The original mathematical treatment used in the analysis of the Fizeau experiment of 1851, which measured the relative speed of light in a moving medium, assumes that light travels through the water in a smooth continuous flow, at a speed less than the speed of light in a vacuum (relative to the water). Thus, it assumes that the water’s velocity vector can simply be added to that of the light. However, light is transmitted through optical media, such as water, by a continuous process of charge excitation (semi-absorption) and re-emission by the water molecules; but travels between them at the full speed of light (in a vacuum). Thus, the mathematics describing the process of Fresnel dragging must be formulated differently and can then be explained by classical physics, allowing the entire process to be fully visualized.
References
[1]
Galina, W. (2012) Albert Einstein and the Fizeau 1851 Water Tube Experiment. Cornell University Library, Cornell, 1. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1204.3390
[2]
Fizeau, M.H. (1860) On the Effect of the Motion of a Body upon the Velocity with Which It Is Traversed by Light. The London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 251, 245-260. http://www.relativitycalculator.com/images/fizeau_fresnel_experiment/fizeau.pdf https://doi.org/10.1080/14786446008642856
[3]
Michelson, A.A. and Morley, E.W. (1886) Influence of Motion of the Medium on the Velocity of Light. American Journal of Science, 31, 377-386. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Influence_of_Motion_of_the_Medium_on_the_Velocity_of_Light https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.s3-31.185.377
Sokolov, G.V. (2013) The Fizeau Experiment with Moving Water. The General Science Journal, 1-8. http://www.gsjournal.net/Science-Journals/Research%20Papers-Mechanics%20/%20Electrodynamics/Download/5014
[6]
Gennadiy and Vitali (2017) Optical Fizeau Experiment with Moving Water Is Explained without Fresnel’s Hypothesis and Contradicts Special Relativity. Journal of Physical Mathematics, 8, 1. https://www.hilarispublisher.com/open-access/optical-fizeau-experiment-with-moving-water-is-explained-withoutfresnels-hypothesis-and-contradicts-special-relativity-2090-0902-1000207.pdf
[7]
Drezet, A. (2005) The Physical Origin of the Fresnel Drag of Light by a Moving Dielectric Medium. The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, 45, 103-110. https://arxiv.org/pdf/physics/0506004v1.pdf https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2005-00169-4
[8]
Cahill, R.T. and Brotherton, D. (2011) Experimental Investigation of the Fresnel Drag Effect in RF Coaxial Cables. Progress in Physics, 1, 43-48. http://www.ptep-online.com/2011/PP-24-04.PDF
[9]
Traill, D.A. (2021) Energy Field Theory-Demos-Fresnel Dragging. https://www.energyfieldtheory.com/fresnel-dragging
