Albert Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity: Emergence (1905) and Early Interpretation (1905-1911)

Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 6
Copyright......Page 7
Preface......Page 10
Preface to the Republication of This Volume......Page 12
Acknowledgments......Page 14
Author's Notes to the Reader......Page 16
Contents......Page 18
Cast of Characters......Page 24
Introduction......Page 38
1.1 Hertz’s Electromagnetic Theory of 1890: The Maxwell-Hertz Theory......Page 48
1.2 The Optics of Moving Bodies......Page 51
1.3 Lorentz’s, “On the Influence of the Earth’s Motion on Luminiferous Phenomena” (1886)......Page 55
1.4 Lorentz’s Electromagnetic Theory of 1892: The Maxwell-Lorentz Theory......Page 60
1.4.1 Perspective......Page 61
1.4.2 Lorentz’s Optics of Moving Bodies: 1892......Page 62
1.5 The Hypothesis of Contraction......Page 64
1.6.1 A Method for Solving Electrodynamical Problems......Page 67
1.6.2 A Method for Solving Problems in the Optics of Moving Bodies......Page 69
1.6.3 Lorentz’s 1895 Theory of the Optics of Moving Bodies......Page 71
1.6.4 Summary State of Lorentz’s Theory of the Electrodynamics and Optics of Moving Bodies in 1895......Page 74
1.7.1 Poincaré’s Criticisms of Lorentz: 1895—1902......Page 75
1.7.2 The Principle of Action and Reaction......Page 76
1.8 The Electromagnetic World-Picture......Page 79
1.9 Walter Kaufmann’s Experiments of 1901—1902......Page 81
1.10.1 Abraham’s Fundamental Assumptions......Page 88
1.10.2 Abraham’s Predictions for the Electron’s Mass......Page 92
1.11 Kaufmann’s 1902—1903 Data......Page 94
1.12 Lorentz’s Theory of the Electron......Page 99
1.12.1 Prelude: The Period 1899—1903......Page 100
1.12.2 Lorentz’s Fundamental Assumptions of His Own Theory of the Electron......Page 103
1.12.3 Lorentz’s Predictions for the Electron’s Mass......Page 105
1.13.1 Abraham’s 1904 Response......Page 107
1.13.2 Abraham’s 1905 Response: The Missing Energy......Page 109
1.14 Poincaré’s Penultimate Statement......Page 110
1.15 A Note on Sources......Page 117
1.15.1 On Einstein’s Knowledge of Electrodynamics in 1905......Page 118
Footnotes......Page 123
2 Einstein’s Philosophic Viewpoint in 1905......Page 152
2.1 Assessing a Scientific Theory......Page 153
2.2 On the Mechanical World-Picture......Page 154
2.2.1 Assessment from the Viewpoint of “Confirmation by Experiment”......Page 157
2.2.2 Assessment from the Viewpoint of “Inner Perfection”......Page 158
2.3 On the Electromagnetic World-Picture......Page 159
2.4 Contra Mechanical and Electromagnetic World-Pictures......Page 161
2.5 A New Beginning: The Triad of Papers in Vol. 17......Page 163
Footnotes......Page 166
3.1 Einstein’s Experimental Data......Page 172
3.2 The Case of Magnet and Conductor......Page 175
3.3.1 August Föppl and Electromagnetic Induction......Page 179
3.3.2 Unipolar Induction and the Interaction Between Engineers and Scientists in German-Speaking Countries......Page 183
3.3.3 The Approach of Hertz and Abraham to Unipolar Induction......Page 185
3.3.4 Lorentz’s Approach to Electromagnetic Induction: A Symmetry......Page 187
3.3.5 A Possible Scenario for Einstein’s Thoughts on Electromagnetic Induction......Page 189
3.4 The Basis of the New Viewpoint......Page 192
3.5 Further Commentary on the Origins of Einstein’s Principle of Relativity......Page 195
3.6 Further Asymmetries......Page 199
3.7 Further Heuristics: Another Role for the Principle of Relativity......Page 200
Footnotes......Page 201
4 Simultaneity and Time......Page 210
4.1.2 Poincaré......Page 211
