Tests of Special Relativity

Abstract

The invariance of the speed of light is a core principle of special relativity. There were multiple experiments that led to this theory. This paper compiles the existing research on this topic into a chronological framework, while also clearly showing all the calculations of each experiment by phrasing the calculations through the Mansouri-Sexl test theory. Unifying these experiments under one test theory allows the reader to quantitatively compare improvements that resulted from changing interferometry to optical resonators. This paper discusses the Michelson-Morley experiment, Kennedy-Thorndike Experiment, and a modern recreation of the KT experiment, “Tests of Relativity Using a Cryogenic Optical Resonator”.