迈克尔逊-莫雷实验与狭义相对论的关系  

The Relationship between the Michelson-Morley Experiment and Special Relativity

作　　者：房宇新 FANG Yu-xin(Department of History of Science,Technology and Medicine,University of Minnesota,Minneapolis,MN 55455)

机构地区：[1]明尼苏达大学科学技术医学史系,明尼阿波利斯MN55455

出　　处：《自然辩证法研究》2024年第12期104-110,共7页Studies in Dialectics of Nature

摘　　要：1887年,迈克尔逊和莫雷利用干涉仪测量两条相互垂直的光线的光速差值,在误差范围内,干涉条纹的移动为零。这表明,地球相对于以太静止且光速恒定不变,它们与经典物理学的以太理论和速度叠加原理相矛盾。这两层矛盾可以分别导出狭义相对论的两条核心原理——相对性原理和光速不变原理。也就是说,迈克尔逊-莫雷实验已经为狭义相对论的创立提供了充足的条件。通过详细考察爱因斯坦的论文、书信和演讲,可以确定爱因斯坦至少在1902年就已经了解迈克尔逊-莫雷实验,但是该实验对于爱因斯坦创立狭义相对论的影响却是微小而间接的。随着以太漂移实验数量的增加,以迈克尔逊-莫雷实验为核心形成的以太漂移为零的文化背景,对爱因斯坦创立狭义相对论起到了至关重要的作用。The Michelson-Morley experiment has been understood by many as paving the way for Einstein's special theory of relativity.The reason for this is straightforward:the"failure"of the experiment is expected and easily explained by the constant speed of light independent of relative motion.Einstein,however,made no specific mention in his 1905 paper about the Michelson-Morley experiment.In this paper,I clarify a debatable issue:when and how did Einstein learn about the Michelson-Morley experiment?Through examining Einstein's early letters exchanged with his fiancee Mileva Maric,Iidentify that Einstein did know of the Michelson-Morley experiment before 1905 from Wien's 1898 paper,Lorentz's 1895 monograph,and Drude's 1900 book.However,the influence of the Michelson-Morley experiment on Einstein's creation of special relativity was small and indirect.Einstein came to special relativity through a dfferent route:the conflict between the principle of relativity and the Maxwell-Lorentz theory of electrodynamics.What actually influenced Einstein were a group of ether-drft experiments,instead of the single Michelson-Morley experiment.Thirteen experiments bearing on detecting the earth's motion through the ether in Wien's 1898 paper were enough for Einstein to abandon the hypothesis of the ether and absolute space.

关 键 词：以太 光速 绝对空间 迈克尔逊-莫雷实验 狭义相对论 

分 类 号：N031[自然科学总论—科学技术哲学]