Can Lorentz transformations be determined by the null Michelson-Morley result?

Autor: J. A. S. Lima, Fernando D. Sasse
Jazyk: portugalština
Předmět:
Zdroj: Revista Brasileira de Ensino de Física, Vol 39, Iss 3
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1806-9126
75885700
DOI: 10.1590/1806-9126-rbef-2016-0273
Popis: The so-called principle of relativity is able to fix a general coordinate transformation which differs from the standard Lorentzian form only by an unknown speed which cannot in principle be identified with the light speed. Based on a reanalysis of the Michelson-Morley experiment using this extended transformation we show that such unknown speed is analytically determined regardless of the Maxwell equations and conceptual issues related to synchronization procedures, time and causality definitions. Such a result demonstrates in a pedagogical manner that the constancy of the speed of light does not need to be assumed as a basic postulate of the special relativity theory since it can be directly deduced from an optical experiment in combination with the principle of relativity. The approach presented here provides a simple and insightful derivation of the Lorentz transformations appropriated for an introductory special relativity theory course.
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