Measure of absolute speed through the Bradley aberration of light beams ona three-axis frame

Authors
Citation
G. Sardin, Measure of absolute speed through the Bradley aberration of light beams ona three-axis frame, EUROPH LETT, 53(3), 2001, pp. 310-316
Citations number
15
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
EUROPHYSICS LETTERS
ISSN journal
02955075 → ACNP
Volume
53
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
310 - 316
Database
ISI
SICI code
0295-5075(20010201)53:3<310:MOASTT>2.0.ZU;2-J
Abstract
An electromagnetic speed-meter made of a three-dimensional frame is propose d, which allows measuring speeds independently of any external reference. T he device is constituted by three orthogonal light beams and uses the motio n-induced aberration of light or Bradley aberration. The frame is formed by three orthogonal beams which stand for the three axes. On the top of each axis arm of the frame a diode laser is fixed whose divergent beam impinges on a convergent lens which focalizes the light on an optoelectronic positio n detector of high resolution, placed on the base of each arm. The shift of each beam spot due to aberration of light is recorded, from which the moti on of the frame is derived. Furthermore, if it is settled on a spacecraft i ts motion can be controlled in a way to record no aberration shift on any a xis, indicating that the spacecraft is then at rest in the cosmic space. Si nce the referential frame does not use any external reference, it can be ta ken as a universal frame from which absolute speeds carl be defined.