Einstein, the Aether & Variable Rest Mass

ISBN 978-1-61658-620-1

Contents
Preface to second edition	i
Preface to first edition	vii
Introduction. How relativity became mysterious	1
Part I. Special Relativity	3
Relativity is counter intuitive: the cosmic flash	3
History of electromagnetism and aether theories	3
Aether and Relativity: the Michelson-Morley experiment	6
The FitzGerald-Lorentz contraction	7
The relativity theory of Lorentz, Larmor and Poincaré	9
Einstein declares the aether superfluous, time relative	11
Einstein’s ‘stealth’ postulate:	11
A single postulate for special relativity: limitations of the theory	12
An otherworldly proof of aether’s existence	13
Regarding coordinate systems and systems of observers	15
The Lorentz Transformation & the ‘Wave of Simultaneity’	15
An aetherist derivation of the Lorentz transformation	16
The transformation (not the addition) of velocities	17
Paradoxes lost	18
The Measuring Rod ‘Paradox’	18
The Clock ‘Paradox’	19
Why do measuring rods contract and clocks slow?	20
Harter’s standing wave model of matter	20
1.Extended objects	21
2.Point particles	23
Two final exercises in Special Relativity	26
1.An alternate method for synchronization: a slow transport of clocks	26
2.Bell’s Rockets: An argument supporting aether’s existence	27
Other topics of interest relegated to appendices	30
Reprise regarding the limitations of special relativity	30
Part II. (a) Einstein’s Theory of Gravity	31
Einstein’s dream of a General Theory of Relativity undone by Newton’s bucket	31
Einstein’s 1911 paper	32
Two proofs that gravitational mass and inertial mass are equivalent	32
Einstein proves the red shift is caused by the slowing of clocks	34
An inference not made: Light moves with constant energy, unaffected by gravity	34
Clock slowing and the locally measured speed of light	35
Einstein’s unhappy choice: Light speed slows	35
An alternate solution: Measuring rods elongate	35
Bohr’s 1913 quantum theory gives paradigms for time and distance intervals: and	36
A heuristic argument for gravitational rest mass reduction	36
The implications of rest mass reduction	37
Einstein’s struggle to develop his theory of gravity	37
Marcel Grossmann and Einstein: The 1915 theory	38
Part II. (b) The Variable Rest Mass Interpretation of Einstein’s Theory	41
Introduction	41
The Strong Equivalence Principle (SEP)	41
Fundamental ‘constants’ can vary in concert so as to satisfy the SEP	41
Interpretations, correct and otherwise	43
Einstein’s choice versus variable rest masses	44
The Abramowicz Effect and Optical Geometry	45
Energy conservation picks the winner	46
The New Metric and the True Geometry	47
The Stenosphere	48
Embedding diagram(s) for the Schwarzschild field	48
Exploring the geometry of a black hole	51
The reversal of centrifugal force: The Abramowicz Effect	52
Regarding Quantum Gravity	53
Digressions of particular interest	54
Big G: Non-constant and split!	54
The Principle of Equivalence fails in the relativistic regime	56
Einstein’s Gedankenexperiment	56
exact solution: particles with rest mass	56
exact solution: photons	58
Part II. (c) Generalizing the variable rest mass interpretation to stationary spacetimes that are asymptotically static at infinity, with the Kerr field as an example	61
Introduction	61
The general stationary field	62
The fastest clocks	62
The aether flow velocity	63
A coordinate system that goes with the flow	63
The metric according to telemetric system of measurement	63
An apt example: The Kerr Field	64
Three metrics for the Kerr field	65
The wave nature of matter inferred from the Kerr field	65
Proof of the pudding: Photon orbits in the Kerr field	65
The Massless Kerr Solution	68
Part III. Cosmological Implications of Variable Rest Masses	69
Introduction	69
Momentum Conservation implies variable rest masses	69
The Evolution of the Universe: How A(t) evolves	71
The Universe is not expanding: Our measuring rods are shrinking	76
Photons are not stretched as space itself expands: They were born red shifted	76
Addendum: An integral of motion in a Friedmann universe	77
How temperature varies with time in a Friedmann universe according to the variable rest mass hypothesis	78
Gravitationally bound bodies in a Friedmann universe	79
Part IV. Other variable rest mass theories, including those of	81
1. Dicke	81
2. Bekenstein	82
3. Froedge	82
4. Hoyle and Narlikar	83
5. Sonego	84
Comment on Machian ‘Mass Fields’	85
Additional remarks regarding conformal invariance	87
Appendices	91
I. A formal derivation of the Lorentz Transformation An Historical Note: Voigt’s transformation	89 90
II. Stellar Aberration and the Doppler Effect	93
III. The Cosmic Flash Gedankenexperiment	95
IV. The Clock on a String Gedankenexperiment	97
V. Photon in a superconducting box	100
VI. The Einstein Effect and the Shapiro Effect	101
VII. Regarding Geodesics	105
1. Geometric and relativistic geodesics contrasted	105
2. Curvature of proper geodesics in the Schwarzschild field	106
3. Curvature of telemetric geodesics in the Schwarzschild field	107
VIII. Einstein’s Elevator: Motion at constant on-board acceleration	111
IX. An intuitive derivation of Kerr flow velocity	115
X. A procedure for finding the stenosurface of the Kerr solution for any value of polar angle.	117
XI. The Massless Kerr Field is flat but interesting.	118
XII. A Self-consistent Derivation of Rest Mass Reduction	121
XIII. The Gaffes of Relativity	123
1. The greatest Gaffe: The relativity of time. Kip Thorne’s Time Machine	123 125
2. Time travel nonsense	126
3. The bowling ball on the rubber sheet mal-analogy	127
4. Red shift nonsense	131
5. Lorentz Invariance misapplied	132
Part V. Personal notes: efforts to publish the variable rest mass interpretation of gravity	135
May 10, 1977: Satori	135
Roger Babson’s Gravity Research Foundation	135
Analyzing the Kerr solution	137
A brief exchange with Chandrasekhar	137
Marek Abramowicz	137
Optical Geometry	138
Submissions to American Journal of Physics and Foundations of Physics.	138
The CWRU Cosmology-Topology Workshop	139
The kindness of Gary Gibbons	139
Importuning Martin Gardner	139
Abramowicz invites me to a workshop on ‘Optical Geometry’ in Trieste	140
A tepid response to my presentations	141
Abramowicz: “I am now more at your side about the variable mass.”	141
Sonego and Abramowicz	142
Submission to Phys Rev D: Exchanges with Erick Weinberg and final rejection	143
Submission to Foundations of Physics, and a curt dismissal from the editor, Alwyn van der Merwe	144
Submission to General Relativity and Gravitation	145
A final review by Robert M Wald	145
A shot fired in anger	146
The Positivists are not consistently anti-heuristic	146
Summary of the variable rest mass interpretation of gravity	147
Afterword	149
Index	153

Jack Heighway

2008 -09

Contents