Abstract

It is pointed out that the most experiments on the invariant speed of light in special relativity proves the round-trip invariant speed of light, not one-way invariant. This paper makes a distinction between them. The Michelson-Morley experiment and the experiment of high-energy particles emitting photons and so on are the round-trip experiment of light’s speed, showing that the average speed of light is a constant. But the Sagnac effect experiment, the Michelson-Gale's experiment that the earth's rotation effects the speed of light, and the satellite signal propagation between China and Japan are the one-way experiments of light’s speed, showing that the speed of light is variable, satisfying the Galilean velocity addition rule. The orbit shape changes of binary stars and the phenomenon of charm stars cannot be observed due to that the calculated observing directions are different from the practical observing direction for the observers on the Earth. The Fizeau water flow experiment and the Sagnac experiment are combined to prove that the rotation of optical fiber would affects the speed of light. The problem that the Sagnac effect is independent of the refractive index of optical fiber is explained well. It is proved that the Sagnac effect formula derived from special relativity is consistent with that derived from classical mechanics when the optical fiber’s refractive index . When , there is no the Sagnac effect according to special relativity. While according to classical mechanics, there is the Sagnac effect. The original experiment of Sagnac effect in 1913 was carried out in atmosphere with . Therefore, the original Sagnac experiment became a judgment experiment. It certainly jugated that the velocity of light satisfied the Galilean addition rule rather than the Lorentz transformation formula.

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