Michelson-Morley experiment, Doppler effect, aberration of light and the aether concept

TL;DR

This paper reviews key experiments and concepts related to photon propagation, Doppler effect, and the aether, concluding that the aether concept remains consistent with Special Relativity and that measuring the laboratory's speed relative to the aether is not feasible.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of the Michelson-Morley experiment and related phenomena, demonstrating the compatibility of the aether concept with Special Relativity.

Findings

Aether concept is consistent with Special Relativity.

Determining the laboratory's speed relative to the aether is not possible.

The analysis includes effects in vacuum and media with different refractive indices.

Abstract

After an overview of various citations relevant in the context of photon propagation, the relativistic Doppler effect and the addition theorem of velocities are first derived taking into account momentum and energy conservation. Clocks and the aberration of light are treated next, before the lengths of rods and the Lorentz transformations are discussed. The Michelson-Morley experiment is described at rest and in motion with respect to a preferred aether system, first under the assumption of an operation in vacuum. It is concluded that the aether concept is fully consistent with the formal application of the Special Theory of Relativity (STR). Whether a determination of the speed of the laboratory system relative to the aether is possible, is considered next either for an operation of the experiment in vacuum or in a medium with an index of refraction not equal to one. In both cases, the answer appears to be negative.