Analele Universit ii Constantin Brncu i din Trgu Jiu, Seria Inginerie, Nr.

3/2009

ETER sau VID CUANTIC?

George POPESCU, s.l.dr.fiz. Universitatea Constantin Brncusi din Tg.-Jiu
Rezumat: Este prezentat un scurt istoric al notiunii de eter comparativ cu ceea ce acum poarta numele de vid cuantic si in final este evidentiat un set de intrebari ale caror raspunsuri pot deveni fundamentale. Cuvinte cheie: vid, eter, unde electromagnetice

ETHER or QUANTIC VOID?

George POPESCU, Lect.PhD.Fiz. Constantin Brncusi University of Tg.-Jiu
Abstract: In this paper is presented a short history of the notion of ether compared with what nowadays has the name of quantic void and finally, the accent is put on a set of questions whose answers may become fundamental. Keywords: void , ether, electromagnetic waves

a) Eterul lui Huygens

JAMES CLERK MAXWELL a prezis posibilitatea existentei undelor electromagnetice. In anul 1887, HEINRICH HERTZ a anuntat descoperirea experimentala a undelor electromagnetice si in anii ulteriori a fost demonstrat ca radiatia luminoasa are caracter electromagnetic. Anterior, CRISTIAN HUYGENS (1629-1695), prezentase teoria ondulatorie a luminii in care impunea doua concepte: -viteza luminii scade pe masura ce creste indicele de refractie al mediului; -prin analogie cu undele mecanice, lumina necesita prezenta unui mediu suport de propagare - denumit eter. In 1825 a fost dovedit ireversibil ca lumina reprezinta un proces ondulatoriu. S-a pus din nou problema suportului de propagare - eter, eterul lui Huygens, caruia i-au fost atribuite proprietatile: -fara masa; -continuu; -umple intreg spatiul, penetrand substanta si in acest mod s-a ajuns la concluzia ca spatiul gol nu poate asigura transportul luminii de la Soare, insa propagarea acesteia este posibila datorita eterului lui Huygens.

a) Huygens Ether
JAMES CLERK MAXWELL predicted the possibility of electromagnetic waves existence. In 1887, HEINRICH HERTZ announced the experimental discovery of electromagnetic waves and in the following years it has been proven that light radiation has an electromagnetic character. Before, CRISTIAN HUYGENS (1629-1695), had presented the corrugated theory of light in which he imposed two concepts: - the speed of light decreases while the environmental refraction index increases; - through analogy with mechanic waves, the light needs the presence of a support environment to propagate called ether. In 1825 was irreversibly proven that the light represents a corrugate process. Again arises the problem of the propagation support ether, the Huygens Ether, to which were given the properties: -no mass; -continuous; -fills the whole space, penetrating the substance, and in this way, it got to the conclusion that the empty space cannot ensure light transportation from the Sun, but its propagation is possible because of Huygens ether.

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b) Eterul lui Faraday

In 1830, MICHAEL FARADAY (17911867) a introdus modelul dielectric al eterului, conform caruia eterul ar fi compus din particule inca neidentificate, discrete, incarcate cu sarcini electrice pozitive si negative si legate elastic intre ele prin forte electromagnetice; un corp s-ar putea misca prin acest eter dand la o parte particulele (asemanator cu miscarea laminara in fluide) fara sa lase o trena,un siaj, deci fara sa existe o perturbatie a eterului. Faraday a atribuit modelului sau de eter urmatoarele proprietati: -mediu de propagare pentru undele luminoase; -mediu de propagare pentru undele electromagnetice; -mediu de propagare pentru forta si energia electromagnetica; -deplasarea particulelor de eter, la trecerea unui corp produce vibratia electronilor acestuia, care se manifesta sub forma de curenti de inductie electromagnetica in conductori, curenti de deplasare sau unde electromagnetice. Acest model al unui eter cu proprietati dielectrice nu a fust acceptat de cumunitatea stiintifica a timpului din motivele: -orice deplasare a unui corp printr-un mediu trebuie sa creeze in mediu o perturbatie, un siaj; -viteza cu care se deplaseaza sursa emitator de lumina trebuie adunata la viteza luminii emise (cf. Efectului Doppler).

