George Mpantes mathematics teacher

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Maxwells ether and motion, Michelson , Lorentz , Einstein

George Mpantes www.mpantes.gr Maxwell and motion .

Maxwells equations were expressed in terms of a Cartesian coordinate system , that is they were referred to a definite rigid frame.. Are there any restrictions on the choice of this frame? Maxwell does not seem to have paid much attention to this question, he elieved that any frame one could reasona ly choose, if he was willing to ignore !as indeed one must"experimentally difference. #n $reatise %&& Maxwell argues that
'the electromotive intensity is expressed y a formula of the same type, whether we refer it to a fixed system of axes or to a system of axes moving with uniform linear and uniform angular velocity with respect to the former(. $herefore 'in all phenomena relating to closed circuits and the currents in them , it is indifferent whether the axes to which we refer the system e at rest or in motion. )o much for the motion of conductors* Maxwell

indiscerni le

As to the aether , since the speed c with which electromagnetic action propagates through it is involved in Maxwells equations , the equations o viously cannot ta+e the same form with respect to any frame , whether the aether is at rest or in motion in it. Maxwell elieved that any changes in their form arising from these considerations could e safely neglected ,as they were still eyond the experimental detection., -ut ether theoretically loo+s set to change the equations with its presence. $he motion must detect its materiality, at least in terms of ,.th century, where everything moving is always material and vice versa.

#n ,/0. , Cler+ Maxwell wrote in 12 $odd the 3.). 4aval 5 servatory in

6ashington that examined the a ility to calculate the speed of the solar system through the ether, y o serving the eclipses of 7upiter8s moons . 9oemer, in the past, had used these measurements of time eclipse to measure the speed of light. Maxwell, however, concluded that the results sought were too small to measure " ut the claim of the Maxwell noticed a young student of the 4aval Academy , the Al ert Michelson who was then transferred to this office . #n ,/0/ at age :; , the Michelson had made an excellent measurement of the speed of light , and he thought that the detection of motion through the ether could e measura le

Maxwells ether and motion The relative motion of the earth and the ether .

$hrough the wor+ of Maxwell , the optical ether of Cauchy, <resnsel, =oung, >armor, Green, MacCullagh etc. meets electrodynamics theory , as electromagnetic fields are deformations and vi rations of ether of Maxwell , carrier of electromagnetic waves , which are identical with light waves . 4ow the optical phenomena are electromagnetic phenomena and any research on optical ether refers to the Maxwell electrical theory . Although the mechanical models of the optical ether of Maxwell and $homson were incomplete , the next generation of physicists accepts the ether descri ed from the Maxwell equations as a peculiar +ind of a physical eing , different from the +nown material weighing system and perhaps more primary and fundamental despite the imperfect descriptions of it. $he field electricity imposed an ether ghost in the plans of physicists, a matter eyond the realm of " imperfect matter of senses. ? 'The abandonment of the ether leads to epistemological difficulties ( @6iennA 'a
physics without ether is no physics ( 7.)tar+ or ' the ether is not a fantasic creation of the speculative philosopher, it is as essential to us as the air we breathe (7.7.$homson: . #n a

letter to BertC of )eptem er ,Dth , ,//. , Beaviside wroteE

'*.#t often occurs to me that we may e all wrong in thin+ing of the ether as a +ind of matter @elastic solid for instanceA accounting for its properties y those of the matter in ul+ with which we are acquaintedF and that the true way , could we only see how to do it,is to explain matter in terms of the ether , going from the simpler to the more complex *.(D

4ow , the efforts of phyicists to record a proof of the physical existence of the ether in nature , focused on the following considerationsE #f there is a material medium of light propagation and thus of electromagnetic actions , must certifies its existence in other ways esides propagation of light waves. e.g. we certify the existence of the air eyond the propagation of sound waves, from its resistance to motion, from the effects of currents , etc. As an air stream varies the speed of sound , so the etheric stream will alter the speed of light , ma+ing its presence felt . As the tendency of the fishing line increases when the oat is moving , as a result of materiality of water, so the electromagnetic actions will change , when the electrified odies are moving in the sea of ether . Bow is this translated to the mathematical model?

