michael879 said:
Also, I am not convinced that theory is true. I mean, I've heard of all these experiments "proving" general and special relativity, but I've never seen any documentation of any or any real numbers. I've searched to... Can someone please give me some good links before I start talking about a giant physics conspiracy?
First of there, there's nothing in physics that is "proven" the same way you do for mathematics. Experimental observations are used to
verify a theory or principle. The more observations of different types are discovered, the higher the degree of certainty, and the more convincing it becomes.
Secondly, here are all the experimental results that are totally consistent with the postulates of SR. So knock yourself out.
1. "Severe Limits on Variations of the Speed of Light with Frequency", B. Schaefer, PRL v.82, p.4964 (1999). Also see Physics News Update report at http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/1999/split/pnu432-2.htm . This is the most accurate measurement to-date that c is independent of frequency/wavelength. If photons have any mass, or if c isn't a constant, this would manifest itself as a variation in speed at different frequencies. So far, none has been detected.
2. http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2000/split/pnu484-1.htm . This is the most recent and accurate determination that the speed of light is independent of the speed of the source.
3. http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2002/split/590-1.html . Again, this is the mostp recise test yet that the speed of light is independent of the direction of propagation.
4. "Tests of Relativity Using a Cryogenic Optical Resonator", C. Braxmaier et al., PRL v.88, p.010401 (2002). Ether? What ether? This is the most precise determination to-date that the speed of light is independent of the velocity of the lab frame. The experiment used a version of the famous Morley-Michealson interferometer called the Kennedy-Thorndike test. You may read the Physics News Update report at http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2002/split/571-1.html .
In the 14th Feb. issue of Phys. Rev. Lett., there is not one, but TWO new experimental results that put a severe limit on any possible violation of the Lorentz transformation (which is built-in in Special Relativity). These two experiments present the most accurate result so far that c is velocity and earth-orientation independent. You may read the summary of one of this result at the AIP Physics News Update:
http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/split/623-2.html
or better yet, read the actual papers in PRL. These two experimental evidence will be numbered 5 and 6 (in addition to the first 4 that were isted earlier).
5. "Tests of Lorentz Invariance using a Microwave Resonator", P. Wolf et al., PRL v.90, p.060403 (2003).
6. "New Limit on Signals of Lorentz Violation in Electrodynamics", J.A. Lipa et al., v.90, p.060403 (2003).
7. This time, the evidence comes from the most accurate measurement to date of the uniformity of c using a modern version of the infamous Morley-Michealson experiment.[1] Using cryogenic optical resonators, they measured for the possible anisotropy in the speed of light for over a year (as the Earth moves through space in its orbit around the sun and thus, changing its orientiation). The showed with unprecedented accuracy that the upper limit for any possible variation in c would have to be lower than 2.5 x 10^-15, which is 3 times more accurate than previous measurements.
Muller et al., PRL v.91, p.020401 (2003).
8. we have another experimental evidence for the constancy of the speed of light - this time coming from very low frequency radio waves in the frequency range of 5 to 50 Hz.[1] Again, this measurement places the upper limit on the photon rest mass (if any) at less than 4 x 10^-52 kg (yikes!).
M. Fullekrug, PRL v.93, p.043901 (2004).
Do you want more?
Zz.
there, it's just that we can't detect it because we are never moving through it. and that is because it moves along with the Earth.
