Bonn 2001 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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GR: Gravitation und Relativitätstheorie
GR 2: Experimentelle Tests
GR 2.1: Fachvortrag
Montag, 26. März 2001, 18:00–18:15, VII
On the interpretation of Michelson–Morley experiments — •Claus Lämmerzahl1 and Mark P. Haugan2 — 1Universität Düsseldorf — 2Purdue University, Lafayette
New proposals for improved optical tests of Special Relativity created new interest in the interpretation of these tests. Within a new model with a hypothetical vector valued photon mass which is manifest gauge invariant, the speed of light as well as the solution for a point charge shows up anisotropic features. Since this solution for a point charge also gives a direction–dependent length standard for ionic crystals, this variations have to be taken into account for a thourough discussion of Michelson–Morley experiments. Conditions are presented for which the effect of an anisotropic speed of light is exactly cancelled by the anisotropic variation of the crystal length. Consequently, a null-result of Michelson–Morley experiments does not necessarily indicate an isotropic speed of light.