2 3

$he quotationsE 'in electromagnetic theory(

y Alfred 59ahily page %:/

9elativity and geometry 9o erto $orretti page 38

George Mpantes mathematics teacher $he Galilean transformations , left invariant the equations of mechanics. $his means that all inertial systems are equivalent to mechanics without any privileged. -ut the Galilean transformations alter the laws of Maxwell . 6hen we apply a Galilean transformation on them, there appears a surplus of terms commensurate with the relative velocity u of systems, that does not exist in the original equations .

$his means that these laws " as admitted y classical science " retained their form in a single privileged inertial system and here for reasons of symmetry should e the system that is at rest in the stagnant ether . $hus the a solute velocity existed @the privileged system in natureA and had to e discovered. 5therwise we had to change the laws of Maxwell or the Galilean transformationsG. The celebrated Michelson-Morley-Miller experiment .

$he experiment is more widely +nown. A schematic diagram of the interferometer is given in <ig . $he asic idea was to send two light eams from the source H to mirrors A and - @via the reflection of a mirror 5 for - A and return to 5, whence they are further reflected into the detector, where interference fringes are o served as to the difference of the total time of each path , 5A5 and 5-5 . $he path 5A I > was in the direction of motion of the earth and 5- I > perpendicular to the previous . According to the perception that the speed of light relative to the ether was c, composing the velocities of ether and light, it travels 5- at a speed @relative the instrumentA
c 2 u 2 @ classical composition of velocities as the river and the

oat A

so the time for the route 5-J-5 is

t1 =

2L c u
2 2

2L u2 c 1 2 c

.................(1)

and for 5A J A5

t2 =

L L 2 Lc + = 2 = c u c +u c u2

2L ...............(2) u2 c (1 2 ) c

Maxwells ether and motion Maxwell pointed that the two times might time measuring device existed. Bowever Michelson applied his interferometer to the test of the suggestion. e expected to differ

4
y an

extremely small amount and there was some dou t whether a sufficiently sensitive

$he interferometer was sensitive enough to detect a time difference of this order, ut the results were always less than predicted, the two runners with different speeds were reaching the end simultaneously. #t was always that t, I t: which implies that u I &, ie the earth was stationary in the ether , the result was CeroGK

1.The interpretation of Lorentz the contracted electrons!

ventured the hypothesis, which has also been proposed by Fitz (Lorentz, the theory of electrons, page$%&A

In order to explain the absence of any affect on the eaths translation, I have erald that the dimensions of a solid body undergo slight changes , of the order of u!"c! when it moves through the ether#

)o the length > ecomes t: of the preceding relation @:A is

u 2 @due to this contractionA L 1 2 c

and

t2 =

2L u2 c 1 2 c

= t1

<inally , the null result of the experiment , namely the equality t,It: , is due to the interaction of two different real phenomena E ". the contraction of the length of the arm of instrument that is parallel to the 'motion through the ether( , which motion causes it #. the varying of speed of light in different directions with respect to the measuring instrument ; $he length contraction is attri uted from >orentC, to mechanical causes and is real. A truly null effect would happen if the interferometer were really stationary relative to the ether.
### the size and shape of a solid body is determined by the molecular forces " and every cause that altered the latter will also affect the shape and dimensions of the body # " This hypothesis is not sub'ect to verification because we completely ignore the nature of the
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$he experiment has een repeated many times since , first y Michelson and Morley $he sta ility of c in the formulas , and : were evident for >orentC, as in classical

in ,//0 and later y 1.C.Miller.

5

wave theory the wave velocity relative to the carrier of wave propagation is not dependent on the speed of the wave source, here the light source.

