Rotating Frames in SRT: Sagnac's Effect and Related Issues

Abstract

After recalling the rigorous mathematical representations in Relativity Theory (\emph{RT}) of (i): observers, (ii): reference frames fields, (iii): their classifications, (iv) naturally adapted coordinate systems (\emph{nacs}%) to a given reference frame, (v): synchronization procedure and some other key concepts, we analyze three problems concerning experiments on rotating frames which even now (after almost a century from the birth of \emph{RT}) are sources of misunderstandings and misconceptions. The first problem, which serves to illustrate the power of rigorous mathematical methods in \emph{RT}is the explanation of the Sagnac effect (\emph{SE}). This presentation is opportune because recently there are many non sequitur claims in the literature stating that the \emph{SE} cannot be explained by \emph{SRT}, even disproving this theory or that the explanation of the effect requires a new theory of electrodynamics. The second example has to do with the measurement of the one way velocity of light in rotating reference frames, a problem for which many wrong statements appear in recent literature. The third problem has to do with claims that only Lorentz like type transformations can be used between the \emph{nacs}associated to a reference frame mathematically moddeling of a rotating platform and the \emph{nacs} associated with a inertial frame (the laboratory). Whe show that these claims are equivocated.