Issues

 / 

2004

 / 

August

  

From the history of physics


Gravity and absolute space. The works of Niels Bjern (1865-1909)


N.I. Lobachevskii Nizhnii Novgorod State University, prosp. Gagarina 23, Nizhnii Novgorod, Russian Federation

Nearly 20 years before Einstein, Niels Bjern developed a theory of gravity based on what is today known as the equivalence principle — but naturally without invoking the ideas of the special relativity theory. Bjern predicted almost all the effects considered to be tests for general relativity, his calculation formulas for the effects being identical to those of general relativity. An advocate of the absolute space concept, Bjern described the gravitational field in terms of the field of absolute velocities of an inertial space. He only used the ideas of general relativity to describe the precession of the perihelion of Mercury. The reason why Bjern’s predictions and those of general relativity are identical is discussed.

Fulltext pdf (226 KB)
Fulltext is also available at DOI: 10.1070/PU2004v047n08ABEH001747
PACS: 01.65.+g, 04.20.−q (all)
DOI: 10.1070/PU2004v047n08ABEH001747
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2004/8/f/
000225645400006
2004PhyU...47..833B
Citation: Burlankov D E "Gravity and absolute space. The works of Niels Bjern (1865-1909)" Phys. Usp. 47 833–844 (2004)
BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks

Оригинал: Бурланков Д Е «Тяготение и абсолютное пространство. Работы Нильса Бьерна (1865-1909)» УФН 174 899–910 (2004); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0174.200408f.0899

References (5) Cited by (2) Similar articles (20) ↓

  1. V.P. Vizgin “On the discovery of the gravitational field equations by Einstein and Hilbert: new materialsPhys. Usp. 44 1283–1298 (2001)
  2. V.A. Fock “On the invariant form of the wave and motion equations for a charged point massPhys. Usp. 53 839–841 (2010)
  3. G.B. Malykin “Earlier studies of the Sagnac effectPhys. Usp. 40 317–321 (1997)
  4. G.B. Malykin “Noncommutative nature of the addition of noncollinear velocities in special relativity and the geometric phase method (commemorating the publication centennial of A Sommerfeld’s work)Phys. Usp. 53 923–927 (2010)
  5. V.P. Milant’ev “Creation and development of Bohr’s theory (on the 90th anniversary of the Bohr theory of the atom)Phys. Usp. 47 197–203 (2004)
  6. I.Yu. Kobzarev “Henri Poincaré’s St. Louis lecture, and theoretical physics on the eve of the theory of relativitySov. Phys. Usp. 17 584–592 (1975)
  7. A.A. Logunov, M.A. Mestvirishvili, V.A. Petrov “How were the Hilbert-Einstein equations discovered?Phys. Usp. 47 607–621 (2004)
  8. N.A. Popov, V.A. Shcherbakov et alThermonuclear fusion in the explosion of a spherical charge (the problem of a gas-dynamic thermonuclear fusion)Phys. Usp. 51 1047–1053 (2008)
  9. V.I. Kogan “The discovery of the Planck constant: ’roentgenoscopy’ of the scientific situation (1900). Missed opportunities in the choice of the Second Step (on the centenary of the First Step of quantum theory)Phys. Usp. 43 1253–1259 (2000)
  10. V.P. Vizgin “The nuclear shield in the ’thirty-year war’ of physicists against ignorant criticism of modern physical theoriesPhys. Usp. 42 1259–1283 (1999)
  11. E.G. Maksimov “About Ginzburg — Landau, and a bit about othersPhys. Usp. 53 1185–1190 (2010)
  12. G.B. Malykin, V.S. Savchuk, E.A. Romanets “Lev Yakovlevich Strum and the hypothesis of the existence of tachyonsPhys. Usp. 55 1134–1139 (2012)
  13. M.A. El’yashevich, N.G. Kembrovskaya, L.M. Tomil’chik “Walter Ritz as a theoretical physicist and his research on the theory of atomic spectraPhys. Usp. 38 435–455 (1995)
  14. M.V. Vol’kenshtein “Complementarity, physics, and biologySov. Phys. Usp. 31 140–150 (1988)
  15. I.M. Frank “A conceptual history of the Vavilov-Cherenkov radiationSov. Phys. Usp. 27 385–395 (1984)
  16. I.M. Ternov, V.A. Bordovitsyn “Modern interpretation of J.I. Frenkel’s classical spin theorySov. Phys. Usp. 23 679–683 (1980)
  17. B.B. Kadomtsev, V.I. Kogan et alOn the fiftieth anniversary of the paper by M. A. Leontovich and L. I. Mandel’shtam (’On the theory of the Schrödinger equation’)Sov. Phys. Usp. 21 272–273 (1978)
  18. M.I. Monastyrskii “John von NeumannPhys. Usp. 47 1271–1280 (2004)
  19. V.I. Sanyuk, A.D. Sukhanov “Dirac in 20th century physics: a centenary assessmentPhys. Usp. 46 937–956 (2003)
  20. O.G. Bakunin “Mysteries of diffusion and labyrinths of destinyPhys. Usp. 46 309–313 (2003)

The list is formed automatically.

© 1918–2024 Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk
Email: ufn@ufn.ru Editorial office contacts About the journal Terms and conditions