4.1. Einstein's Suggestions
In the first paragraph on page one of his manuscript “On the electrodynamics of moving bodies”, [
21] Einstein says: “It is known that Maxwell’s electrodynamics—as usually understood at the present time—when applied to moving bodies, leads to asymmetries which do not appear to be inherent in the phenomena. Take, for example, the reciprocal electrodynamic action of a magnet and a conductor. The observable phenomenon here depends only on the relative motion of the conductor and the magnet, whereas the customary view draws a sharp distinction between the two cases in which either the one or the other of these bodies is in motion. For if the magnet is in motion and the conductor at rest, there arises in the neighborhood of the magnet an electric field with a certain definite energy, producing a current at the places where parts of the conductor are situated. But if the magnet is stationary and the conductor in motion, no electric field arises in the neighborhood of the magnet. In the conductor, however, we find an electromotive force, to which in itself there is no corresponding energy, but which gives rise—assuming equality of relative motion in the two cases discussed—to electric currents of the same path and intensity as those produced by the electric forces in the former case.”
Einstein considers his example asymmetric because when the magnet is at rest, no electric field arises in the moving conductor, and still, the reciprocal phenomena occur. He may suggest that observations are enough to accept reciprocal phenomena even if an electromagnetic quantity, such as an electric field, does not arise. Therefore, there is no need to understand physical phenomena rationally.
Appendix B shows that in Einstein’s example, when the magnet is at rest, an electromotive force (emf) is created in the conductor in motion, making the conductor an electrical source; therefore, an electric field arises. Thus, Maxwell’s electrodynamics applied to moving bodies lead to symmetries; each physical quantity involved in a phenomenon arises, and the phenomena can be rationally explainable.
However, can we apply the symmetry of phenomena observed and understood as an equilibrium in reciprocity between two inertial frames? What physical similarities can be among the reciprocal and symmetrical phenomena between the magnet and conductor given by Einstein, or any other symmetrical phenomena, and the phenomenon between two inertial frames, if there is one?
The example has the magnet and conductor in proximity, and they have reciprocal electromagnetic properties. None of these characteristics apply to a stationary and inertial frame to support special relativity. The origins of the two frames depart from one another and are in proximity for a relatively short time. Frames, including the absolute frame, are hypothetical entities. These simple tools help us study and understand physical phenomena. They have no physical properties to transform/duplicate a physical system from one frame to another, not even for observations.
Symmetry applied to two inertial frames, the main idea in special relativity, creates duplications. It is unrealistic and leads to irrational conclusions, as will be discussed further.
From “Examples of this sort, together with the unsuccessful attempts to discover any motion of the earth relatively to the 'light medium'”, Einstein concludes with three suggestions in the second paragraph of page 1:
1. “… the phenomena of electrodynamics as well as of mechanics possess no properties corresponding to the idea of absolute rest.”
Einstein rejected the idea of absolute rest, but an inertial frame considered stationary is a local frame at absolute rest for another inertial frame. The stationary frame was a convenient choice to present his transformational understanding of a phenomenon between two inertial frames.
2. “… the same laws of electrodynamics and optics will be valid for all frames of reference for which the equations of mechanics hold good.”
The equations/laws of mechanics are valid for the phenomena belonging to an inertial frame, not for the coordinates of phenomena in another inertial frame. Still, opposite to the second suggestion, special relativity forces the laws of electrodynamics and optics to hold good to coordinate observations for which mechanics do not hold good.
3. “… light is always propagated in a vacuum with a definite velocity , which is independent of the state of motion of the emitting body.”
In a stationary frame/local frame at absolute rest, without considering the dragging of light, the waves emitted from a source at rest travel at velocity and are uniformly distributed in the frame of the source and the stationary frame. However, when the source is in motion at velocity , the waves travel in the source’s inertial frame at speeds different from , are not uniformly distributed in space, and are deformed. Therefore, there are differences in wave propagation in a stationary frame according to the motion states of the sources.
Without understanding the physical phenomenon of his example and missing details from the above suggestions, Einstein chose to make hypotheses based on observations, elevating them to postulates.
4.3. The Lorentz Transformation and Einstein Transformation
Figure 10 depicts a stationary frame
in which an inertial frame
travels at relative velocity
along the
axis, and the planes
and
coincide. Origins
and
coincide at the initial instance when a light source belonging to the origin
emits waves of light in all directions. After a time
, the spherical wavefront of light is on a circle in the plane
with the center at
, and origin
is at distance
from
.
The conclusion from observations and the Michelson‒Morley experiment was that the speed of light has the constant
in each inertial frame. FitzGerald [
23], with no explanation of the Michelson‒Morley experiment at his time, wrote: “I would suggest that almost the only hypothesis that can reconcile this opposition is that the length of material bodies changes, according as they are moving through the ether or across it, by an amount depending on the square of the ratio of their velocity to that of light.”
