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Astrophysics

Burst of support for relativity

Nature volume 462, pages 291–292 (2009)Cite this article

Light from a distant γ-ray burst backs up a key prediction of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity — that photon speed is the same regardless of energy. But it might set the stage for evolution of the theory.

The concept of relativistic theory — a formulation of the laws of physics that is independent of the state of motion of observers — has enjoyed remarkable longevity. But it has not been a smooth ride. Nearly all major triumphs of physics challenged the concept and ultimately required its revision. The first relativistic theory, Galilean relativity, was a key element of Newtonian mechanics, but became evidently inadequate when a satisfactory understanding of electromagnetism matured. That took relativity out of fashion for a while.

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  1. Giovanni Amelino-Camelia is in the Department of Physics, Universitá di Roma La Sapienza, and the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione Roma 1, Piazzale Moro 2, Rome 00185, Italy. giovanni.amelino-camelia@roma1.infn.it,

    Giovanni Amelino-Camelia

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Amelino-Camelia, G. Burst of support for relativity. Nature 462, 291–292 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/462291a

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