Absolute simultaneity and invariant lengths: Special Relativity without light signals or synchronised clocks
Abstract
It is demonstrated that the measured spatial separation of two objects, at rest in some inertial frame, is invariant under space-time transformations. This result holds in both Galilean and Special Relativity. A corollary is that there are no `length contraction' or associated 'relativity of simultaneity' effects in the latter theory. A thought experiment employing four unsynchronised clocks and a single measuring rod reveals that the physical basis of the time dilatation effect is a relative velocity transformation law, not `length contraction'. Time dilatation, which is universal and translation invariant for all synchronised clocks at rest in any inertial frame, is the unique space-time phenomenon discriminating Special from Galilean Relativity.
Cite
@article{arxiv.physics/0604010,
title = {Absolute simultaneity and invariant lengths: Special Relativity without light signals or synchronised clocks},
author = {J. H. Field},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/0604010},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
16 pages, 6 figures. v2 has 19 pages, changed title, abstract, references and added appendix. Important conceptual error in v1 is corrected. v3 Appendix and one equation corrected. Minor text addition. Conclusions unchanged