Knowledge

Experiments of Rayleigh and Brace

Source đź“ť

177: 153:) as well as of the refraction index, so that the results were not conclusive. Therefore, Brace conducted experiments of much higher precision. He employed an apparatus that was 4.13 m long, 15 cm wide, and 27 cm deep, which was filled with water, and which could be rotated (depending on the experiment) about a vertical or a horizontal axis. 134:, one of the few experiments by which magnitudes of second order in v/c could be detected. However, the result was completely negative. Rayleigh repeated the experiments with layers of glass plates (although with a diminished precision by a factor of 100), and again obtained a negative result. 203:(1905), then the result is quite clear, since an observer in uniform translational motion can consider himself as at rest, and consequently won't experience any effect of his own motion. Length contraction is thus not measurable by a comoving observer, and has to be supplemented by 130:. Depending on the direction relative to Earth's motion, the expected retardation due to birefringence was of order 10, which was well within the accuracy of the experiment. Therefore, it was, besides the Michelson–Morley experiment and the 157:
was directed into the water through a system of lenses, mirrors and reflexion prisms, and was reflected 7 times so that it traversed 28.5 m. In this way, a retardation of order
32:
which were sufficiently precise to detect magnitudes of second order to v/c. The results were negative, which was of great importance for the development of the
448: 416: 348:"On the ascertained Absence of Effects of Motion through the Aether, in relation to the Constitution of Matter, and on the FitzGerald–Lorentz Hypothesis" 86:. To measure this effect, he installed a tube of length 76 cm upon a rotatable table. The tube was closed by glass at its ends, and was filled with 183:
The absence of birefringence was initially interpreted by Brace as a refutation of length contraction. However, it was shown by Lorentz (1904) and
615: 662: 165:
was observable. However, also Brace obtained a negative result. Another experimental installation with glass instead of water (precision:
579: 481: 78:(1902) interpreted this contraction as a mechanical compression which should lead to optical anisotropy of materials, so the different 641: 610: 441: 486: 547: 243: 75: 584: 542: 517: 709: 657: 434: 683: 552: 491: 476: 212: 594: 471: 53: 537: 501: 208: 187:(1904) that when the contraction hypothesis is maintained and the complete Lorentz transformation is employed ( 589: 224: 574: 527: 522: 131: 248: 457: 284: 41: 28:
or not. They were some of the first optical experiments measuring the relative motion of Earth and the
57: 191:
including the time transformation), then the negative outcome can be explained. Furthermore, if the
688: 321:"Electromagnetic phenomena in a system moving with any velocity smaller than that of light"  678: 33: 141:(1904). He argued that Rayleigh hadn't properly considered the consequences of contraction ( 279: 192: 138: 37: 98:) was sent to and fro. The experiment was sufficiently precise to measure retardations of 8: 69: 29: 566: 200: 65: 21: 631: 496: 283: 87: 247: 362: 297: 261: 79: 68:, according to which a body is contracted during its motion through the stationary 94:. Through the liquid, light (produced by an electric lamp and more importantly by 411: 315: 196: 61: 426: 366: 301: 265: 703: 636: 562: 343: 204: 184: 83: 25: 207:
for non-comoving observers, which was subsequently also confirmed by the
91: 392:(1910). "Über die experimentellen Grundlagen des Relativitätsprinzips". 389: 320: 115: 154: 95: 347: 326:
Proceedings of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
285:"On Double Refraction in Matter moving through the Aether"  249:"Does Motion through the Aether cause Double Refraction?"  176: 420:(1. Ausgabe ed.). Dublin: Longman, Green and Co. 417:
A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity
319: 701: 456: 195:is considered as valid from the outset, as in 137:However, those experiments were criticized by 442: 242: 449: 435: 394:Jahrbuch der Radioaktivität und Elektronik 173:), also yielded no sign of birefringence. 611:Tests of relativistic energy and momentum 410: 90:or water, and the liquid was between two 20:(1902, 1904) were aimed to show whether 548:Lorentz-violating neutrino oscillations 314: 52:To explain the negative outcome of the 702: 342: 616:Kaufmann–Bucherer–Neumann experiments 585:Experimental testing of time dilation 543:Antimatter tests of Lorentz violation 518:Modern searches for Lorentz violation 430: 278: 388: 376: 684:Test theories of special relativity 13: 230: 175: 47: 14: 721: 642:Michelson–Gale–Pearson experiment 553:Lorentz-violating electrodynamics 533:Experiments of Rayleigh and Brace 18:experiments of Rayleigh and Brace 595:Length contraction confirmations 492:de Sitter double star experiment 663:Refutations of emission theory 502:Measurements of neutrino speed 404: 382: 336: 308: 272: 236: 1: 225:History