/observer using the Doppler effect

The velocity of light is independent of the velocity of its source/observer. But the relative velocity between light and its source/observers is dependent on the velocity of the light source/observer, and this does not conflict with the first assumption. The velocity of light is <mml:math display="inline"> <mml:mi>c</mml:mi> </mml:math> everywhere and for everyone, but velocities <mml:math display="inline"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>c</mml:mi> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and <mml:math display="inline"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>c</mml:mi> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> , where <mml:math display="inline"> <mml:mi>v</mml:mi> </mml:math> is the velocity of a light source/observer, do not represent the velocity of light, but the relative velocity between light and its source/observer. The velocity of light can, thus, be added to and subtracted from any velocity—giving a measurable relative velocity. A simple and common proof for this is the Doppler effect or the working of the Doppler radar. If there were no relative velocity between the electromagnetic wave and its source/observer, then there would be no Doppler effect nor would the Doppler radar work. In this paper, we will measure experimentally the relative velocity between the electromagnetic wave and the source/observer, using the Doppler effect.