George Mpantes mathematics teacher

molecular forces , #### but if the dimensions of the electrons varied then field electrical forces would vary by the same amount , and assuming that the molecular forces also changed , then the impact on these of motion through the ether , will cause ( this motion ) a deflection e*ual to the re*uested size ##### Lorentz

$he change therefore of the dimensions of the electron moving through the ether and the classical synthesis of velocities, is the asis of the interpretation . $he mechanical force exerted y ether in anything that moves within, compresses the device of measuring in the amount Lust needed to cancel the result of the movement of the o server through the ether. $his lengths contraction of the length >& is descri ed y
2

L = 1 L0 = L0 c

where > the o served length.

-ut the impacts of this force continue. >orentC showed that measurements of position and time of an event , with a rod and a cloc+ under this regime of etheric force , ie measurements that were in a system moving with velocity u relative to the ether @ to manifest power, and hence contraction A and the origin of the system coincides with the origin of the stationary system in time t I tM I &, would e different from Galilean measurements, they would e x MI N @ x " ut A yM I y CM I C tM I N @t "uxOc: A*..@DA ut

@>orentCs transformationsA, where the event occurs in the @x, y , C , tA we +new were

o served in the @xM, yM , CM , tMA. $his was incomprehensi le since the measurements Galilean measurements . 6hat was the meaning of the new tM, which stipulated a different time in the transformations ? And even more of moving system? -ut the thriller with ether continues. >orentC then showed the greatest . $he Maxwell equations remain unchanged in form if we apply to them the transformations >orentC, @DA that as it was +nown is not valid for their respective Galileans . $hat is, the new transformations had the same characteristic relation to electromagnetics as Galilean transformations to 4ewtonian mechanics. )o the deception @so it seemedA of the moving o server is completed. 4ot only ripped off on measurements of space and time, experiment ut he elieves that Maxwell 8s ased on equations are unchanged in a moving system in ether . $hat is no electromagnetic could reveal the motion of the earth . And all these are

Maxwells ether and motion

mysterious contraction of odies. $his was real G $he ether was there, material and present, ut invisi le since it negated our efforts to reveal it . 2hysicists thought so , ut later ether ecame immaterial . $. Einsteins interpretation . $he Pinstein introducing the postulate of constancy of the speed of light gives another interpretation of the experiment of Michelson"Morley. )ince the velocities of light signals with respect the two arms is c, the duration of the two routes would e tI:lOc. )o no time difference is detected G -ut even this axiom is an hypothesis as the interferometer measures the difference in the two routes, and we can not decide etween Cero phenomenon or a Cero result , namely etween two paths with equal durations :l O c @PinsteinA and two paths equal respectively with ,"u:Oc: @>orentCA. $he difference is always CeroG %. " third interpretation .

5ne also could introduce and a third case. $he lengths expand in the vertical direction to the direction of motion. )u stituting into @,A

L=

L 1 u2 c2

we have t,It: &. 'to(es hypothesis .

Another interpretation of a negative result would e the hypothesis of )to+es, the aether dra) hypothesis dealt with the question whether the ether is dragged y or entrained within moving matter. )to+es assumed that odies are transfering @draggingA the ether during their motion. $hat is the earth carries the ether as the atmosphere , so there is no ethereal stream that would alter the speed of light relative to the instrument of the experiment . -esides, if we had design a sound experiment to demonstrate the movement of the earth , an analogous experiment of M " M , the result would e negative. 5n the contrary sound experiments on a train platform , would prove its motion , since the air is not transferred @draggedA y it. *. #+t there ,s another interpretation of the experiment .

George Mpantes mathematics teacher

$hat the result was *.positive. $he historical reference of Michelson, Morley on their experiment is%
+## the actual shift ( of the interference fringes ) was clearly less than $"!, of that ( of the observed shift of the fringes ) and probably less than $" -, of this # .ut as the shift must be proportional to the s*uare of the velocity , the relative velocity of the earth and the ether is probably less than $"/ of the earth0s orbital velocity , and certainly less than the 1#+

