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Callisto
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What if absolute motion was detected, would this mean to Einstein's theory of special relativity?
Callisto
Callisto
It would require a rework. The Unruh effect arises from this kind of absolute motion with respect to the local vacuum. The anisotropies seen the the WMAP data may be another example of this, resulting from the motions of the Earth around the Sun, the Sun's proper motion through the Galactic arm, the rotation of the MW, and the MW's proper motion toward M31. Of course, until the 2nd year WMAP data are released and mapped over the 1st year data, we won't know. Do we have to wait for a generation of cosmologists to die before we get to see WMAP2? It is a publicly-funded program. Maybe it's subject to the Freedom of Information Act?Callisto said:What if absolute motion was detected, would this mean to Einstein's theory of special relativity?
Callisto
Callisto said:What if absolute motion was detected, would this mean to Einstein's theory of special relativity?
Callisto
Motion is meaningful with respect to the ground state. A canoe in a stream can be in motion with respect to the bank, but stationary with respect to the stream. Relativity is successful in a lot of ways, but it does not address the source or the nature of the CMB. These are concepts that were overlaid later.Chronos said:Motion is only meaningful with respect to 'something' that you arbitrarily define as stationary for measurement purposes. Absolute motion implies the existence of an absolutely stationary reference frame. How would you know if you found such a thing? Would it not look the same to all observers regardless of their velocity? Relativity says there is no such thing and it has enjoyed a great deal of success. The CMB is a convenient reference frame, but hardly stationary.
Scientists apparently overlooked that fact when forming the consensus that the CMB had discredited steady state theory... or perhaps it was because steady state theory could not explain the perfect black body spectrum of the CMB.turbo-1 said:You may be interested in knowing that physicists predicted the ~3 degree vacuum temperature when steady-state cosmology was in the vogue, long before the Big Bang was conceived.
It is highly improbable [as in ET landing in your back yard and Elvis jumping out] the CMB does not have a cosmological origin. It is even more improbable the CMB anisotropies have anything to do with the Unruh effect. The Unruh effect only applies to accelerating bodies. The only acceleration worth mentioning in collecting WMAP data is the centripetal acceleration of the satellite in orbit - around 3400 m/s^2 in a geostationary orbit. That works out to an Unruh temperature of roughly 3E-17 degrees kelvin. That probably explains why the WMAP team forgot to factor it into their data.turbo-1 said:You may also be interested in the Unruh effect and others that arise from proper motion in respect to the local vacuum. It is entirely possible that the CMB is not cosmological. It is possible that the 2.7 degree glow is the ground state of our universe, and that the WMAP anisotropies are artifacts of the WMAP probe's (and those of our planet, Sun, galaxy, etc) movements relative to the local vacuum field. When 2nd year WMAP data comes out, we'll know just how "cosmological" the glow is. Everyone who expects small-angle anisotropies to map nicely with 1st year data, raise your hand.
Isn't the Unruh effect only about accelerated observers seeing the vacuum differently from inertial ones? Two inertial observers won't see the "local vacuum" any differently, will they? If so, note that acceleration is absolute in special relativity too, but this doesn't support the notion of absolute velocity, which is what people usually mean by "absolute motion".turbo-1 said:The Unruh effect arises from this kind of absolute motion with respect to the local vacuum.
Callisto said:What if absolute motion was detected, would this mean to Einstein's theory of special relativity?
Callisto
Callisto said:What if absolute motion was detected, would this mean to Einstein's theory of special relativity?
Callisto
What exactly is the "virtual particle flux?" Virtual particles are introduced in quantum field theory, but quantum field theory is Lorentz-symmetric, so there can't be anything in the theory that would distinguish one inertial frame from another.juju said:If we could measure the virtual particle flux in all directions at the same time, I would say that measurment of absolute motion would be possible
Not according to quantum field theory you wouldn't. It's not like virtual particles are little grains of dust in space which all share a common rest frame (or even have a single average rest frame), if that's how you're thinking of them.juju said:Hi JesseM
Still, you would have a greater flux per unit time in the direction of motion than in the perpendicular direction due to your velocity.
juju
Absolute motion refers to the movement of an object or system in relation to a fixed point or reference frame. It is the actual, physical movement of the object, regardless of any external factors or perspectives.
Relative motion is the movement of an object in relation to another object or point of reference. It is dependent on the observer's perspective and can change depending on the chosen reference point. Absolute motion, on the other hand, is independent of any external factors and is the true, objective movement of the object.
It is a debated topic in the scientific community, but currently there is no known method to directly detect absolute motion. This is due to the fact that all measurements and observations are made relative to a chosen reference point, making it impossible to determine absolute motion.
The concept of absolute motion is important in understanding the laws of physics and how objects interact with each other. It also plays a role in theories such as relativity and helps us understand the fundamental nature of the universe.
The theory of relativity states that there is no absolute reference frame and all motion is relative. This means that it is not possible to measure absolute motion, as it is always relative to a chosen reference point. However, the concept of absolute motion is still important in understanding the theory and its implications on the laws of physics.