Breaking Lorentz's Symmetry: Proposal for an Inertial Force-Based Experiment to Detect Absolute Motion in the Universe

Abstract:

This paper proposes a novel experimental approach to detecting an absolute state of rest in space—an idea historically linked to Lorentz ether theory but largely dismissed following the Michelson-Morley experiment. Unlike previous optical interferometry methods, this experiment focuses on inertial forces within a rotating system to identify subtle anisotropies in motion that could suggest a preferred reference frame.

The proposed setup consists of a primary platform rotating a mass at constant velocity, with a smaller, free-moving mass constrained to oscillate radially. If an absolute state of rest exists, the smaller mass should experience an unexpected fictitious force correlated with Earth's motion through space. This force would allow for the measurement of Earth's velocity relative to an underlying preferred frame.

Since conventional inertial-based experiments cannot detect absolute motion due to the equivalence of physical laws in all inertial frames, this proposal employs a non-inertial system within an inertial frame to enable such measurements. By leveraging rotational systems to probe relativistic effects, this experiment aims to detect anisotropies in the quantum vacuum.

This proposal employs fermions which have the advantage of inertia increasing proportional to its velocity (unlike bosons which was used in all previous experiments), the inertia increment due to velocity increment is what this experiment tries to detect since non-inertial systems have the advantage of fictitious forces which are measurable.

If successful, the experiment would challenge Lorentz symmetry—which asserts that the laws of physics remain invariant for all observers regardless of velocity or orientation—by providing empirical evidence of absolute motion. More importantly, it would offer experimental validation for the Standard Model Extension (SME), which predicts such anisotropies, thereby advancing research in this direction.