Re: Muon paradox

On 4/10/25 3:02 PM, Aether Regained wrote:

There is one flaw I find in the SR explanation, can you confirm if it is
true:
What is really measured are these (the facts):
1. The mean proper lifetime of a muon is t₀ = 2.2 μs.
2. muons are created at a height ~15 km
3. The speed of the muons is ~c, so travel time is ~50.05 μs
4. muon flux measured on the Earth's surface is about 55.6% of what it
is at 15km.
 From 1, 2 and 3, the expected muon flux on the Earth's surface is:
N/N₀ = exp(-t/t₀) = exp(-50.05/2.2) = 1.32e-10 = 0.0000000132%
The important point (the flaw) is that the speed of the muon has not
actually been measured to be 0.999668⋅c, but instead is computed.
N/N₀ = exp(-t/γt₀) = .556 => γ = 38.8 => v = 0.999668⋅c
The SR explanation would have been more convincing, if the speed had
actually been measured to that many significant figures.

So consider other experiments that ARE "convincing" (in the sense you mean). In particular, Bailey et al. They put muons into a storage ring with a kinetic energy of 3.1 GeV. They measured the muons' kinetic energy, their momentum, their speed around the ring, and their rate of decay. All measurements are fully consistent with the predictions of SR. (They also measured the muon g-2, which was the primary purpose of the experiment; confirming SR was just a side issue.)
Bailey et al, Phys. Lett. B 55 (1975) 420-424
There are literally hundreds of other experiments that confirm the validity of SR. Some measure "time dilation", and some measure other predictions of SR. To date, there is not a single reproducible experiment within SR's domain that is not consistent with the predictions of SR. There are so many such experiments that SR is one of the most solidly confirmed theories/models that we have today.
BTW there are over 30,000 particle accelerators operating in the world today. SR was essential in the design of each of them, and they simply would not work if SR were not valid.
If you truly want to "regain aether" you will have to come up with an aether theory that is indistinguishable from SR for EACH of those experiments. And be sure to make it consistent with the quantum nature of the universe we inhabit. To date, nobody has done so. AFAIK nobody even has an inkling how to start....
Tom Roberts