Weak Relativity
Author: Franco Selleri (1936-2013)
Editor: Dr. Michele Barone
isbn: 978-618-81871-0-8
Weak Relativity is an equivalent theory to Special Relativity according to Reichenbach’s definition, where the parameter epsilon equals to 0.
It formulates a Neo-Lorentzian approach by replacing the Lorentz transformations with a new set named “Inertial Transformations”, thus explaining the Sagnac effect, the twin paradox and the trip from the future to the past in an easy and elegant way. The cosmic microwave background is suggested as a possible privileged reference system.
Most importantly, being a theory based on experimental proofs, rather than mutual consensus, it offers a physical description of reality independent of the human observation.
Franco Selleri (Bologna, Italy, October 9, 1936 – November, 20, 2013) was an Italian Theoretical Physicist and professor at Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, director of the INFN section of Bari and member of the New York Academy, the Louis de Broglie Foundation, the Italian Physics Society and the American Physical Society. He was also a board member of international scientific publications such as Annales de la Fondation Louis De Broglie, Foundation of Physics, Referee for Physics Letter, Europhysics Letters and Nuovo Cimento. He had numerous visiting professorships and fellowships, including CERN, Saclay, University of Nebraska, Cornell University, and Dubna. Also, he had been the recipient of a medal from Gdanskie Towarzystwo Naukowe (Poland). During his scientific career, he published more than 200 papers in particle physics, quantum theory, relativity and history and philosophy of physics. He was the author of numerous books and editor of numerous conference proceedings on topics relating to the foundations of physics.
Preface ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
Chapter 1: Einstein positivist/realist …………………………………………… 15
Chapter 2: Relativistic paradoxes ………………………………………………… 25
Chapter 3: Relativism and the nature of energy ……………………. 37
Chapter 4: Einstein’s relativistic ether ………………………………………. 45
Chapter 5: Simultaneity, the key idea? ……………………………………… 52
Chapter 6: The basic empirical evidence ………………………………….. 60
Chapter 7: The new transformation …………………………………………… 71
Chapter 8: Synchronization independent phenomena ………… 93
Chapter 9: The Sagnac effect: e1 = 0 …………………………………………. 113
Chapter 10: The rotating platform: e1 = 0 ………………………………. 130
Chapter 11: Linear accelerations: e1 = 0 ………………………………….. 141
Chapter 12: Overcoming the block universe: e1 = 0 ……………. 153
Chapter 13: The aberration of starlight ……………………………………. 163
Chapter 14: The differential retardation effect ……………………… 173
Chapter 15: Lorentz’s ether …………………………………………………………… 195
Chapter 16: How many dimensions? ………………………………………….. 209
Chapter 17: Superluminal propagations: e1 = 0 ……………………. 228
Chapter 18: Weak relativity …………………………………………………………… 248