If this theory turns out to be true, we will have to reconsider everything, what do we know about distances in the universe
In 1905, Albert Einstein calculated that the speed of light in vacuum is a constant and is 299.792 km per second. Though this postulate has been accepted on faith for over a century, a new mixed research suggests that Einstein was actually not right – and the speed of light is slower than we are now we think.
This study was conducted by physicist from Baltimore James Frenson, who figured out why neutrinos from supernova explosion SN The 1987A arrived on Earth 4.7 hours later than expected. Crash the star, which was visible from Earth in 1987, caused an outburst neutrinos – electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particles.
According to Einstein, this was supposed to happen in about three hours before the emission of optical light – and, from that moment on, light and neutrinos should travel at the speed of light. However optical light arrived with a delay of approximately 4.7 hours after neutrino flow fixation.
A physicist at the University of Maryland believes the delay, probably happened because the light actually slowed down due to a phenomenon known as “vacuum polarization.”
In this phenomenon, photons momentarily decay into positron-electron pair before combining again.
According to quantum mechanics, when a photon decays between a pair virtual particles creates a gravitational potential.
Dr. Franson argues that this process may have significant effect on the speed of photons since the latter flew a distance of 168 thousand light years from almost five hours delayed.
A photo from open sources
Photo of supernova SN 1987A exploding in 1987 year
If the physicist is right, it means that scientists must count everything – the distance from the Earth to the Sun and many of the most distant objects discovered in other galaxies.
Dr. Franson’s article was submitted by New Journal of Physics and is currently undergoing peer review.
Einstein
