Does the Sagnac effect violate the second postulate of special relativity?

  • Level: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Fern
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    sagnac
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
60 replies · 7K views
Your formula for SR is given in leading order of the ##v/c## expansion. You have to apply the same approximation also for the aether-theory result
$$\Delta t=\frac{2L v}{c^2} \frac{1}{1-v^2/(n^2 c^2)}=\frac{2L v}{c^2} (1+\mathcal{O}(v^2/c^2)),$$
i.e., you get the same leading-order result in SR an Aether theory.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Dale and Sagittarius A-Star