Vinaire's Blog

Per Maxwell’s equations, the speed of light ‘c’ is determined by the properties of space. Light appears to travel in space from one location to another as a transverse wave. From the model of a wave traveling in a medium it appears that the medium of light is space. The new idea here is that a non-material space acts as a medium. Up till now the medium was thought to be “ether” of material-like properties. That didn’t work out. So, what are the non-material properties of space as a medium?

Space, when disturbed seems to break into electric and magnetic fields. Space “doesn’t move”, but the disturbance in space (electromagnetic field) moves. This disturbance moves in such a way that the ratio of its wavelength to period is the constant ‘c’. This is what an electromagnetic wave is.

But light also moves at speed ‘c’ relative to uniformly moving material, regardless of how fast or how slow that material might be moving. Therefore, uniformly moving material has a velocity zero relative to space. It is “carrying space” with it, so to say. That is why no “ether wind” was discovered in Michelson-Morley’s experiments.

We have two different reference frames. The first is Galilean Reference or relativistic frame attached to matter called MRF (material frame of reference). The other is non-material reference frame attached to space called SRF (space frame of reference). The latter has never been considered in science. NOTE: The Lorentz transformations, like Galilean transformations are part of MRF.

We are conditioned to MRF. In it we see the distance changing uniformly between two uniformly moving material bodies moving towards each other or away from each other. But in SRF a uniformly moving material has a velocity zero relative to space. So, the distance is invariable, or it does not exist, between two uniformly moving material bodies.

In MRF we see time changing as a material body moves with uniform speed. In SRF the time is invariable, or it does not exist. The truth is that space and time exist in SRF as “wavelength” and “period” and the ratio between them is the constant ‘c’. All matter has infinitesimal wavelength and period. This gives us a uniform character of space and time in MRF. But in SRF this situation exists only at the upper end of the electromagnetic spectrum. MRF is, therefore, a specialized subset of SRF.

SRF gives us a much wider view of reality than MRF. This explains the relativistic “length contraction” and “time dilation” in terms of increasing or decreasing frequency. In MRF the frequency is collapsed beyond gamma range and appears to be “uniform”; and this gives us a uniform measure of length and time.

The relativistic world is understood much better when viewed through Space Reference Frame (SRF) derived directly from Maxwell’s Equations.

It appears that the speed ‘c’ can be attained only by an inertialess particle in MRF. As particle gains inertia its maximum attainable speed will reduce to a fraction of ‘c’. This is evident by the speed of electrons in MRF.

• Neither locations in space, nor Instances in time are absolute.
• Ratio of space-time intervals becomes absolute in EM disturbance.
• Space-time intervals become infinitesimal in the core of atom.
• Then location and instances appear absolute as matter.

Space and time intervals appear in a constant ratio as “disturbance”, which we see as light or dynamic electromagnetic field. In the absence of this disturbance neither space nor time exists. When space and time intervals become infinitesimal in the core of an atom, we have matter.  Matter seems to acquire absolute locations and instances in space and time. [EM = electromagnetic]

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• The nature of this disturbance is electromagnetic.
• It reflects permittivity and permeability of disturbed space.
• This electromagnetic disturbance is its own medium.
• The “speed” of this disturbance as light is constant.

The above is the basic postulate of Einstein’s theory of relativity. It is supported by experimental evidence.

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• The “wavelength to period ratio” of the disturbance is constant.
• Both wavelength and period are scaled up and down by frequency.
• The “frequency” denotes the energy of space-time disturbance.
• It is this energy that brings form to the disturbance.

The disturbance appears as electromagnetic field which is shaped by frequency gradients in it. What is there in absence of the field is unknown, but it allows the field to spread.

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• There cannot be absolute units of space and time at this stage.
• Space manifests as the continuity of forms throughout the field.
• Time manifests as the dynamic harmony of forms within the field.
• The only property that can be measured in absolute unit is frequency.

With space and time varying in a fundamental way we cannot find absolute units to separate them. But since they vary in a constant ratio, we find that an absolute unit may be applied to frequency.

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• We may only speculate what came before space-time.
• But after space-time came energy and matter.
• A whole spectrum of frequency characterizes energy.
• At the upper end of spectrum frequency collapses as matter.

Space-time provides a dynamically changing environment in terms of frequency. This environment is called energy that has a large spectrum of frequency. At the upper end of this spectrum the space and time intervals become so small that energy collapses into matter.

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• Space and time intervals vary in energy spectrum.
• But they always occur in absolute ratio as frequency.
• At the upper end of spectrum these intervals become infinitesimal.
• And space and time seem to acquire separate and absolute units.

Space and time seem to have absolute and separate units only for matter and not for the electromagnetic field. Classical mechanics deals with matter and treats space and time as absolute. This does not lead to error.

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• Velocity is defined by constant units for space and time.
• The concept of velocity applies to matter, and not to EM field.
• The constant ‘c’ is the ratio of space time intervals of light.
• Its interpretation as “speed of light” is a matter-centric view.

The theory of relativity correctly recognizes ‘c’ as a universal constant, but it looks at it as “speed” from a matter-centric view. This misinterpretation gives rise to subjective ideas of length contraction and time dilation.

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• Velocity may be used to assess relativity among matter particles.
• It cannot assess relativity between EM field (light) and matter.
• Frequency is appropriate to assess relativity within energy field.
• Frequency is also more appropriate to assess relativity of field to matter.

Einstein’s theory of relativity introduces confusion by using the concept of velocity to compare matter with field. The concept of velocity cannot be applied to electromagnetic field because space and time does not have absolute units in that context. Frequency is a more appropriate criterion to compare matter with field.

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• Velocity, by definition, is relative to a fixed location in space.
• A location can be fixed in space only by the presence of matter.
• No velocity exists when there is no matter to reference from.
• The concept of velocity is limited to material particles only.

When we talk about velocity of a wave it is only relative to a fixed location in space. A location can be fixed in space only by the presence of matter. Therefore, in absence of matter, the concept of velocity cannot be applied to waves and field.

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• The uniform velocity cannot be distinguished from state at rest.
• A uniform velocity cannot have a value of its own.
• Its value depends on the motion of another material object.
• Therefore, uniform velocity can only be subjective in nature.

How do we know that we are not moving uniformly at the speed of light? How should something moving uniformly at the speed of light appear? If we try to measure our speed relative to another moving material object, then the view of our speed will depend on the other object. Magnitude of uniform velocity is subjective at best.

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• Only acceleration has value relative to itself.
• Therefore, acceleration provides an objective measure.
• Acceleration also applies to matter only.
• Acceleration is a meaningful measure rather than velocity.

Only thing that we can measure objectively for matter is acceleration. Any measure of uniform velocity is subjective. Therefore, the use of Lorentz Factor in the theory of relativity, only leads to subjective conclusions.

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• The Lorentz factor derives from Pythagorean Theorem.
• And from the use of rigid coordinates referenced from matter.
• These conditions do not apply to electromagnetic field.
• The Lorentz factor does not apply to electromagnetic field.

The properties of electromagnetic field are very different from the properties of matter. The concept of velocity applies to matter and not to electromagnetic field. The theory of relativity treats electromagnetic field to be rigid like matter when it is not. It also treats matter to contort in space and time like electromagnetic field when it does not.

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