Related papers: Phase velocity and light bending in a gravitationa…
The equivalence principle suggests to consider gravity as an infra-red phenomenon, whose effects are visible only outside Einstein's free-falling elevator. By curving spacetime, General Relativity leaves the smallest systems free of…
Einstein was highly fascinated by Ernest Mach's work and by formulating the general theory of relativity (GR) he tried to provide a mathematical description to the Mach's principle. However, soon after its formulation, it was realized that…
The constancy of light speed is a basic assumption in Einstein's special relativity, and consequently the Lorentz invariance is a fundamental symmetry of space-time in modern physics. However, it is speculated that the speed of light…
This paper examines Lorentz's 1895 derivations of the classical Doppler formula and Fresnel drag, Einstein's 1905 derivation of the relativistic Doppler effect and aberration, and Einstein's 1907 kinematical route to the exact velocity…
We study the pages in Albert Einstein's 1916 landmark paper in the Annalen der Physik where he derived his field equations for gravity. Einstein made two heuristic and physically insightful steps. The first was to obtain the field equations…
Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity was proposed a little over a hundred years back. It remained a bedrock of twentieth century physics right up to Quantum Field Theory. However, the failure over several decades to provide a unified…
On the basis of Galilean invariance and the Doppler formula, combined with an observational condition, it is shown that the constancy of the velocity of light {\it in vacuo} can be derived, together with time-dilatation and Lorentz…
After a historical discussion of Einstein's 1907 principle of equivalence, a homogeneous gravitational field in Minkowski spacetime is constructed. It is pointed out that the reference frames in gravitational theory can be understood as…
Einstein said that gravity is an acceleration like any other acceleration. But gravity causes relativistic effects at non-relativistic speeds; so gravity could have relativistic origins. And since the strong force is thought to cause most…
The equivalence of mass and energy is indelibly linked with relativity, both by scientists and in the popular mind. I prove that E = mc^2 by demanding momentum conservation of an object that emits two equal electromagnetic wave packets in…
In this paper we consider a thought experiment involving the effect of gravitation on an ideal scale containing a photon. If the tidal forces inherent to a gravitational field are neglected, then one is led to scenario which seems to bring…
An optical approach begins by interpreting the gravitational redshift resulting to a change in the relative velocity of light due to the medium of propagation in the gravitational field. The discussion continues by pointing out an agreement…
Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP) can be tested by the time delay between photons with different energies passing through a gravitational field. As one of the most energetic explosions in the Universe, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) provide…
Along the lines of the Einstein-Rosen wave equation of General Relativity (GR), we derive a gravitational wave equation with cylindrical symmetry in the Einstein-aether (EA) theory. We show that the gravitational wave in the EA is periodic…
The observation of the bending of light by mass, now known as gravitational lensing, was key in establishing general relativity as one of the pillars of modern physics. In the past couple of decades, there has been increasing interest in…
The confrontation between Einstein's gravitation theory and experimental results, notably binary pulsar data, is summarized and its significance discussed. Experiment and theory agree at the 10^{-3} level. All the basic structures of…
We present a novel test of general relativity (GR): measuring the geometric component of the time delay due to gravitational lensing. GR predicts that photons and gravitational waves follow the same geodesic paths and thus experience the…
All modern theories of gravitation, starting with Newton's, predict that gravity will affect the speed of light propagation. Einstein's theory of General Relativity famously predicted that the effect is twice the Newtonian value, a…
We discuss what we take to be three possible misconceptions in the foundations of general relativity, relating to: (a) the interpretation of the weak equivalence principle and the relationship between gravity and inertia; (b) the connection…
These notes represent a summary of the introductory part of a course on modified gravity delivered at several Spanish Universities (Granada, Valencia, and Valladolid), at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI, USA), and at the…