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The Uniform Straight-Line Inertial Path

An argument that is often presented in order to debunk the idea that a physical medium exists in space to serve as the carrier of light waves, is, that such a medium would interfere with inertial motion and cause friction in the planetary orbits, resulting in the planets spiralling into the Sun. The counter-intuitive behaviour, however, that is observed in the case of precessing gyroscopes and rattlebacks, can only be explained if such a medium does exist, otherwise the gravity defying fo

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Frederick David Tombe
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44 views

The Uniform Straight-Line Inertial Path

An argument that is often presented in order to debunk the idea that a physical medium exists in space to serve as the carrier of light waves, is, that such a medium would interfere with inertial motion and cause friction in the planetary orbits, resulting in the planets spiralling into the Sun. The counter-intuitive behaviour, however, that is observed in the case of precessing gyroscopes and rattlebacks, can only be explained if such a medium does exist, otherwise the gravity defying fo

Uploaded by

Frederick David Tombe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Uniform Straight-Line Inertial Path

Frederick David Tombe,


Northern Ireland, United Kingdom,
[email protected]
2nd August 2024

Abstract. An argument that is often presented in order to debunk the idea that a
physical medium exists in space to serve as the carrier of light waves, is, that such a
medium would interfere with inertial motion and cause friction in the planetary orbits,
resulting in the planets spiralling into the Sun.
The counter-intuitive behaviour, however, that is observed in the case of precessing
gyroscopes and rattlebacks, can only be explained if such a medium does exist,
otherwise the gravity defying forces and mysterious torques would be pushing from
empty space.

Introduction
I. The generally accepted position is that space is empty and that the uniform
straight-line inertial motion that is undergone by objects that are not being acted
upon by a force, is simply a consequence of the fact that there is nothing in their
way that would cause friction. One problem with this perspective, however, is
that if there is nothing in space, then there is no physical basis upon which
motion itself can be defined. On the other hand, if the uniform straight-line
inertial path is a product of regulation by an all-pervading dense medium that is
possessed of fine-grained gyroscopic elasticity, this would provide a basis upon
which motion could be defined, as well as helping to explain the terminal speed
as predicted by the Lorentz transformations.

Gyroscopes and Rattlebacks


II. A pivoted gyroscope that is spinning can lean very far over, such that
intuition suggests it should fall, [1], where in fact it doesn’t fall. One would tend
to think that the gravitational force acting through its centre of mass should
ensure that it tumbles off the pivot, but the fact that this doesn’t happen is
generally explained away on the grounds, that subject to the constraints, every
element of the gyroscope is simply tending to follow its uniform straight-line
inertial path. While a mathematical analysis can indeed show this to be true, we
don’t however need any maths to notice that the primary reason why the
gyroscope doesn’t tumble is because it must be pushing against some medium
that fills the surrounding space, but where this medium is not recognized to
exist in mainstream physics. Meanwhile, the same argument holds in relation to
the reversal torque that we observe in the case of a rattleback, [2]. Both of these
precessing objects appear to induce an elastic reaction in the surrounding space
that is easily observable.

1
Conclusion

III. The uniform straight-line inertial path is a product of fine-grained


gyroscopic stability. As a body moves through the dense all-pervading sea of
tiny aethereal vortices, [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], it induces within this sea of vortices a
fine-grained precessional elasticity. These vortices are so small that they can
pass through the interstitial spaces between the atoms and molecules of
ponderable matter as easily as water passes through the holes in a basket. As a
body moves through this sea of tiny vortices, it causes the vortices to align
along their mutual rotation axes to form solenoidal vortex rings around the
body, hence producing a disc-like magnetic field, [8]. This is an extension of
Ampère’s Circuital Law into inertial motion, although the induced magnetic
field will be very weak at laboratory speeds. Meanwhile, the presence of the sea
of tiny vortices does actually cause a terminal speed as predicted, at least
approximately, by the Lorentz transformations.

References
[1] Tombe, F.D., “Magnetic Repulsion and the Gyroscopic Force”, (2015)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283225757_Magnetic_Repulsion_and_the_Gyroscopic_Force

[2] Tombe, F.D., “The Rattleback and the Magnus Effect”, (2022)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361277369_The_Rattleback_and_the_Magnus_Force

[3] Whittaker, E.T., “A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity”, chapter 4, pp. 100-102, (1910)
“All space, according to the younger Bernoulli, is permeated by a fluid aether, containing an immense
number of excessively small whirlpools. The elasticity which the aether appears to possess, and in virtue of
which it is able to transmit vibrations, is really due to the presence of these whirlpools; for, owing to
centrifugal force, each whirlpool is continually striving to dilate, and so presses against the neighbouring
whirlpools.”

[4] Clerk-Maxwell, J., “On Physical Lines of Force”, Philosophical Magazine, vol. XXI, Fourth Series,
London, (1861)
http://vacuum-physics.com/Maxwell/maxwell_oplf.pdf

[5] Tombe, F.D., “The Double Helix Theory of the Magnetic Field”, (2006)
Galilean Electrodynamics, vol. 24, Number 2, p.34, (March/April 2013)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295010637_The_Double_Helix_Theory_of_the_Magnetic_Field

[6] Tombe, F.D., “The Double Helix and the Electron-Positron Aether”, (2017 )
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319914395_The_Double_Helix_and_the_Electron-Positron_Aether

[7] Tombe, F.D., “The Positronium Orbit in the Electron-Positron Sea”, (2020)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338816847_The_Positronium_Orbit_in_the_Electron-Positron_Sea

[8] Tombe, F.D., “Straight Line Motion”, (2018)


https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325472420_Straight_Line_Motion

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