A Proposal on Measurement Methods of the One-Way Speed of Light

Abstract

Junchi Ye

The ability to measure the exact one-way speed of light had often been thought to be impossible [1,2]. Under most simplified theoretical conditions, there appears to be no intuitive method of measuring the strict one-way speed of light, with the main problem being the synchronization of clocks at point A and B [1,2]. The significance proving or disproving the illusion of invariant lightspeed may shed light on the incompleteness and possible improvements of special relativity [3], while leading to new discoveries and verifications of hypotheses and theories. However, as of relative recency experiments designed to measure the one-way speed of light appears to still be highly limited, where special cases may give false positives [4]. The experiment designed in this paper can provide a precise measurement, when performed under ideal conditions will produce no false positives, while taking time dilation into account. Two spacecraft launched together are sent into a stable solar orbit between the Earth and Mars, spaced out a significant distance (>10 light minutes). Both spacecraft will be synchronized to constantly observe a pulsar - counting pulses, our start signal. Upon reaching a specified number of pulses the probes send signals to each other while starting their timer, ending their timer when they receive the signal from the other side. The experiment is performed once when the probes form an isosceles triangle, with atomic clocks that start as a documentation of their orbital period. The observation of the pulse rate differences should overlap at certain points on orbit where light is hitting the two probes simultaneously, where the experiment can be performed again to provide a measurement.

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