$he experiment was later repeated from the 1. C.Miller who spent many years with it. Always the result was less than expected, insisted on the importance of small positive effect . #ndeed .. a partial drag of the ether from the earth when moved , could affect the result , not to negate as would the total transfer @Case )to+esA. Bowever most experimenters and commentators of the experiment have concluded that the results show the impossi ility of detecting y electromagnetic means the motion of the earth through the ether. 5ther experiments designed during the early ,..&s to detect the motion of the earth through the ether , ut failed to yield positive results of anything li+e the expected magnitude, and this served to strengthen the general conclusion that y no electromagnetic means can one detect motion with respect to the ether. )o in the @lastA classical physicist >orentC, the c varied without repealed the ether, the motion deforms the odies so it could not e proven. $here is the null result( of >orentC in contrast with the ?null effect( of Pinstein where c is a universal constant. > o r e n t C t h e o r y w # t h o u t e t h e r i s t h e t h e o r y o f s p e c # a l r e l a t # v # t y. -omment 1 . 1oes physics adopt the view which 1uhem taught? @1uhem in Manvill, p.:DA
'the physical theory is not an explanationF it is a system of deduced from a small num er of principles mathematical propositions a group of etween the whose o Lect is to represent ad is the comparison

ut not Cero . $he Miller

experimental laws as simply , completely and exactly as possi le. $he sole test of a physical theory , which allows us to pronounce it good or consequences of the theory and the experimental laws(. 0

$hese views reflect the Bil erts formalism in mathematics. 7udged y this standard, practically all the argument for and against an ether have nothing to do with physics. -ut here, as 1uhem says, we have the >orentC and
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<or further investigation of the matter Bector A.Munera, Michelson"Morley 1irac is stricterE 'the only o Lect of theoretical physics is to calculate results that can @2rinciples of quantum mechanics p.0A

experiment revisited, systematic errors .... Apeiron Qo. ; 4r. ,": 7anuary"April
7

e compared with experimentF and it is quite unnecessary that any description of the whole course of the phenomena should e given,

Maxwells ether and motion Galilean transformations @mathematical propositionsA and

8
Michelson experiment

@experimental lawA. $he physical theories are the a ove five interpretations of these. $oday we +now that the physical theory here, is the special relativity. #snt it an explanation? 6hat is this 'small num er of principles( 1uhem says? $he physical theory is Lust an explanation etween mathematics and experiments, attaches physical concepts to mathematical ones, as mathematical truth is an hypothetical truth. $he physical theory is the 'story( of nature, and this is the more fundamental for the h u m a n understanding @intuition, Aristotelian formsA. $his is the explanatory part of a physical theory as 1uhem says in other writings. -omment $ .

Michelsons experiment demonstrated that the relative speed of the earth and the ether is not an operational concept . 6e would thin+, even that the Maxwell equations have no physical meaning in terms of operations. And this is mainly the Maxwell field. 6e reLect the carrier of electromagnetic waves ut not the waves. And this confirms the deep mathematiCation of physics, @Maxwells equationsA which puts forward the equations and after the experiment ..
.. ether has ceased to play a vital role in the theory of physics and has fallen into disuse . A writer of electromagnetic theory will generally start with the axiom of the ether which fills all space, then he8ll explain that at any point there is an electromagnetic vector whose intensity can e measured . )ince then, his only dealings is with this vector , and is not li+ely to e mentioned ever again in the ether . #n a vague way is supposed that this vector is a condition of the ether, without ever depends its existence @ vectors A from the presence of ethereal ac+ground . $he ether is now a ac+ground , and not an active protagonist of the theory*.. Eddin)ton. 'pace, time and )ravitation ,.:& p.:.

.eor)e Mpantes mathematics teacher 'o+rces .

mpantes on scribd .

T2 34567829:;<37=6> ?5@A2 BC 567545D7=6E F<<2=:, www. mpantes.gr . Glectromagnetic Theory E Alfred 5 9ahily. 1over 2u lications #nc. 4ew =or+ 9elativity and geometryE 9o erto $orretti 1over Concepts and methods of theoretical physicsE 9o ert >indsay 1over

George Mpantes mathematics teacher