The Theory of Relativity
— a mistake build on wrong precondition —
Introduction
It is a fundamental precondition of the theory of relativity, that it is imposible to measure velocity relative to the ether, but measuring of this has been demonstrated several times. So The Theory of Relativity is no description of the reality.
The underlying experiment of the Theory of Relativity is Michelson and Morley’s attempt to measure velocity relative to the Ether. In their report Michelson and Morley (1887 p.341) concluded:
The relative velocity of the earth and the ether is probably less than one sixth the earth’s orbital velocity, and certainly less than one-fourth.
That is a relative velocity of 5 respectively 7.5 km per second between the Ether and the basement room where the measuring device was placed. When the expectation had been about 300 kilometres per second, a result like this was disappointing, and thus estimated as a null-result. In any case there were many people who had those opinion, for exemple Albert Einstein. However 5 – 7.5 km per second is the same as 18,000 – 27,000 kilometres an hour, which according to common earthly relations is considerable velocities.
If we nevertheless assume a totally negative result, it means, that the velocity of light is totally unaffected by the rotation of the Earth and its orbital velocity around the Sun as well as the Sun’s own velocity. In other words, the velocity of light is always the same in all directions. From just that point of view Einstein formulated a principle of relativity like this: >>The laws of nature have the same simple form in all systems, in relation to which the principle of inertia applies (inertial systems). Of this follows, that no inertial system is in absolute rest. All inertial systems are equal, and all movements are thus relative.<<
However this formulation was not without problems. In his book The Meaning of Relativity Einstein (1960 p.57) wrote:
The weakness of the principle of inertia lies in this, that it involves an argument in a circle: a mass moves without acceleration if it is sufficiently far from other bodies; we know that it is sufficiently far from other bodies only by the fact that it moves without acceleration.
So Einstein confess, that the principle of inertia in reality says: 1) a mass moves without acceleration, when it moves without acceleration. Or, if we eliminate the acceleration, 2) a mass is sufficiently far from other bodies, when it is sufficiently far from other bodies. - Still undisturbed Einstein says 3 lines lower down:
We may look upon the principle of inertia as established, to a high degree of approximation, for the space of our planetary system, provided that we neglect the perturbations (disturbances) due to the sun and planets.
Thus Einstein seems to be convinced that the principle of inertia contains a statement, which can be made an object for closer examination and argumentation. But neither 1) nor 2) contains anything else than a repetition of one in itself meaningless collocation of words.
In a celebration-speach Einstein (1920 p.15) said:
Summarizing we can say: According to the general theory of relativity the space has certain physical qualities; in this sense an Ether does exist. According to the general theory of relativty a space without ether is unthinkable; because in a space like this, not only the transmission of light would be impossible, there could not exist measuringsticks or clocks, thus neither distances in time nor space in the physical sense. This ether should not be thought endowed with properties characteristic of ponderable media, or consist of parts that can be traced through time; the concept of motion is not to be used on it.
Thus Einstein acknowledge the existence of an Ether, but says that the concept of movement is not to be used on it. Thus the whole Theory of Relativity stands or falls with whether it is possible or not possible to measure velocity relative to the Ether. If it is possible the theory is falls. - Einstein (1925) wrote to the physicist Robert Millikan (Clark 1971 p.328):
I believe that I have really found the relationship between gravitation and electricity, assuming that the Miller experiments are based on a fundamental error. Otherwise the whole relativity theory collapses like a house of cards.
Velocity measurings relative to the Ether
Method: Interferometers
Professor Dr. Dayton C. Miller has been occupied with measurings like those from 1902 till 1933. Most measurings was undertaken on the Mount Wilson observatory. In an article Miller (1933 p.234) concluded:
This cosmic motion of the earth has a velocity of 208 km s-1 and is directed to the apex having a right ascension of 4 hours and 54 minutes and a declination of -70o and 33'.
The location of the apex thus determined is in the constellation Dorado, the Sword-Fish, and is about 20o south of the star Canopus, the second brightest star in the heavens. It is in the midst of the famous Great Magellanic Cloud of stars. The apex is about 7o from the pole of the ecliptic and only 6o from the pole of the invariable plane of the solar system.