b) Faradays Ether
In 1830, MICHAEL FARADAY (17911867) introduced the dielectric model of the ether, according to which the ether is composed of yet not identified particles, discrete, loaded with positive and negative electric loads and connected between them through elastic electromagnetic forces; a body could move through this ether pushing away all the particles (like laminar move in fluids) without any tails left behind , no trail, no trace, so no perturbation of the ether. Faraday attributed his model of ether the following properties: - environment for propagation of the light waves; - environment for propagation of the electromagnetic waves; - environment for propagation of the electromagnetic force and energy; - the movement of the ether particles, at their passing through a body, produce its electrons vibration, which is manifested under the form of electromagnetic induction currents in conductors, movement currents or electromagnetic waves. This model of ether with dielectric properties wasnt accepted by the scientific community of that time because of the following reasons: - any movement of a body through an environment must create in that environment a perturbation, a trail, a trace; - the speed of the source of light emitter must be added at the emitted speed of light (according to the Doppler Effect).

c) Eterul dielectric al lui Faraday si c) Dielectric Ether of Faraday and ecuatiile lui Maxwell Maxwells Equations
Fortele si campurile electromagnetice descoperite de catre Faraday si care au ca suport de propagare eterul dielectric, au constituit sursa de inspratie pentru tanarul J. C. Maxwell (1831-1879), care a tranpus in limbaj matematic ideile si rezultatele The forces and electromagnetic fields discovered by Faraday and which have as support for propagation the dielectric ether, have constituted the inspiration source for the young J. C. Maxwell (1831-1879), who transposed in mathematic language his ideas

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experimentale ale acestuia. In articolul din 1865 el a prezentat lumina ca fiind radiatie electromagnetica intrun anumit domeniu de frecventa. Maxwell a prezis ca ar trebui sa existe unde electromagnetice in orice domeniu de frecventa si ca aceste unde ce se propaga prin eterul dielectric ar trebui sa aiba aceeasi viteza c, valoare calculata pe baza ecuatiilor care-i poarta numele. E bine sa ne reamintim ca ecuatiile lui Maxwell, fundamentale pentru noua fizica, sunt ecuatii cu caracter hidrodinamic si au fost obtinute pornind de la conceptul de eter dielectric al lui Faraday.

and experimental results. In the article from 1865, he presented the light as being electromagnetic radiation into a certain frequency domain. Maxwell predicted that electromagnetic waves should exist in any frequency domain and that these waves who propagate through dielectric ether should have the same speed c, value calculated on the basis of the equations which wear his name. It is useful to remind that Maxwells equations, fundamental for the new physics, are equations with hydrodynamic character, and they have been obtained starting from Faradays concept of dielectric ether.

d) Rezultate fizice ale experimentului Michaelson-Moreley

In 1887, A .A. Michelson (1852-1931) si E. W. Moreley (1838-1932) au publicat rezultatele unui experiment foarte precis, referitor la masurarea vitezei de propagare a luminii emisa de o sursa, in directii diferite relativ la directia miscarii Pamantului in jurul Soarelui: in directia miscarii Pamantului, in directie opusa si in directie perpendiculara fata de directia miscarii Pamantilui.

d) Physic results of the MichaelsonMoreley experiment

In 1887, A .A. Michelson (18521931) and E. W. Moreley (1838-1932) published the results of a very precise experiment, related to the measurement of the light speed of propagation emitted by a source, in different directions relative to the direction of Earth movement around the Sun: in the direction of Earths movement, in opposed direction and in perpendicular direction compared to the direction of the Earths movement. The idea which stood at the basis of this experiment was: if ether exists, this should be a material substance, even very fine. Then, the Earths movement should produce a perturbation of the ether, which at its turn should lead to the modification of the light speed of propagation on one of the measuring directions. After some repeated measurements which lasted few years, the following conclusions were reached: Speed of light has the same value in all directions, and generalizing: Speed of light emitted in space by an atomic body is independent of the speed of the emitting body The speed of an atomic light emitter mustnt be added to the speed of light

Ideea care a stat la baza acestui experiment a fost urmatoarea: daca exista eter, acesta ar trebui sa fie o substanta materiala, chiar si foarte fina. Atunci, miscarea Pamantului ar trebui sa produca o perturbatie a eterului, care la randul sau ar trebui sa conduca la modificarea vitezei de propagare a luminii pe una din directiile de masurare. In urma unor masuratori repetate care au durat cativa ani, s- a ajuns la concluziile: Viteza luminii are aceeasi valoare in toate directiile, iar prin generalizare: Viteza luminii emisa in spatiu de catre un corp atomic este independenta de viteza corpului emitator. Exista de asemenea doua concepte secundare: Viteza unui emitator atomic de lumina nu trebuie adunata la viteza de propagare a luminii in spatiu.