With his transformation, Lorentz presents how the coordinates of the points belonging to the circular wavefront of light from the stationary frame are in the inertial frame. He applied his transformation along the axis , keeping the constancy of light in both directions.
Lorentz’s transformation consists of four equations that are applicable to each point of the circular wavefront in plane
when changes in time occur along the axis
in both directions, and it can be written as
where
is the Lorentz factor, which is comparable to the square of the ratio of the velocity
and
suggested by FitzGerald.
Substituting at point , is the absolute coordinate in the inertial frame as in the Galilean transformation, and is the hypothetical contracted time by given by Lorentz, in which the wavefront travels the length at speed . , , and then , which verifies the constancy of light. Because for , the length is longer than , and point shifts right to .
Substituting at point , is the absolute coordinate in the inertial frame as in the Galilean transformation, and is the hypothetical dilated time by given by Lorentz in which the wavefront travels the length at speed . , , and then , which verifies the constancy of light. Because for , the length is longer than , and point shifts left to .
Note that the times
in the direction
and
in the opposite direction enforce different relative times in the two directions. The shift/dilation creates a duplicated image that is different from the spherical coordinates of the stationary frame. These are reasons to reject Lorentz’s transformation and special relativity. Factor
can be ignored without affecting the constancy of the speed of light. With or without
, the first postulate creates a fictive duplication, but the shift/dilation makes the duplication more evident. Eliminating factor
, the set in Eq. (9) becomes
The following numerical calculation employs the lengths offered by Lorentz’s transformation, which all are absolute, for the hypothetical time , considering the set in Eq. (10). Employing the set in Eq. (9), the numerical calculations are slightly different, but the conclusions are the same.
Distance is the radius of the spherical wavefront in the stationary frame. At time and for an angle , we can calculate , , , and ⇒ . In triangle , the radius is . The speed along for the hypothetical time given by Lorentz in which the wavefront travels length and corresponding coordinate length is .
Table 1 offers the numerical calculation for the
and
functions of angle
at time
s.
Table 1 confirms that Lorentz's transformation maintains the constancy of the speed of light for the waves in the direction
and the opposite direction. These results are in contradiction concerning the speeds of all other wave directions, which vary and converge to infinity. The second postulate asserts the constancy of the speed of light in the inertial frame, regardless of its direction, while the transformation drastically concludes otherwise.
Lorentz’s transformation keeps for any point on the spherical wavefront as absolute lengths, adjusting their corresponding times . The factor gives only length dilations to of all points on the spherical wavefront. Therefore, the concept of length contractions is non-existent in Lorentz’s and Einstein’s transformations and is incorrect in special relativity.
The conclusions from the above two paragraphs show that special relativity is self-negating.
4.4. Discussions
1. Is it reasonable to observe the spherical coordinates with their center at origin and to keep the speed of light a constant along the axis in both directions to have a theory based on experimental observations without understanding the physical phenomena of those experiments? Furthermore, is it reasonable to force the spherical coordinates and their observation to have the same physical laws as those in the stationary frame? This approach, which Einstein chose, leads to an irrational world. Newtonian mechanics' fundamental difference from special relativity is that the laws present the phenomena as they are, rationally understood by themselves, and not accepted by observations, hypotheses or postulates. In mechanics, the dragging of balls and electromagnetic radiation created by bodies explain even the principle of relativity.
2. What natural phenomena can transform each wave from the stationary frame in its unique form, as Lorentz’s transformation requires in
Figure 10? We can consider other mathematical transformations, such as by ignoring Lorentz’s factor
, by allowing the speed of light to be constant along each wave in the inertial frame, or by allowing the time to be constant instead of the speed of light, to explain the Michelson‒Morley experiment [
24]. Could there be a phenomenon for each of these particular hypothetical mathematical transformations, and which one would be correct? There are no such phenomena. If we try these transformations, we obtain a theory with irrational conclusions for each, as for special relativity.
3. The manuscripts, presentation, and teaching of special relativity are focused on observation. Is Lorentz’s transformation not applicable when there is no light or when a phenomenon is too far to be observable? Observation depends on the perception of light by the human eye. Paragraph one of Subsection 3.2. describes the limitations of observation with the human eye. Suppose a source that emits waves of light in a vacuum in all directions. We see only the wave that travels directly to our eyes; all other waves are invisible. No light waves are observed at the source location. If the source emits waves in a medium such as air, the particles of the medium reflect some waves, and our eyes may have a limited, deformed, and delayed observation. This discussion raises questions about the validity of time synchronization in special relativity.
4. According to special relativity, in an inertial frame, we need a ruler identical to that of the stationary frame to measure the length of phenomena that occur in our frame. We must also have two rulers with different scales to measure the lengths transformed from the stationary frame according to positive or negative, without mention of any other direction. The use of multiple rulers is unacceptable. The same conclusion applies to multiple synchronized clocks.
5. Suppose that the inertial frame also has a source at its origin. When the origins coincide, each source emits a spherical wavefront of light. Considering factor , imagine the confusion of an observer in the inertial frame observing two different spherical wavefronts with the center at .
