Time dilatation
When you are interested in physics you must read “Unbelievable“!
The time dilatation phenomenon describes the observation that a fast moving unstable particle seems to exist longer than the same particle at rest. According to the Relativity Theory this is caused the fact that the fast moving particle has a “clock” that tics slower. Time dilation is observed in cosmic radiation. Cosmic radiation exists of particles like the μ-meson. The μ-meson has an average half life expectation of 2.2 microseconds (millionth of a second).
The mesons that enter the earth atmosphere have a speed very close to the speed of light. The mesons are detected and brought to a halt. At an altitude of 2.000 meters above sea level one observes an average of 568 mesons per hour. With a speed close to the speed of light the mesons need approx. 6.6 microseconds to reach the sea level. The time needed to reach sea level is with 6.6 microseconds 3 times the half life expectation, so one would expect that an average of 1/8 (1/2 the third power) of the particles at 2.000 meters above sea level will reach the sea level. So one may expect to measure 71 mesons there. The number of mesons measured is however 412, almost 6 time the expected number. Apparently the mesons live longer when they move.
The explanation of the Relativity Theory is, that time has to be corrected according to the Lorentz-transformation. Apparently the mesons experience a shorter time than we do. The time transformation according to the Relativity Theory is:
with t’ the time the meson experience our time t. According to this approach the mesons move with a speed of approx. 0.985 the speed of light c. Is this the experimental confirmation of the relativity of time? No, it is only a consistent argumentation in perspective of the theoretical consequences of SRT. This argumentation assumes that the disintegration time of the fast moving meson is the same as the disintegration time of mesons forced to stop.
We are discussing the ether. There is interaction now between the moving meson, with a charge equal of the electron, and the ether. The energy of the movement is very high, so high that 1 meson can become almost 6 mesons when the kinetic energy is used to create new mesons.
The electron is able to eject the oscillation energy, the transformed kinetic energy, when halted. The electron will not disintegrate because it is extremely stable. The meson however is not stable. It disintegrates in microseconds.
When the meson is forced to stop, the kinetic energy will force the meson in to oscillation; like the electron. The meson is however not able to eject the oscillation energy. The disintegration time of an unstable particle is dependent on the overflowing energy, compared to the most stable situation. The most stable situation is rest, which means 0 degrees Kelvin.
The fast moving meson is at rest with the ether. The disintegration time of an unstable particle will decrease when the overflowing energy, temperature, increases. The kinetic energy will stimulate the particle to an oscillation when halted. The lifetime of the meson has to decline, when it is forced to a “rest”.
With ether the conclusion that time is relative when time dilatation of mesons is observed, is premature. With ether one cannot assume that the lifetime of unstable particles remains the same after the kinetic energy of the fast moving particle is transferred to oscillation energy.
On the contrary, the lifetime has to decrease. Radioactive disintegration can be expected to be dependent on the overflowing energy: the thermal energy. The disintegration constant λ can be expected to be proportional to the excessive thermal energy:
λ=λo(Ed+Ek)/Ed
where λo is the disintegration constant at 0 degrees Kelvin, Ek the kinetic energy transferred to the particle in the form of oscillation and Ed is the necessary disintegration energy.
The temperature dependency of normal radioactive decay will be difficult to measure, because the thermal energy of the particle is very low compared to disintegration energy (Ek<<Ed).
The meson, very unstable, and moving with extreme speed will have an oscillation energy added that will influence the lifetime for sure. From this point of view the observed time dilatation is no longer the consequence of the relativity of time. The time difference, how ordinary it may seem, is very much comparable with the decreased chemical reaction time when temperature increases.
Next chapter: The proton and neutron
