The discussion centers on the Lorentz Fitzgerald contraction and the availability of original research papers. The original paper by Hendrik Lorentz from 1904, titled "Electromagnetic phenomena in a system moving with any velocity less than that of light," is cited, with an English translation available in the Dover paperback "The Principle of Relativity." Additionally, George FitzGerald's 1889 paper, "The ether and the Earth's atmosphere," is mentioned as a precursor to Lorentz's work, although it is noted that FitzGerald's paper was less technical and not widely recognized at the time. The conversation highlights the historical context and contributions of both physicists to the concept of length contraction in relativity.
PREREQUISITESStudents, physicists, and historians interested in the development of relativity theory and the contributions of Lorentz and FitzGerald to the understanding of length contraction.
The cite for the original Lorentz paper from 1904 is:physics4ever said:Hello
I am doing a project on the Lorentz Fitzgerald contraction and would like to know if the original research papers are available on the internet.
Thanks!
from http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/PrintHT/Special_relativity.htmlIn 1889 a short paper was published by the Irish physicist George FitzGerald in Science. The paper The ether and the Earth's atmosphere takes up less than half a page and is non-technical. FitzGerald pointed out that the results of the Michelson-Morley experiment could be explained only if
... the length of material bodies changes, according as they are moving through the ether or across it, by an amount depending on the square of the ratio of their velocities to that of light.
Lorentz was unaware of FitzGerald's paper and in 1892 he proposed an almost identical contraction in a paper which now took the Michelson-Morley experiment very seriously. When it was pointed out to Lorentz in 1894 that FitzGerald had published a similar theory he wrote to FitzGerald who replied that he had sent an article to Science but I do not know if they ever published it . He was glad to know that Lorentz agreed with him for I have been rather laughed at for my view over here . Lorentz took every opportunity after this to acknowledge that FitzGerald had proposed the idea first. Only FitzGerald, who did not know if his paper had been published, believed that Lorentz had published first!