The misunderstood Sagnac effect

The Sagnac effect of first order (in one-way light) is shown to explain the aberration observed in the very long base interferometry tests. This fact is also consistent with Sagnac’s results and with the observed stellar aberration. The Sagnac effect of second order (in two-way light) is shown to be real, but not observable, in the experiments that were done by Michelson and Morley. However, it is also shown that the same second order effect is observable in the Pioneer anomaly. The Doppler effect of second order is also demonstrated to explain the cosmic red shift, due to a radial ether wind.

The Features of the Reference Frame Concomitant to the Cosmic Microwave Background

The features of reference frame, concomitant to the cosmic microwave background, immobile relatively cosmic microwave background, are considered. It is shown that the features of reference frame, concomitant to the cosmic microwave background (CMB), are determined by its properties. Any other object in the Universe and reference frame concomitant to it, is immersed in the CMB and moves relative to the reference frame concomitant to microwave background radiation. The zero pecular velocity of the reference frame concomitant to the microwave background radiation is analogous to the zero temperature on the Kelvin scale. Time in it is most rapid in relation to the time in any other reference frame, observable and measurable in any of them. The features of time, pecular speed, relative speed of two inertial RF, stellar aberration, and Doppler effect in the reference frame concomitant to the microwave background radiation are considered. According to the determined relative velocity of the two reference systems and the peculiar velocity of the reference system with the observer, the components of their relative velocity are determined. Determining the components of the relative velocity of the reference frames with determining the synchronous time for all points at any time in the reference frame concomitant to microwave background radiation, allows us to investigate the possibility of determining the speed of light "one way" and using it to navigate vehicles in distant space. Stability of angular location of heterogeneities of CMB in reference frame concomitant to CMB, allows us to use these heterogeneities for the increase of exactness of astronomic reference frames HCRF and ICRF.

Absolute Velocity and Total Stellar Aberration(II)

In this paper, we will show that in addition to measuring annual and diurnal stellar aberration it is also possible 7 directly to measure the angle of secular aberration caused by the motion of the solar system relative to other 8 stars. In the manuscript [1] we dealt with this problem and gave a short description of a special telescope. Using 9 such a telescope we would be able to measure the exact position of the cosmic objects and thus eliminate errors 10 that occur due to the stellar aberration. Assuming that the tube of the telescope is filled with some optical 11 medium [2], we will show that this does not significantly affect the measurement of the stellar aberration angle, 12 but also that these differences are still large enough to enable us to determine the velocity at which the solar 13 system moves relative to the other stars.

Speed Measurement in an Accomoving Reference System

A method of direct measurement of the observer's velocity (peculiar velocity) relative to the accompanying reference system is proposed and investigated. To measure peculiar velocity, it is proposed to use the measurement of stellar light aberration. A comparison of the use of light aberration and the Doppler Effect for measuring velocity relative to relic radiation was made. When using the Doppler Effect, the total speed of the observer was measured - the Hubble speed and the radial component of the peculiar speed of the observer. As a result of the analysis of the components of the observer's velocity in the comoving reference frame, the Hubble and peculiar velocities of the observer, their essential features are formulated. The analysis of the shape of the wave fronts of the CMB radiation, the radiation of quasars, the radiation of stars and the radiation of ground sources is given. As a consequence of this analysis, the decisive influence of the shape of their wave fronts on the possibilities of measuring stellar aberration and the absence of such an effect when measuring velocity using the Doppler Effect are shown. Measurement of light aberration in an inertial system enables direct measurement of the observer's peculiar velocity in an comoving reference frame. Knowing the observer's peculiar velocity is important for increasing the accuracy of determining the Hubble velocity of especially objects of relatively small remoteness. The proposed structures of devices for measuring the peculiar velocity of an inertial reference system were investigated. Peculiar speed is determined by the measured light aberration without switching to another frame of reference. Their expected accuracy and reliability were evaluated. The practical use of the proposed structures is possible in astronomy and spacecraft.

StarNAV: Autonomous Optical Navigation of a Spacecraft by the Relativistic Perturbation of Starlight

Future space exploration missions require increased autonomy. This is especially true for navigation, where continued reliance on Earth-based resources is often a limiting factor in mission design and selection. In response to the need for autonomous navigation, this work introduces the StarNAV framework that may allow a spacecraft to autonomously navigate anywhere in the Solar System (or beyond) using only passive observations of naturally occurring starlight. Relativistic perturbations in the wavelength and direction of observed stars may be used to infer spacecraft velocity which, in turn, may be used for navigation. This work develops the mathematics governing such an approach and explores its efficacy for autonomous navigation. Measurement of stellar spectral shift due to the relativistic Doppler effect is found to be ineffective in practice. Instead, measurement of the change in inter-star angle due to stellar aberration appears to be the most promising technique for navigation by the relativistic perturbation of starlight.

Stokes’s Optics 1

The purpose of this chapter and the following one is to explore and explain the rich diversity of Stokes’s contributions to physical optics in Cambridge and world contexts. He triggered debates and inspired friends through his semi-private speculations on the nature and motion of the ether in stellar aberration, double refraction, and optical rotation. He discussed deep-seated analogies between hydrodynamics and optics. He consolidated the fundamental laws of wave optics through mathematically sophisticated theories of interference, including Newton’s rings; diffraction, for which he provided a dynamical theory; and polarization. His theoretical achievements were backed up by carefully designed and extremely precise experiments.