Abstract

A previous article showed that photons can be considered as weak shock N-waves propagating in a compressible space medium with Weinberg's specific gravity of ten to the ninetieth power. This article shows that, although such a space medium constitutes an absolute stationary reference frame, it is nevertheless compatible with special relativity. First, the chosen N-waves have inertial properties that accord with relativistic dynamics. Second, it is possible to perform a Lorentz transformation between any starting frame and ending frame in two steps, a first step from the starting frame to the absolute rest frame of the space medium, and a second step from the frame of the space medium to the ending frame. One knows that this is possible, even if one cannot know which frame is the absolute frame. As seen from the absolute frame, a ?light-pulse clock' analysis shows that the slowing down of moving clocks is a real physical process. Because of the huge medium density, even the most energetic N-wave photons have fractional velocity overages that are undetectable, conforming to the special relativity tenet that the speed of light is constant at a value of c₀.

? 2001 Occidental Science Institute. Published by permission of the copyright holder.