Berlin 2005 – scientific programme

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GR: Gravitation und Relativitätstheorie

GR 17: Relativit
ätstheorie im Experiment

GR 17.1: Invited Talk

Wednesday, March 9, 2005, 10:15–11:00, TU BH262

Is the velocity of light really constant? – The experimental status of Lorentz invariance — •Claus Lämmerzahl — ZARM, University of Bremen, Am Fallturm, 28359 Bremen

Lorentz invariance is one of the pillars of modern physics. It is not only a frame for all other physical theories, for the standard model as well as for Einstein’s General Relativity, but also reached the level of a daily life application (navigation, time standard, geodesy, Earth sciences, climate research). Being of such an importance, the experimental basis has to be as strong as possible. In this talk, after a short introduction to basic notions of relativity and the identification of meaningful measurable quantities, we review the present status of laboratory tests of Lorentz invariance. This includes the tests of properties of light propagation which are covered by the famous Michelson–Morley, Kenedy–Thorndike, and Ives–Stilwell experiments, as well as tests of properties of matter which explore the maximum velocity of massive particles or probe the isotropy of quantum particles as has been done in Hughes–Drever experiments. Furthermore, the available test theories, kinematical as well as dynamical test theories, for describing and comparing various experiments of Lorentz invariance are outlined. Finally, we mention hypothetical violations of Lorentz invariance which follow from various approaches towards a theory of quantum gravity and discuss possible consequences and the experimental search for corresponding effects.