RU2448334C2 - Method of verifying non-effect of earth's orbital movement on speed of light - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: speed of traversing a given distance at different positions of the Earth on the orbit is measured using a single light pulse. The disclosed method of verifying the non-effect of the orbital movement of the Earth on the speed of light is characterised by that, a single light pulse is emitted multiple times on a closed basic loop (light guide), and the absence of the effect of orbital movement of the Earth on the speed of light is determined from the measured time difference for multiple traversing of the basic loop by the light pulse.

EFFECT: invention enables to verify one of the fundamental hypotheses of modern physics on invariance of the speed of light and determine its exact value used in modern metrology, specifically verifying the non-effect of the Earth's orbital movement on the speed of light.

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Description

The method relates to the field of measuring the magnitude of the speed of light.

The invention can be used to more accurately assess the speed of light propagation and to verify its dependence or independence on the movement of the reference system associated with the position of the Earth in orbit.

The answer to the question: is the speed of light the same in all directions when measured in a laboratory, for example, connected with the Earth, is of fundamental importance for physics. The prevailing system of representations in physics implies that the speed of light is isotropic, that there is no distinguished reference frame, that absolute motion was not observed. This is the essence of the Einstein postulate of 1905 that the speed of light is independent of the choice of the observer.

The most famous of the experiments confirming Einstein’s postulate is the already classic Michelson-Morley experiment (Michelson, Morley, 1887), based on the interference of light waves (Physical Encyclopedia, vol. 3. - M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia; p. 27, 28.). Since the negative result of this experiment did not satisfy either Michelson or many other physicists, it was repeated periodically with constant improvement of the measurement technique. However, these methods do not use direct measurement of the speed of light, but indirect, based on the study of the interference pattern.

A more direct method than the Michelson interferometer was used by Professor Stefan Marinov. The main idea of the proposed method is to register changes in the speed of the light beam of a given distance between two synchronously rotating mirrors (S. Marinov. Experimental violations of the principles of relativity, equivalence and energy conservation. / Physical Thought of Russia, 1995. N2. S.52-77). This method is the closest to the proposed and selected as a prototype. The results of S. Marinov’s experiments with rotating disks testify in favor of the fact that the Earth moves in absolute space (i.e., relative to stationary ether) at a speed of the order of 300 km / s. However, technically, the experiment is very complicated, because directly measured parameters are influenced by various atmospheric and other factors and requires careful tuning of both mechanical and optical systems of the equipment. This significantly limited the length of the base on which measurements were taken and, accordingly, the accuracy of the measurements.

The influence of the Earth’s orbital motion on the speed of light is associated with a change in the gravitational potential, follows from Einstein’s general theory of relativity and has been experimentally discovered (Will K. Theory and experiment in gravitational physics. Transl. From English. M .: Energoatomizdat, 1985. 296 p. S. 145).

The aim of the invention is to verify the absence of the influence of the Earth's orbital motion on the speed of light by increasing the accuracy of estimating the speed of light propagation depending on the position of the Earth in orbit.

The specified goal is achieved as follows. To eliminate the noted drawbacks of the known method, Marinov uses the method, which consists in directly measuring the speed of a single light pulse through the fiber. Improving the accuracy of measurements is provided by repeatedly transmitting a light pulse along a sufficiently long fiber, which allows the use of a measurement base of the order of millions of kilometers.

The proposed method is carried out in the following sequence.

Assemble the installation (Fig. 1), for example, consisting of a fiber optic circuit 1, through which a light pulse generated by a laser 2, an optoelectronic converter 3, an electronic control device 4, a recording and indication device 5 are passed. To ensure stability in measurements , the assembled installation (except for the registration and indication device) is placed in the thermostat 6, which maintains a stable temperature regime of the measuring equipment.

Measurements are carried out periodically during the motion of the Earth in its orbit around the sun. When measured by the signal of the electronic control device 4, the laser 2 generates a single light pulse and directs it along the fiber-optic circuit 1. At the same time, the time begins. When the light pulse reaches the optoelectronic converter 3, the latter generates a control signal by which the electronic control device 4 stops the timing and outputs the result to the recording and indication device 5. The electric power supply of the units is carried out from stabilized current sources.

To increase the accuracy of measurements, a pulse is repeatedly transmitted along the fiber optic circuit. In this case, according to the signal generated by the optoelectronic converter 3, the electronic control device gives a signal to the laser 2 to restart the light pulse and counts the number of cycles. Upon reaching the specified number of cycles of the passage of the light pulse along the fiber optic circuit, the time is counted and recorded. Measurements are repeated periodically throughout the year, given the change in the position of the Earth in orbit. The absence of the influence of the Earth’s orbital motion on the speed of light is checked using the measured differences in the times of the multiple passage of the base contour by comparing them with an estimate of these differences using the special theory of relativity (for example, in accordance with [3]).

The method can be used to verify the absence of the influence of the Earth's orbital motion on the speed of light propagation.

INFORMATION SOURCES

1. Physical encyclopedia, v.3. - M.: Big Russian Encyclopedia, p. 27, 28.

2. Marinov S. Experimental violations of the principles of relativity, equivalence and energy conservation. / Physical Thought of Russia, 1995. N2. S.52-77.

3. Will K. Theory and experiment in gravitational physics. Per. from English M .: Energoatomizdat, 1985.296 s. S.145.

Claims (1)

A method for checking the absence of the effect of the Earth’s orbital movement on the speed of light, which consists in recording changes in the speed of light depending on the position of the Earth in orbit, characterized in that a single light pulse is repeatedly passed through a closed fiber (circuit) and the changes are judged by the time difference of multiple passage of the base contour.