Abstract
An absolute reference frame may be defined as the one which is stationary with respect to the center of mass of the Universe and in which speed of propagation of light is an isotropic constant. Any motion with respect to this frame may be referred as absolute motion. In this paper we examine the Sagnac effect of absolute motion in the context of clock synchronization through GPS satellites in common view mode. The e-synchronization of two clocks A and B amounts to introduction of time offsets such that the time taken by a light pulse to propagate between A and B will be measured to be the same in both directions. Synchronization of two clocks through a GPS satellite in common view mode is effectively equivalent to e-synchronization of these clocks and introduces an absolute synchronization mismatch proportional to the absolute velocity and length of the baseline. Measurement of this synchronization offset between the GPS synchronized clocks at the ends of a long baseline will enable the practical detection of absolute motion of earth. Here we propose a simple experiment for detection of absolute motion through measurement of absolute synchronization offsets between two timing laboratories maintaining UTC time.
Highlights
According to special theory of relativity (SR) all motion is relative and existence of an absolute inertial frame of reference which could be practically distinguished from all other inertial frames, is ruled out
In this paper we examine the Sagnac effect of absolute motion in the context of clock synchronization through GPS satellites in common view mode
Under the current procedures of satellite based time transfers and time comparisons, the speed of light c is assumed to be an isotropic constant in the Earth Centered Inertial (ECI) frame, due to which an e-synchronous time gets distributed to the clocks located all over the globe
Summary
According to special theory of relativity (SR) all motion is relative and existence of an absolute inertial frame of reference which could be practically distinguished from all other inertial frames, is ruled out. The second postulate of SR depicts an assumption that the speed of light in vacuum is the same isotropic constant c in all inertial reference frames (IRF) in relative uniform motion. It is well known from Maxwell’s theory that the speed of light in vacuum depends on the permittivity ε0 and permeability μ0 of the physical space. The essence of Sagnac effect is to take into account the motion of receiver during the propagation time of the pulse It is implied that the motion of receiver must be measured in the same inertial reference frame in which the speed c of signal propagation is an isotropic constant. The Sagnac effect associated with absolute motion must be considered in an absolute or universal reference frame
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