About Michelson and Morley’s attempt Miller (1933 p.206) says:
Michelson and Morley performed the historic experiment in the northwest room of the basement of the Main Building of Adelbert College in Cleveland in 1887; their entire series of observations was of six hours duration, one hour at noon on each day of July 8, 9 and 11, and one hour in the evening of July 8, 9 and 12 and consisted of thirty-six “turns” of the interferometer, readings being made at each of sixteen equidistant points in each turn. The method of observation was arranged to detect the preconceived effect of the motion of the earth towards a known point in the space with a given velocity, and hence no general series of observations was made. The brief series of observations was sufficient to show clearly that the effect did not have the anticipated magnitude. However, and this fact must be emphasized, the indicated effect was not zero; the sensitivity of the apparatus was such that the conclusion, published in 1887, stated that the observed relative motion of the earth and the ether did not exceed one-forth of the earth’s orbital velocity. This is quite different from a null effect now so frequently imputed to this experiment by writers on Relativity. It also seems necessary to call attention to another historical fact: Michelson and Morley made only the one series of observations, in July, 1887, and never repeated the ether-drift experiment at any other time, notwithstanding many printed statements to the contrary.
Miller had made thousands of readings on the interferometer in all seasons of the year.
Many others have tried, to measure the ether-velocity by means of the interferometer-method. Here we shall only mention one of them:
Marinov (1980) has measured the velocity of the Solar System with a rather special interferometer ("coupled-mirror" experiment). It took place in a laboratory in Sophia in 1979, and after that repeated at the University of Brussel. The result was v = 303 ± 20 km /s towards δ = −23° ± 4°, α = 14 h 17m ± 20 m. When the article was written, some measurements were still missing, in order to calculate the whole velocity vector.
Method: Radiometers
When Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson (1965) by accident discovered the cosmic background radiation, while they experimented with radio waves for the Bell Laboratories, a quite new possibility arose. The background radiation was very uniform (isotrop) in all directions, and it penetrated through the atmosphere to the surface of the Earth, where it had been caught by Penzias and Wilson's radiometer. If one could measure a frequency difference (anisotropy), in two opposite directions, it could be converted to velocity relative to the bearing medium of the background radiation.
Konklin (1969), Radio Astronomy Institute, Stanford University, was the first who measured the anisotropy in the background radiation. Even though the radiation as mentioned penetrated quite through the atmosphere, the daily variations in atmospheric attenuation limited the sensibility of the radiometer. Therefore the radiometer was moved up at White Moutain Research Station of the University of California, situated on a mountain at an altitude of 3000 m. On the basis of the measured anisotropi in the radiation was the velocity of the Local Group of galaxies relative to the super galaxy coordinate system calculated to 590 ± 170 km s-1 towards α = 11h, δ = −42° and 370 ± 100 km s-1 towards α = 11h, δ = 32°. The velocity of the Earth was calculated to 160 km s-1 towards α = 13h, δ = 32°. But the total velocity vector has, when the article was written, not yet been determined. A couple of observations were still missing.
Also Paul S. Henry (1971), Princeton University, has measured the anisotropy. The measurement was made at an altitude of 24 km by means of a radiometer placed in a baloon. The velocity of the Earth was calculate to 320 km s-1 towards α = 10½ h, δ = - 30°.
When the satellite COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) in 1989 was send up in order to carry out measurements of the Cosmic Background Radiation, the instruments was completely outside the atmosphere and presumably every terrestrial disturbance. From a dipole-anisotropy (Smoot 1991 p. L4) in these measurements a velocity was calculated of the Solar System "in relation to the Cosmic Background Radiation field" of 365 ± 18 km s-1. The velocity of the whole Milky Way was calculated to 547 ± 17 km s-1, and the velocity of the Local Group of galaxies to 622 ± 20 km s-1.
The sentence "in relation to the Cosmic Background Radiation field" really means "in relation to the Ether", the existence of which was recognized by Einstein, who was convinced, that the Ether was necessary for the transmission of light and every other electromagnetic oscillations. Seeing that Cosmic Background Radiation is elektromagnetic oscillations just as light and radio waves, the Field of the cosmic background radiation and the Ether are one and the same substance.
__________
Múnera (1998) has revised the experiments of Michelson & Morley (1887) and found two systematic errors:
1) An incorrect datareduction: use of means between more sessions.