6. When we observe a star, as in the example in Subsection 3.4.4., which involves astronomical distances, we see the star in an enlarged orbit without irregularities, but our observation does not change the actual orbit. There is no need to mention other observations close to our eyes that we know are not factual. The observations are explainable through the laws of physics. However, we must distinguish between the phenomena and how our eyes observe them. Therefore, we cannot rely only on observations. Special relativity talks about observation, but it does not consider that our eyes perceive only the direction of waves emitted by the source and reflected by mirrors, not necessarily the direction of waves’ propagation. Therefore, this is another fact that was not understood at that time.
7. Lorentz struggled to explain the Michelson‒Morley experiment because, at his time, the law of dragging of light was not understood or accepted. W. Ritz offered the ballistic theory of light [
15], which is similar to the concept of dragging of light. However, de Sitter’s observations of binary stars [
16,
17] rejected it. With the same transformation as Lorentz's [
22], Einstein's theory set physics on the wrong path. Time
for point
in the direction
is different from time
for point
in the opposite direction. The two different times cannot explain the Michelson‒Morley experiment. Considering the wave that travels at the aberration angle with a speed
converging to infinity, as indicated in
Table 1, the experimental explanation is excluded.
8.
Figure 10 illustrates a case when the origins
and
coincide at the initial instance. However, when the source emits wavefronts at an initial instance, the origin
may be far away from
. In this case, there are times when the spherical wavefront does not include origin
, there is a time when the spherical wavefront is at origin
, and there are times when the spherical wavefront includes origin
. How is the initial spherical wavefront observed at
at different times? Do we force the coordinates of the spherical wavefront to be observed according to Lorentz transformation with its center at
at any time?
9. Suppose that the light source is a ball source and emits balls of equal mass in all directions at a speed
higher than the speed of the inertial frame
. As for light, the Galilean transformation gives the coordinates of the spherical ball front in the inertial frame at a time
as they are. Mechanics do not and cannot force the coordinates of the spherical ball front to have its center at
; or, in Einstein’s words, the equations of mechanics do not hold good in this case. Still, special relativity does not respect Suggestion 2 of
Section 4.1. Thus, this is a reason to reject special relativity.
10. The first postulate indicates that physical systems from the stationary frame change when transformed/duplicated into the inertial frame. A physical system mentioned in the first postulate may have a source that creates a spherical wavefront. However, it may contain bodies, living beings, and observers involved in a phenomenon. Considering that the origin of an inertial frame can be at any point of that inertial frame, imagine what duplicating the physical systems from a stationary frame means in all other inertial frames. Moreover, each inertial frame, arbitrarily, may be stationary; therefore, all physical systems from each inertial frame are transformed/duplicated in all other inertial frames. All of these duplications are irrational and not observed at the scale of the Universe or the local scale.
11. In a stationary frame, as in
Figure 10, the origin
of the inertial frame may travel through a few consecutive points of axis
. Suppose that a phenomenon arises in the stationary frame when the origin
coincides with each consecutive point. Each of these phenomena is transformed at the origin
. Imagine all of these phenomena involving bodies and living beings at
. Note that Galilean coordinates do not eliminate collisions between phenomena of different inertial frames. However, these collisions are rational, understandable, and explicable.
12. This discussion focuses on the propagation of light waves in the stationary frame, the observed phenomena in the inertial frame, and the hypothetical Lorentz phenomenon in the inertial frame.
In , when origins coincide, the source of light emits waves of light at speed , wavelength , period , and frequency . Wave propagation is undisturbed by and observed differently in the inertial frame. When the initial wavefront arrives at point at time , the length is ⇒ ⇒ , which can be written as . The terms , , and are the numbers of waves with period and wavelength on paths , , and , respectively.
In the particular details of
Figure 10, light travels the fraction
of a wavelength in time
. This means that in the inertial frame, light travels one wavelength
at period
, frequency
, and speed
, which is the observed wave propagation offered by the Doppler effect. The number of wavelengths
comprising
is
.
In the direction , light travels the length in time and one wavelength at period , frequency , and speed , which is the observed wave propagation offered by the Doppler effect. The number of wavelengths comprising is .
According to Lorentz’s transformation, in the particular details of
Figure 10, light travels the fraction
of a wavelength in time
. This means that in the inertial frame, light travels one wavelength
at period
⇒
, frequency
, and speed
, as in the stationary frame. However, the number of wavelengths comprising
is
, which gives the absolute length
.
In the direction light travels at wavelength at period ⇒ , frequency , and speed . The number of wavelengths comprising is , which gives the absolute length . In the stationary frame, Lorentz’s transformation forces light to travel at speed in the direction and at speed in the opposite direction.
From this discussion, we understand the difference between the Doppler effect and the incorrectness of Lorentz's transformation, resulting in speed converging to infinity. Therefore, any mathematical modeling of Lorentz's transformation in space does not reflect reality.