of special relativity 658:Refutations of aether theory 580:Moessbauer rotor experiments 482:Moessbauer rotor experiments 477:Kennedy–Thorndike experiment 213:Kennedy–Thorndike experiment 7: 710:Tests of special relativity 472:Michelson–Morley experiment 458:Tests of special relativity 218: 54:Michelson–Morley experiment 42:Tests of special relativity 10: 726: 538:Trouton–Rankine experiment 209:Trouton–Rankine experiment 671: 650: 624: 603: 590:Hafele–Keating experiment 561: 510: 464: 367:10.1080/14786440409463156 302:10.1080/14786440409463122 266:10.1080/14786440209462891 689:Standard-Model Extension 575:Ives–Stilwell experiment 528:Trouton–Noble experiment 523:Hughes–Drever experiment 412:Whittaker, Edmund Taylor 132:Trouton–Noble experiment 36:and consequently of the 316:Lorentz, Hendrik Antoon 679:One-way speed of light 355:Philosophical Magazine 290:Philosophical Magazine 254:Philosophical Magazine 180: 66:contraction hypothesis 64:(1892) introduced the 34:Lorentz transformation 487:Resonator experiments 280:Brace, DeWitt Bristol 179: 193:relativity principle 139:DeWitt Bristol Brace 38:theory of relativity 604:Relativistic energy 30:luminiferous aether 567:Length contraction 511:Lorentz invariance 201:special relativity 181: 80:refraction indices 22:length contraction 697: 696: 637:Sagnac experiment 632:Fizeau experiment 497:Hammar experiment 377:Secondary sources 88:carbon bisulphide 58:George FitzGerald 717: 451: 444: 437: 428: 427: 422: 421: 408: 402: 401: 386: 371: 370: 352: 340: 334: 333: 323: 312: 306: 305: 287: 276: 270: 269: 251: 240: 172: 170: 164: 162: 152: 148: 146: 129: 127: 113: 111: 110: 107: 104: 725: 724: 720: 719: 718: 716: 715: 714: 700: 699: 698: 693: 667: 646: 620: 599: 565: 557: 506: 460: 455: 425: 409: 405: 387: 383: 379: 374: 361:(42): 621–625. 350: 341: 337: 313: 309: 296:(40): 317–329. 277: 273: 241: 237: 233: 231:Primary sources 221: 211:(1908) and the 197:Albert Einstein 168: 166: 160: 158: 150: 144: 142: 125: 123: 108: 105: 102: 101: 99: 62:Hendrik Lorentz 50: 48:The experiments 12: 11: 5: 723: 713: 712: 695: 694: 692: 691: 686: 681: 675: 673: 669: 668: 666: 665: 660: 654: 652: 648: 647: 645: 644: 639: 634: 628: 626: 622: 621: 619: 618: 613: 607: 605: 601: 600: 598: 597: 592: 587: 582: 577: 571: 569: 559: 558: 556: 555: 550: 545: 540: 535: 530: 525: 520: 514: 512: 508: 507: 505: 504: 499: 494: 489: 484: 479: 474: 468: 466: 465:Speed/isotropy 462: 461: 454: 453: 446: 439: 431: 424: 423: 403: 380: 378: 375: 373: 372: 344:Larmor, Joseph 335: 307: 271: 234: 232: 229: 228: 227: 220: 217: 49: 46: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 722: 711: 708: 707: 705: 690: 687: 685: 682: 680: 677: 676: 674: 670: 664: 661: 659: 656: 655: 653: 649: 643: 640: 638: 635: 633: 630: 629: 627: 625:Fizeau/Sagnac 623: 617: 614: 612: 609: 608: 606: 602: 596: 593: 591: 588: 586: 583: 581: 578: 576: 573: 572: 570: 568: 564: 563:Time dilation 560: 554: 551: 549: 546: 544: 541: 539: 536: 534: 531: 529: 526: 524: 521: 519: 516: 515: 513: 509: 503: 500: 498: 495: 493: 490: 488: 485: 483: 480: 478: 475: 473: 470: 469: 467: 463: 459: 452: 447: 445: 440: 438: 433: 432: 429: 419: 418: 413: 407: 399: 395: 391: 385: 381: 368: 364: 360: 356: 349: 345: 339: 331: 327: 322: 317: 311: 303: 299: 295: 291: 286: 281: 275: 267: 263: 259: 255: 250: 245: 244:Lord Rayleigh 239: 235: 226: 223: 222: 216: 214: 210: 206: 205:time dilation 202: 199:'s theory of 198: 194: 190: 186: 185:Joseph Larmor 178: 174: 156: 140: 135: 133: 122:of the order 121: 117: 97: 93: 89: 85: 84:birefringence 81: 77: 76:Lord Rayleigh 73: 71: 67: 63: 59: 55: 45: 43: 39: 35: 31: 27: 26:birefringence 23: 19: 651:Alternatives 532: 415: 406: 397: 393: 384: 358: 354: 338: 329: 325: 310: 293: 289: 274: 257: 253: 238: 188: 182: 136: 119: 92:nicol prisms 82:would cause 74: 51: 17: 15: 390:Laub, Jakob 260:: 678–683. 149:instead of 60:(1889) and 40:. See also 400:: 405–463. 116:wavelength 114:of a half 332:: 809–831 155:Sun light 96:limelight 24:leads to 704:Category 414:(1910). 346:(1904). 318:(1904), 282:(1904). 246:(1902). 219:See also 215:(1932). 672:General 112:⁠ 100:⁠ 70:aether 351:(PDF) 189:i.e. 120:i.e. 109:6000 16:The 363:doi 298:doi 262:doi 167:4.5 159:7.8 143:0.5 124:1.2 706:: 396:. 357:. 353:. 328:, 324:, 292:. 288:. 256:. 252:. 171:10 163:10 151:10 147:10 128:10 118:, 72:. 56:, 44:. 450:e 443:t 436:v 398:7 369:. 365:: 359:7 330:6 304:. 300:: 294:7 268:. 264:: 258:4 169:Ă— 161:Ă— 145:Ă— 126:Ă— 106:/ 103:1

Index

length contraction
birefringence
luminiferous aether
Lorentz transformation
theory of relativity
Tests of special relativity
Michelson–Morley experiment
George FitzGerald
Hendrik Lorentz
contraction hypothesis
aether
Lord Rayleigh
refraction indices
birefringence
carbon bisulphide
nicol prisms
limelight
wavelength
Trouton–Noble experiment
DeWitt Bristol Brace
Sun light

Joseph Larmor
relativity principle
Albert Einstein
special relativity
time dilation
Trouton–Rankine experiment
Kennedy–Thorndike experiment
History of special relativity

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.

↑