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Einstein causality and the superluminal velocities of the Cologne microwave experiment
Author(s) -
Goenner H.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
annalen der physik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1521-3889
pISSN - 0003-3804
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-3889(199812)7:7/8<774::aid-andp774>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - superluminal motion , causality (physics) , theoretical physics , einstein , physics , electromagnetism , conservation of energy , interpretation (philosophy) , simple (philosophy) , classical physics , field (mathematics) , epr paradox , quantum mechanics , quantum , classical mechanics , epistemology , computer science , mathematics , philosophy , quantum entanglement , pure mathematics , programming language
Physics is an empirical science in the sense that its theories and the basic principles on which they are founded are always open to discussion, reformulation, and even to rejection – if the facts require it. Surprisingly, some of these important principles have withstood all storms of time and also the exponential increase both in data taken and in knowledge gained about nature. Some of the sturdiest ones are conservation of energy, conservation of charge and the causality principle . In this paper, we will try to give simple, not too technical, arguments why the claim that, in a number of experiments with microwaves encountering and passing a barrier in a waveguide, the principle of causality has been violated, is not acceptable. These measurements are contained within the domain of classical electromagnetism such that there is no need for applying the quantum mechanical concept of tunneling. Some of the difficulties which occured during the debate concerning the interpretation of the experiments, seem to be due to an overstretching of the concepts of “particle” and “field”, respectively. These concepts, in classical physics, are less intertwined than in quantum theory.