2) Ignoring of the angel between the projection of the Earth's velocity on the plane of the interferometer and the reference arm of the apparatus.
After correction of the errors the velocities became larger than reported.
Cahill and Kitto (2002) have revised further on from the result of Múnera, and found a third systematic error:
3) Ignoring the effect of the refractive index of the air.
After the correction of all three errors the absolute velocity of the Earth (relative to the Ether) was risen to v = 359 ± 54 km s-1. This is fairly close to the COBE result v = 365 ± 18 km s-1.
If Michelson & Morley had corrected the errors themselves and had published a result of v = 359 km s-1 relative to the Ether, the "Principle of Relativity" respectively "Theory of Relativity" would never have been generated.
The fourth dimension
The Lorentz-transformation (Einstein 1960 p.76), which is an integrated part of the theory of relativity, is a system of coherent equations. It describes the contraction of moving units of length and the retardation of moving clocks. There is a generalized version of the transformation according to which the fourth dimension is x4 = ict. That means the velocity of light (c) is to be multiplied with the time (t), which gives a number of kilometres, as the seconds are cancelled out. But this result also has to be multiplied with (i), which represents the square root of minus one. Then as a final result the fourth dimension is a number of imaginary kilometres, which no one can neither imagine nor understand. It is irrational, and thus evidence that the generalized transformation is wrong.
The "Lorentz-Transformation" was created to explain Michelson and Morley's "null result". But in reality there was no "null result". So not only is the transformation falls, it is also superfluous.
Conclusion
The Special and General Theory of Relativity are false, because:
1. Contrary to the fundamental precondition of the theories, it has more times been
demonstrated that it is possible to measure velocities relative to the ether.
2. The fourth dimension is irrational.
3. The "Lorentz-Transformation" is false and superfluous.
4. The principle of inertia is a tautology.
References
Cahill, R.T. and Kitto, K.: http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0205065
Clark, R. W. (1971): Einstein: The Life and Times, World Publishing Co., NY. 1971, p. 328, line 33.
Conklin, E.K. (1969). Measurement of absolute velocity of Earth. Nature, 222, 971.
Einstein, A. (1920): Äther und Relativitätstheorie, Rede gehalten am 5. mai 1920 an der Reichs-Universität zu Leiden. Verlag von Julius Springer, Berlin, 1920, p. 15, line 8.
Einstein, A. (1925). Quotation from: Otherwise the whole relativity theory collapses, Einstein - Millikan, July 13, 1925, Millikan Papers, California Institute of Technology.
Einstein, A. (1960): The Meaning of Relativity, 6.ed. Methuen & Co. LTD, London WC2,1960, p. 57, line 14.
Einstein, A. (1960): Relativitätstheorie. Über die spezielle und allgemeine Relativitätstheorie. - Friedr. Vieweg & Sohn, Braunschweig 1960, p. 76.
Henry, P.S. (1971): Isotropi of 3K background. Nature, 231, 516.
Marinov, S. (1980): Measurement of the laboratory's absolutte velocity. General Relativity and Gravitation. 12, 57.
Michelson, A. A. and Morley, E. W. (1887): On the Relative Motion of the Earth and the Luminiferous Aether, American Journal of Science, Third Series, Vol. XXXIV, no 203. Art. XXXVI, Nov.1887, 333-345, p. 333, line 8-15 and p. 341, line 6.
Miller, D. C. (1933): The Ether-Drift Experiment and the Determination of the Absolute Motion of the Earth, Review of Modern Physics, Vol. 5, July 1933, No. 3, 203-242, p 206, line 11 and p. 234, line 2.
Múnera, H. A. (1998), Michelson-Morley Eksperiments Revisited: Systematic Errors, Consistency among Different Experiments, and Compatibility with Absolute Space, Apeiron 5, No. 1-2, 37-54.
Penzias, A.A. & Wilson, R.W.(1965). Measurement of the excess antenna temperature at 4080 Mc/s. Astrophysical Journal, 142, 419.
Smoot, G. F. et al. (1991): Preliminary results from the COBE differential microwave radiometers: Large angular scale isotropy of the Cosmic Microwave Background. The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 371, No. 1, Part 2, 1991 April 10. L1 - L5, p. L4, line 14.