The Frisch-Smith Time-Dilation Experiment

I spent a while googling, and this is quite an interesting experiment! For my burden of proof I will summarize the the Frish-Smith experiment; and how it supports time dilation. This experiment is set up to measure time dilation by analyzing atmospheric muons. As these particles can be travelling at relativistic speeds AND have a known mean decay lifetime[1] and can be shown using seperate mechanisms NOT to travel faster than the speed of light [3]; it should be possible to detect these muons living longer than the amount of time they should when travelling at high speeds (as their clocks will tick slower relative to a stationary observer); this additional time should be predictable based on calculations of time dilation.[2] The experiment works by measuring atmospheric muons at two locations at high and low altitude. While many of these muons are travelling very fast, they would still require many "decay lifetimes" to travel the additional distance between the high and low location and as such with no time dilation, are unlikely to make it to the second detector (and indeed the number that should make it is calculable).[3] The speed of detected muons can be gaurenteed to be relativistic by placing iron (and indeed air above the detector so that in both detectors slow moving muons are removed), and only muons with a specific energy and therefore speed are detected in the measurement device. This means that if measured muons at upper and lower detector have the same energy, the number of muons detected at the lower detector should be more than can be accounted for by decay alone, and should be proportional to the decay rate based upon the relativistic speed of the muon factoring in time dilation.[3][4] This experiment was successful, and the number of muons detected was approximately the same as would be expected taking into account time dilation and margins for error; and far, far higher than what is expected without time dilation. The understood physics of muons and their atmospheric generation validates the method, as there are no practicable means by which a greater number of muons could be measured at lower altitudes. Potential explanations that spontaneous generation of more muons at lower altitudes, or because they are travelling faster than the speed of light can be shown to be wrong via independant means [1][3][4]. As a result, the only explanation for the increase in numbers is that the clocks for those muons are slowed. As such, it provides conclusive predictive validation of time dilation, as no other reasonable explanation can be given to explain the close match with relativity; therefore affirming the resolution of this debate.[3] My opponents contention is that this circular reasoning; which is fairly easy to deal with. The nature of the experiment as explained is pretty simple: 1.) Muons have a measured mean decay rate of 2.2us. 2.) The two detectors are placed 1907m appart, and with a speed of light of approximately 300,000,000 m/s[5] the time it would take muons travelling at the maximum possible speed would take 1907/3e9 = 6.36us to travel from the top detector to the bottom; this is just shy of 3 mean decay times. The experiment leads to two numbers; one where time dilation occurs, and one where it doesnt. To explain this, my opponent uses the argument that the speed of life may not be unviolateable and thus the muons maybe travelling faster than the speed of light. While this is valid to posit, it is contradicted by the experimental evidence. Muons in the atmosphere can and have be measured using basic speed measurements (distance travelled / time taken) and have been shown not to exceed the speed of light.[3] Moreover, Particle accelerators such as the LHC and indeed much smaller powered accelerators regularly implicitly test the conclusions of relativistic momentum, and "speed limits" continually test and see whether "giving more energy" to particles follows the principles of relativity; in many the technical operation and specific timing of the accelerator only being possible if these particles do not travel faster than the speed of light [6][7]. As such the statement that matter cannot travel faster than the speed of light is seperately validated and thus the key assumption of the Frish-Smith experiment can be confirmed. So while my opponent is correct that this experiment requires Muons not to travel faster than the speed of light; this requirement is supported by at least two independant types of experiment cited here. Because of this, the experiment cannot be thought to use circular reasoning; the mathematics and requirements used to calculate how much time dilation is not assumed to be true prior to the experiment as he implies. As a result the same conclusion holds, that the nature of the measurements being made demonstrate that Muons are subject to time dilation, the resolution of this debate. [1] https://www.princeton.edu... [2] http://en.wikipedia.org... [3] http://didel.script.univ-paris-diderot.fr... [4] http://web.mit.edu... [5]http://en.wikipedia.org... [6]http://en.wikipedia.org... [7]http://journals.aps.org...