Implications of an Aether non Dragged by the Motion of Celestial Bodies on Optical Laws

摘要

The conventional optical laws take for granted that the one-way phase velocityof light in a refractive medium at rest in the Earth frame is C. But if one assumes theexistence of a fundamental reference frame and of an aether non-entrained by the motion ofcelestial bodies, then Hoek’s experiment shows that this velocity must be equal to C ? V2in the direction of the Earth absolute motion, and C + V2 in the opposite direction,where V is the absolute speed of the Earth frame. It is important to draw the consequencesof this data and to check whether it complies with well established laws of physics. Such ananisotropy implies that, according to non-entrained aether theory (NEAT), the ratio of thespeed of light in vacuo to the speed of light in refractive media (i,e, the optical index) must varyas a function of the orientation of the light signal. This is indeed what the calculation shows.Therefore, if NEAT is exact, except for some orientations, n is not the optical index in refractivemedia moving relative to the fundamental frame. However, as we shall see, NEAT doesnot preclude the fact that the Snell-Descartes’ law sini=nsinr applies to a high degree ofaccuracy whatever the orientation of the light signal. Thus, even if it exists, the anisotropyremains unapparent. It is worth noting that, while resorting to assumptions quite differentfrom special relativity, non-entrained aether theory accounts for well established experimentalresults. Moreover, as will be checked, a thorough analysis of Fizeau’s experiment in light ofHoek’s studies establishes the need for an aether drift, providing a strong argument in supportof aether theory.