Natural Science Forum / Physics / Particle Physics / November 2005

> > > Paul B. Andersen wrote: > > > > > >>Henri Wilson wrote:
> > >>>Q) If a light beam is directed towards two differently moving
> > >>>observers, why should they both register the same value for 'c',
> > >>>via Maxwell's constants, when the beam is obviously closing on
> > >>>them at different speeds?
> > >>
> > >>But that is a different question.
> > >>
> > >>I have no idea of WHY nature works as it does.
> > >>But experimental evidence show that all observers do indeed
> > >>register the same value for the speed of light c, in accordance
> > >>with the prediction of SR.

> > > No...
> > > Near-field observers do *not* always ?register? a constant
> > > c.  That is why Feynman-Wheeler could could calculate
> > > a time reversed photon, accelerators tear leptons apart
> > > and Jackson sought to clarify the issue in:
> > > http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0204034
> >
> > Which he did by stating:
> > " .. the electric and magnetic fields are always
> >    the same and display the experimentally verified
> >    properties of causality and propagation at the speed of light."
>
> Good... So by *register* you tho't we would imply:
> <<properties of causality and propagation at the speed of light>>
>  in accordance with the mechanism:
> http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Images/alphaeq.gif
>
> The Niger letter might have been a better choice of *words*.
>
> I'll see if I can brush up on the physical details of
> *registration* in case anyone ever asks.
>
> > Thanks for the confirmation of my words.
> You bet!
> <<
> register
>
> In a computer, a register is one of a small set
> of data holding places that are part of a computer
> processor. A register may hold a computer instruction,
> a storage address, or any kind of data (such as a
> bit sequence or individual characters). Some
> instructions specify registers as part of the instruction.
> For example, an instruction may specify that the
> contents of two defined registers be added together
> and then placed in a specified register. A register
> must be large enough to hold an instruction - for
> example, in a 32-bit instruction computer, a
> register must be 32 bits in length. In some computer
> designs, there are smaller registers - for example,
> half-registers - for shorter instructions. Depending
> on the processor design and language rules, registers
> may be numbered or have arbitrary names. >>
> http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci212882,00.html
>
> :o) >
> Sue... > > > > > Paul