Moving-Mirror Reflection in Vacuum: Competing Kinematic Laws, Electromagnetic Constraints and the Limits of Historical Interferometric Tests
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: This study examines the kinematics of light reflection from moving mirrors in vacuum by comparing three competing reflection laws: the relativistic law of special relativity, a Galilean new-source emission law, and a Galilean elastic-impact reflection law. A unified mathematical framework is developed to derive the reflected frequency, wavenumber, wavelength, and propagation velocity for each model. The analysis shows how phase matching at a moving reflecting surface determines the reflected frequency while the assumed reflection law determines the reflected wave's propagation speed. It also examines the relationship between energy–momentum balance and the electromagnetic consistency of the three models. A central result concerns the vacuum Maxwell dispersion relation, ω = c|k|. The relativistic reflection law satisfies this relation, whereas the two Galilean alternatives do not. The study further derives the predicted frequency-upshift limits for approaching reflectors and examines their implications for the applicability of Galilean reflection models to fast-moving reflectors. The paper also provides a comparative reconstruction of three historical moving-mirror experiments: Michelson (1913), Majorana (1918), and Beckmann and Mandics (1965). Particular attention is given to the limitations of the 1965 high-vacuum experiment, whose interferometric configuration cannot distinguish the relativistic reflection law from the proposed elastic-impact alternative. To address this specific experimental limitation, the study develops a co-moving two-mirror interferometer configuration. It derives distinct predictions for carrier-phase changes and pulse-arrival-time differences under the three reflection laws, identifying measurable differences that could distinguish their predictions in a controlled vacuum experiment. The proposed configuration is accompanied by an analysis of experimental feasibility, systematic uncertainties, and relevant measurement limitations. The study does not claim experimental confirmation of an alternative reflection law or propose a replacement for special relativity. Rather, it provides a unified theoretical comparison, examines the electromagnetic constraints on competing kinematic descriptions, reassesses the scope of historical interferometric tests, and proposes an experimental approach to investigate a narrowly defined question concerning light reflection from slowly moving macroscopic mirrors in vacuum. The work is intended to contribute to discussions in relativistic optics, electromagnetic theory, optical interferometry, and the experimental foundations of special relativity.
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225792890
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