Noninvariant one-way speed of light and locally equivalent reference frames

Abstract

We consider an isotropical inertial reference frame ("stationary") and in it a uniformly rotating circular platform of radius R. The velocity of light ˜ c relative to the rim of the platform is calculated and found to have values necessarily different from c. This ˜ c remains the same if R is increased but the peripheral velocity is kept constant. Since by so doing any small piece of the circumference can be considered better and better at rest in a ("moving") inertial system, the velocity of light relative to this system can be deduced. Noninvariant values are obtained and shown to coincide with the predictions of our recently published "inertial transformations".

The Sagnac Phase Shift Suggested by the Aharonov-Bohm Effect for Relativistic Matter Beams

“…ether theory, Sagnac was the first scientist who reported an experimental observation of the effect of rotation on spacetime, which, after him, was named "Sagnac effect". It is interesting to notice that the Sagnac effect was interpreted as a disproval of the Special Theory of Relativity (SRT) not only during the early years of relativity (in particular by Sagnac himself), but, also, more recently, in the 90's by Selleri [6], [7], Croca-Selleri [8], Goy-Selleri [9], Vigier [10], Anastasovski et al [11]. However, this claim is incorrect: the Sagnac effect can be explained completely in the framework of SRT, which allows a deeper insight into its very foundations.…”

Light Transmission and the Sagnac Effect on the Rotating Earth

“…Such a view appears to be supported by Ashby who, despite his interpretation of the Sagnac Effect as a time correction, said (Ashby, 2002, p. 44) "…the principle of the constancy of c cannot be applied in a rotating reference frame…"! Selleri (1997) has shown that an unavoidable paradox arises when special relativity is applied to rotating platforms since the ratio ρ of one-way east-west light speeds (both locally and globally) is…”

Untitled

“…Some misunderstandings appear when considering the optical Sagnac effect from the viewpoint of an observer on the rotating disk (see for example [4]), where the both light beams travel the same distance. Since the round-trip time along a closed path on the disk is different for clockwise and anti-clockwise photons the non-inertial observer can conclude that the speed of the light measured locally on the disk depends on the direction and speed of rotation.…”

“…It has also a direct experimental verification for large distances in the experiments of clocks transported around Earth [3]. For the laboratory observer the Sagnac effect seems to have simple explanationbecause of the rotation the round-trip distance traveled by the waves co-rotating with the platform is grater than for the anti-rotating waves.Some misunderstandings appear when considering the optical Sagnac effect from the viewpoint of an observer on the rotating disk (see for example [4]), where the both light beams travel the same distance. Since the round-trip time along a closed path on the disk is different for clockwise and anti-clockwise photons the non-inertial observer can conclude that the speed of the light measured locally on the disk depends on the direction and speed of rotation.…”

“…No interference fringe change was observed between the light beams in air and in other media configurations. However, the change was observed when the media was stationary and the platform was rotated.The Sagnac effect have been attempted by several authors to explain: using the General Relativity [6,7]; from the special relativistic Doppler effect at the mirrors [8]; by coupling the momentum of interfering particles to rotation [9]; introducing various types of relativistic transformations for rotating frames [10]; using the restricted formula of the 3-space element [11]; considering the non-invariance of the light speed for the rotating observers [4,12].To make a round-trip on the disk the photon must be reflected by several mirrors and its path has the shape of a polygon. For example, in the classical Sagnac experiment [1] the light path was quadratic.…”