The Casimir effect has been measured and agrees within the error limits of the experiment. It involves the reflection of virtual photons by conducting sheets. Basically is the radiation pressure from the virtual photons on a conducting surface. They cannot be absorbed by the atom permanently...
The bottom line is radiation pressure (solar or otherwise) has been observed in accordance with the current theory in many ways, many times. As I said before, when one designs a spacecraft, extra stationkeeping propellant must be added to offset the deltaV from solar radiation pressure.
The...
A rebuttal from someone in the know:
http://www.planetary.org/solarsail/ss_and_physics.html
I'll just add, the most compelling argument that Dr Gold is wrong, is that every s/c is designed with solar radiation pressure in mind...
BobPE(and any others who can help),
How is getting a PE going to help me as an Aerospace engineer? This is not a sarcastic question, it's just that you state that it will many times in this thread, so could you tell me why or point me to a thread or post that does?
Personally I think more laws...
They could be by redshifting. The photon would actually be absorbed then emitted I guess, by the electron sea in the metal. Once abosrbed the sail is moving ever so slightly as compared to its previous rest frame. Thye emitted photon would be reshifted relative to it(the previous frame of the...
I'm guessing he is wrong as it would imply some very basic notions we have are wrong(Occam's razor). Reading his paper he isn't very rigorous in his analysis. He also makes no references or citations other than to Carnot.
http://arxiv.org/html/physics/0306050
I'm betting the problem here is...