Reanalysis of Laub drag effects in a ring cavity

Abstract

Sanders Ezekiel [J. Opt. Soc. Am. B5, 674 (1988)] measured Laub drag coefficients in dielectric samples moving in a ring cavity and obtained an average difference from their theory of 60 ppm. We find significant revisions to their analysis (mainly the reinterpretation of the refractive index, inclusion of angular aberration in the dispersive term, and corrections to the geometry of the beam path through the sample), which increase this figure to 1290 ppm. Reasons for the residual discrepancy are advanced. Present drag measurements give direct manifestations of relativity only to an accuracy of the order of 1000 ppm.