From
Galileo to Lorentz… and beyondFrom
Galileo to Lorentz… and beyondJoseph
Lévy
Relativity theory has enabled physics to take a great step forward. Nevertheless, unlike many of his followers, Einstein was not satisfied with his theory. In fact, in a 1947 letter to his friend Maurice Solovine he stated: “You imagine that deep down inside I regard the work of my life with calm satisfaction, the things are really different. There is not a single concept of which I am convinced that it will stand firm.”
Einstein’s concerns are analysed in the book From Galileo to Lorentz... and beyond. As demonstrated in the book, conventional relativity fails to answer several fundamental questions. A new set of space-time transformations is derived that cover a wider range of facts than the Lorentz transformations, and allow us to answer questions that are unresolved by conventional relativity. The implications for fundamental physics are far reaching.
The ideas developed in this text have received enthusiastic support from many renowned physicists.
"I am in complete agreement with the essentials of the views expressed in this text, and give a positive assessment of the content." J.P Vigier, Laboratory of Gravitation and Cosmology, University of Paris VI
Excerpts
from the Author's Preface
This book draws conclusions from lectures given by the author at various conferences, and from several articles published in collections of essays on relativity theory. Some of the ideas presented here arise from these earlier works, though they may not have been explicitly stated before. The book is inspired in part by the works of Simon Prokhovnik, which represent a fundamental step in the understanding of the theories of space and time . Nevertheless, the reader will appreciate that, beyond a certain point, it departs from Prokhovnik’s views.
The reasons for this new course will be explained in detail. We leave the result to the reader’s judgment.
The manuscript presents a number of unconventional ideas. We have done our best to refute them, but in the end we find ourselves obliged to accept them as factual. Although we have criticized some of their views, we would like to pay homage to all our predecessors, without whom this manuscript could have not seen the light of day, in particular to Lorentz, Einstein and Poincaré.
Preface
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Steps in
the development of the new conception
Introduction
Difficulties with Orthodox Relativity Theory
On light-speed invariance
On the relativity of simultaneity
On the relativity principle
Distance, velocity and time
Some Useful Concepts
Extended Space-Time Transformations
Introduction
Derivation of extended space-time
transformations
Consistency of the transformations
Conclusion
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Inertial Transformations Derived from Galilean
Transformations
Prologue
Inertial
transformations between the aether frame and other inertial frames
Compatibility
of the Galilean law of composition of velocities with a limit velocity
Inertial transformations in the
general case
Arguments in Favour of Lorentz-Fitzgerald
Contraction
Introduction
Present-day arguments for Lorentz
contraction
Implications for Fundamental Physics
The relativity principle
Mass-energy conservation
Principle of inertia
Conservation of momentum
Mass-energy equivalence
Variation of mass with speed
Invariance of the one-way speed of
light
Twin paradox
Relativity of time
Relativity of simultaneity
Minkowski space-time
Length contraction
Mass and Energy in the Fundamental Aether Theory
Demonstration of E = mC2
without relativistic arguments
Variation of mass with speed
Variation
of mass with speed in relativity and in the fundamental aether theory
The question of reciprocity
Possible measurement of the
absolute speed of an inertial system
Conservation of energy
Synchronization Procedures and Light Velocity
Measuring the speed of light with
one or two clocks by the Einstein-Poincaré procedure
Measuring the speed of light by the
slow clock transport procedure
References
Index
Joseph
Lévy completed his Doctoral degree at the University of Paris VI and has
published numerous papers in different fields of physics in international journals.
He now devotes himself to the study of relativity from a critical point of view.
Since 1994, he has participated in the international conference Physical
Interpretations of Relativity Theory, held every two years at Imperial College,
University of London, sponsored by the British Society for the Philosophy of Science.
He was also a member of the organizing committee for the Geometrization of Physics
Conference, Kazan State University, Russia.