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Miscarea unui corp atomic prin mediul prin care se propaga lumina, nu trebuie sa produca perturbarea acestui mediu, oricare ar fi el. De remarcat ca toate concluziile mentionate mai sus, pot fi deduse si au fost deduse- pe baza eterului dielectric al lui Faraday, model fizico-matematic eliminat complet in prezent. A aparut astfel un concept care a guvernat fizica secolului XX si asupra caruia persista inca semne de intrebare.
e) Semne de intrebare In urma experimentelor efectuate de catre Rutherford 1911, s-a dovedit ca structura subatomica a corpurilor trebuie perceputa ca o retea rara in care nodurile retelei sunt nucleele, cu distanta medie dintre doua nuclee avand valoarea de 50.000 raze nucleare. Ridicand la scara si imaginandu-ne o retea bidimensionala, daca nodurile retelei ar avea diametrul de 1mm, atunci distanta intre doua noduri ar fi de 25m. Oare o retea asa de rara, care se deplaseaza cu viteze mult mai mici decat viteza luminii -Pamantul- ar putea lasa urme masurabile intr-un mediu de finete extrema, cum era considerat eterul? Nu exista vid perfect. Acum se foloseste notiunea de vid cuantic, prin care se intelege ca spatiul dintre nuclee este plin cu radiatii electromagnetice, fotoni, particule virtuale,... intr-o continua agitatie si transformare. Dar nu exista conexiuni intre acest ocean infinit de radiatii si particule cuantice si propagarea energiei electromagnetice. Cu toate ca radiatia electromagnetica nu necesita prezenta unui mediu suport de propagare, valoarea vitezei luminii in vid este functie de doua constante universale

propagation in space The movement of an atomic body through the environment in which light propagates, must not produce the perturbation of this environment, whichever it would be We should observe that all conclusions mentioned above can be and have been deducted on the basis of the dielectric ether of Faraday, physicalmathematical model which in the present times is completely eliminated. Thus appeared a concept which governed the physics of the XXth century and over which question marks still persist.
e) Question Marks After the experiments done by Rutherford 1911, it was proven that the subatomic structure of bodies must be perceived as a rare network in which the networks nods are the kernels, with the medium distance between two nods kernels with the value of 50.000 nuclear rays. Increasing in scale and imagining a bidimensional network, if the netwoks nods would have the 1mm diameter, then the distance between two nods would be of 25m. Could a such rare network, which moves with much smaller speeds than the speed of light Earth leave measurable traces in an environment of extreme finesse, as the ether was thought to be? There is no perfect void. Nowadays, the notion of quantic void is used, through which is understood that the space between the kernels is full with electromagnetic radiations, photons, virtual particles, in a continuous agitation and transformation. But there are no connections between this infinite ocean of radiations and quantic particles and the propagation of the electromagnetic energy. Although the electromagnetic radiation does not need the presence of a support medium for propagation, the value of the speed of light in void is fuction of two universal constants:

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0=8,854 10-12 F/m i 0=4 10-7H/m.

Cazul ideal al condensatorului plan:

and

So this quantic void enjoys the

doua armaturi plan paralele, cu suprafata A si electric properties stated by 0 and of the distanta intre ele d, dielectric fiind vidul. magnetic properties stated by 0? Capacitatea condensatorului plan are valoarea
The ideal case of the plane capacitor:

two plan parallel arms, with the surface A and the distante d between them, with void as dielectric. The capacity of the plane capacitor has the value

C = 0 A/d, energia inmagazinata fiind and the stored energy being W = (1/2)CV2 = (A/2d) V2 0. Asadar dimensiunile valoarea acestuia, de energiei So the value of the stored energy by a

inmagazinate de un condensator depinde de capacitor depends on its dimensions, square patratul of the potential applied between the arms and potentialului aplicat intre armaturi si de of the electric properties of the quantic void? proprietatile electrice ale vidului cuantic?
And where is located the energy Si unde

este localizata

energia located the electric energy in a capacitor in

electrica inmagazinata intr-un condensator the electrons accumulated on the arms, or in in electronii acumulati pe armaturi, sau in the space between them? spatiul dintre ele?

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BIBLIOGRAFIE
1. R. Feynman, Fizica Moderna, Ed. Tehnica, 1972 2. B. Greene, The Elegant Universe, W.W. Norton and Co., New York, 1999 3. Internet, Google, Zero Point Energy

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. R. Feynman, Modern Physics, Technical Printing House, 1972 2. B. Greene, The Elegant Universe, W.W. Norton and Co., New York, 1999 3. Internet, Google, Zero Point Energy

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