New proof of general relativity through the correct physical interpretation of the Mossbauer rotor experiment

TL;DR

This paper provides a correct general relativistic interpretation of the Mossbauer rotor experiment, showing that accounting for clock synchronization effects aligns theory with experimental deviations and offers new proof of general relativity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel interpretation of the Mossbauer rotor experiment using the Equivalence Principle and emphasizes the importance of clock synchronization effects in the analysis.

Findings

Experimental deviations from standard relativistic predictions confirmed

Corrected analysis aligns results with general relativity

Clock synchronization effects are crucial in rotating frame analyses

Abstract

In this Essay, we give a correct interpretation of a historical experiment by Kundig on the transverse Doppler shift in a rotating system (Mossbauer rotor experiment). This experiment has been recently first reanalyzed, and then replied by an experimental research group. The results of reanalyzing the experiment have shown that a correct re-processing of Kundig's experimental data gives an interesting deviation of a relative redshift between emission and absorption resonant lines from the standard prediction based on the relativistic dilatation of time. Subsequent new experimental results by the reply of Kundig experiment have shown a deviation from the standard prediction even higher. By using the Equivalence Principle (EP), which states the equivalence between the gravitational "force" and the pseudo-force experienced by an observer in a non-inertial frame of reference (included a rotating frame of reference), here the theoretical framework of the Mossbauer rotor experiment is reanalyzed directly in the rotating frame of reference through a general relativistic treatment. It will be shown that previous analyses missed an important effect of clock synchronization. By adding this new effect, the correct general relativistic prevision is in perfect agreement with the new experimental results. Such an effect of clock synchronization has been missed in various papers in the literature, with some subsequent claim of invalidity of the relativity theory and/or some attempts to explain the experimental results through "exotic" effects. The general relativistic interpretation in this Essay shows, instead, that the new experimental results of the Mossbauer rotor experiment are a new, strong and independent, proof of general relativity.