4.2 The Nature of Time and the Gedanken Experiment from Aarau......Page 214
4.3 Einstein’s Notion of a Physical Geometry......Page 216
4.4 Simultaneity and Time......Page 218
4.5 The Properties of Einstein’s Method for Clock Synchronization......Page 221
Footnotes......Page 222
5 Length and Time Are Relative Quantities......Page 226
Footnotes......Page 230
6.1 Einstein’s Derivation of the Relativistic Transformation Equations......Page 232
6.2.1 On Einstein’s Derivation of the Relativistic Transformations......Page 239
6.2.2 A Comparison Between the Space and Time Transformations of Einstein and Lorentz......Page 241
Footnotes......Page 242
7.1 Moving Bodies: Einstein’s Length Contraction......Page 246
7.2 Moving Clocks: The Relativity of Time......Page 248
7.3 On the Reciprocity of Relativistic Phenomena......Page 249
7.4 Commentary on Einstein’s §4......Page 250
7.4.1 Kaufmann’s 1905—1906 Assessment of Einstein......Page 251
7.4.2 Kaufmann’s 1905 Data......Page 252
7.4.3 Abraham and Kaufmann versus Planck: 1906......Page 256
7.4.4 The 1907 Einstein-Ehrenfest Exchange......Page 259
7.4.5 Einstein on Rigid Bodies and Hyperlight Velocities......Page 260
7.4.6 Hermann Minkowski......Page 262
7.4.7 Max Bom’s Attempt to Complete the Electromagnetic World-Picture......Page 267
7.4.8 Ehrenfest’s Paradox......Page 268
7.4.9 Abraham, Bom and Planck Respond to Ehrenfest......Page 269
7.4.10 Von Ignatowski versus Bom, Ehrenfest and Sommerfeld......Page 270
7.4.11 Varičak and Einstein......Page 272
7.4.12 Aftermath of the Rigid-Body Controversy: Mostly Planck, Poincaré and Lorentz......Page 275
7.4.13 The Relativity of Time: 1908—1913......Page 279
Footnotes......Page 286
8.1 Einstein’s Analysis......Page 296
8.2 Poincaré and the Addition Law for Velocity......Page 299
8.3 Von Laue’s Derivation of Fresnel’s Dragging Coefficient......Page 300
8.4 Walther Ritz’s Emission Theory of Light......Page 301
Footnotes......Page 302
9 The Relativity of the Electric and Magnetic Fields......Page 306
9.1 Einstein’s Analysis......Page 307
9.2 Further Comments on Unipolar Induction......Page 313
Footnotes......Page 317
10 Doppler’s Principle and Stellar Aberration......Page 320
Footnotes......Page 326
11.1 Einstein’s Analysis......Page 328
11.2 Max Abraham’s Paper of 1904 “On the Theory of Radiation and of the Pressure of Radiation”......Page 335
Footnotes......Page 338
12.1 Einstein’s §9: Macroscopic Charged Bodies......Page 342
12.2.1 The Moving Electron’s Mass......Page 344
12.2.2 The Moving Electron’s Kinetic Energy......Page 349
12.3 The Conclusion of the Relativity Paper......Page 350
12.4.1 The Responses of Lorentz and Poincaré to Kaufmann......Page 352
12.4.2 Bestelmeyer’s 1906 Data......Page 353
12.4.3 Einstein Replies to Kaufmann......Page 359
12.4.4 Bucherer’s 1908 Data......Page 363
12.4.5 Aftermath......Page 367
12.5.1 Einstein’s Fourth Annalen Paper of 1905......Page 370
12.5.2 Einstein’s 1906 Derivation of the Mass—Energy Equivalence......Page 371
12.5.3 Einstein’s First 1907 Derivation of the Mass—Energy Equivalence......Page 372
12.5.4 Some Others Who Discussed an Association Between Energy and Mass......Page 376
12.5.5 Planck’s 1907 Derivation of the Mass—Energy Equivalence......Page 377
12.5.6 Einstein’s Second 1907 Derivation of the Mass—Energy Equivalence......Page 379
12.5.7 Planck’s Law of Inertia of Energy......Page 382
12.5.8 Some Essential Results of Max von Laue: In Particular on Elementary-Particle Theory in 1911......Page 384
Footnotes......Page 390
Epilogue......Page 402
Appendix......Page 406
Bibliography......Page 432
Index......Page 454