Cosmic Adventure 2.08 The Death of MMX

© ABCC Australia 2015 new-physics.com

DEATH OF THE MM EXPERIMENTEpisode 2.08


Oh I have forgotten. I was over obsessed with explaining the Michelson-Morley experiment.

There are actually still two more sessions before we go to open the Pandora’s box. One is the death of the Michelson-Morley experiment, the other is its resurrection.


Foundation of Classical Physics

The scientists of the 18th and 19th century regarded the aether as the very foundation of classical science. Without the existence of the aether, all the development of physics up to the nineteenth century would have become uncertain.

ELECTRO-MAGNETIsM

GRAVITATION

LIGHT sPEED CONsTANCY


But where is our aether?


Detecting the Aether

Physicists of the time worked very hard to search for the existence of the aether. Many ingenious experiments were carried out in an attempt to detect the existence of the mysterious medium.

AETHER


Efforts Failed

However, the ether is so elusive that all experiments failed to prove its existence. The famous Michelson-Morley experiment which they thought as the ultimate test, was no exception.

FAILED


The MMX setup simplified

Let us recap a little bit. This is a simplified version of the original MMX (Michelson-Morley experiment) setup. Only the essential components are kept to facilitate discussion.

Light source

Mirror B

Mirror A

Telescope

Splitter


Setup at rest

This 3D shows the paths of light when there is nothing to disturb them.

Beam A is the green light ⇨.

Beam B is the red light ⇨.

Beam BBeam A

Light Source


Beam B

Beam A

Viewer

Light Path Geometry [at Rest] in no Aether

In the absence of aether wind, the two lights will recombine at the viewer in sync. No fringe will be observed. Since there is no aether, this system can be put anywhere on earth and naturally will not be possible to detect any aether influence.


Unable to detect Aether

In addition, the basic concepts (Maxwell’s aether wind and Michelson’s aether river concepts) underlying the operation were incorrect, even if there is such a substance as aether in the universe, the setup will not be able to detect it.


Useless Setup

Being unable to perform its intended purposes to detect any aether, the MMX equipment became an ordinary heap of optical elements of lighting, mirrors and detectors.That is why I said that it is a dead system which failed to achieve its purpose from the very beginning.


1881-1887

So Albert Abraham Michelson reported in 1887: The Experiments on the relative motion of the earth and ether have been completed and the result decidedly negative.


MMX Summary by Michelson’s DaughterOn July 12, 1887 Albert A. Michelson and Edward W. Morley made the final measurements in an experiment that inadvertently changed forever the way we view the workings of the universe. . . The pair hoped to prove the existence of the ether . . . To their chagrin, they found absolutely no difference.Dorothy Michelson Livingston (Michelson's daughter). July 13, 1987. The Master of Light. University of Chicago Press, 1979.


MMX Still Alive

Surprisingly, MMX is still alive and kicking. It has even become aessential subject in text books, a common

1881-20??

topic which is still widely discussed in the internet . . .


THE LEGACY OF MMXEpisode 2.09 Part A


Michelson’s Working Equation

𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇 𝐴𝐴

=2𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑜

𝑐𝑐 1 − 𝑣𝑣2/𝑐𝑐2

𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇 𝐵𝐵

=2𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑜


But the MMX had a very valuable legacy – the two unusual equations as a result of the experiment:


Beam B

Beam A

Viewer

Light Path Geometry [at Rest] On plan

These equations came from Michelson’s concept of the experiment itself.Under normal condition and in the absence of aether wind, the two lights will recombine at the viewer in sync. No fringe will be observed.


Beam

B

Beam A

Viewer

Light Path Geometry According to Michelson

However, according to Michelson, the two lights will pursue different paths due to the influence of the aether wind. Their differences will be shown by the fringes which are observable by the viewer.


The Different Results from Michelson’s concept

Excluding the common courses from emission and reception:

𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇 𝐴𝐴

=2𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑜


𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇 𝐵𝐵

=2𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑜


Beam A takes longer time

Beam B


The ratio between the Times of the Beams

𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇 𝐴𝐴𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇𝐵𝐵𝑇𝑇 𝐵𝐵

=2𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑜

𝑐𝑐 1 − 𝑣𝑣2/𝑐𝑐2÷

2𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑐𝑐 1 − 𝑣𝑣2/𝑐𝑐2

=2𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑜

𝑐𝑐 1 − 𝑣𝑣2/𝑐𝑐2×𝑐𝑐 1 − 𝑣𝑣2/𝑐𝑐2

2𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑜

=1

1 − 𝑣𝑣2/𝑐𝑐2

11 − 𝑣𝑣2/𝑐𝑐2


New Pathway for ScienceThis unusual equation was not only the first phantom from MMX but was also the most powerful one. It was because of this equation that science from that time on took on a new but strange path, and a strangely difficult path it was indeed.

11 − 𝑣𝑣2/𝑐𝑐2


THE MICHELSON DIVERSIONThe Experiment that Changed the Course of Science


LENGTH CONTRACTIONTo be continued in Episode 2.09

ABCC